Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story

What are de-branded wines worth?

Wednesday 16 December 2020
A wine with a fake label

Richard considers what makes wine truly valuable.

‘Psssst! You like the good stuff? Got some 100-pointers here. Excess stock, guv’nor – can’t tell you who made it, but let’s just say this little Napa Cab is Seeming Legal, know what I mean?’

Everybody loves a bargain, and the thought of getting top-shelf bottles at a fraction of the price should be irresistible to wine lovers. Such offers are reasonably easy to come by, and – despite the dodgy sales patter above – are very often genuinely great wines made by venerated producers.

Here in Singapore – where big brands wield...

Become a member to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 287,571 wine reviews & 15,855 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 287,571 wine reviews & 15,855 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 287,571 wine reviews & 15,855 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 287,571 wine reviews & 15,855 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Hemming in Asia

wine pouring onto map of Eastern World
Hemming in Asia Richard examines the truth about (non?) cork-asian habits. The Eastern World, with its dragons, elephant gods and ' Pompaddy-Conti Bordeaux...
Wine bottle in dragon holder
Hemming in Asia Richard surveys the latest news from the wine market in China. My last review of the wine scene in China...
Sachi Soy Wine bottle
Hemming in Asia A Singaporean start-up is upcycling soy whey into 'wine'. Soy is one of my favourite wine descriptors. It's the yummy...
Singapore Skyline
Hemming in Asia Richard's personal pick of the best wine destinations in his adopted home. Now that Singapore has just exited another lockdown...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Meursault in the snow - Jon Wyand
Free for all Everything we’ve published on this challenging vintage. Find all our published wine reviews here. Above, the town of Meursault in...
La Campana in Seville
Nick on restaurants Three more reasons to head to this charming city in southern Spain. As we left Confitería La Campana, which first...
Ch Telmont vineyards and Wine news in 5 logo
Wine news in 5 Plus, Telmont becomes Champagne’s first Regenerative Organic Certified producer, Argentina repeals wine regulations and the EU rules on de-alcoholised wine...
View over vineyards of Madeira sea in background
Free for all But how long will Madeira, one of the great fortified wines, survive tourist development on this extraordinary Atlantic island? A...
The Chase vineyard of Ministry of Clouds
Wines of the week A perfectly ordinary extraordinary wine. From €19.60, £28.33, $19.99 (direct from the US importer, K&L Wines). A few months ago...
São Vicente Madeira vineyards
Tasting articles Wines from this extraordinary Portuguese island in the middle of the Atlantic, varying from five to 155 years old. The...
flowering Pinot Meunier vine
Tasting articles Once a bit player, Pinot Meunier is increasingly taking a starring role in English wines. Above, a Pinot Meunier vine...
2brouettes in Richbourg,Vosne-Romanee
Free for all Information about UK merchants offering 2024 burgundy en primeur. Above, a pair of ‘brouettes’ for burning prunings, seen in the...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.