Has Wine Intelligence lowered the bar for fine wine?
Comments made by research firm Wine Intelligence in a recent seminar have sparked controversy among lovers of Petrus and chateau Mouton Rothschild, after the organisation suggested fine wine was defined as anything "not mainstream" and "above £10".
Luxury wine buyers were defined by Wine Intelligence at the recent London Wine Fair as those who spent more than £10 on a bottle, sparking criticism that the firm was lowering the bar, Harpers Wine & Spirit reports.
"Fine wine is much narrower than your description of any wine above £10," the publication reports Tim Hall, director of the Scala School of Wine, as saying.
"Wine connoisseurs would not describe anything below £30 as fine wine."
However, Wine Intelligence chief executive Lulie Halstead maintained that it is for the consumer, not the industry, to decide what constitutes a fine wine.
In March, the organisation launched Vinitrac, its global online wine consumer survey, which observed the drinking habits of consumers in 13 key markets.