Thanks to Deena at Viti-Culture for the tip-off on a great six-year-old article in the Economist about the history, influences, and factors involved in the increasingly astronomic prices of the worlds finest wines. Frankly, I wish the Economist would write more these days about wine, as their editorial standards are exceedingly high, and their research, generally impeccable. This story is no exception, and it concisely details the complexities of the Asian wine buying craze in the 80’s, the rise of Robert Parker, the ascendance of the Garagistes and more. If you’ve ever wondered how the heck anyone ever got the balls to charge $100 for a bottle of wine, this is an interesting exploration of a possible answer.

Apparently this is all part of a larger set of articles on wine, but many are subscription only. Check out the full story.