SPAIN'S best-known wine critic, Jose Penin, has been sipping, studying and writing about wines for 35 years. He is considered the first Spanish journalist to popularize wine.

He was honored in 2007 with a Special Award of the Jury in the Gourmand Book awards for world's best wine writer. As an influentialinternational connoissuer and businessman, Penin was recently in Shanghai with his new book Penin Guide 2010 in English and Spanish versions, a definitive and most up-to-date book about Spanish wines with more than 13,000 brands reviewed.

Q: What's your view of the Shanghai wine market?

A: It's commonly known that all European countries have a long history of wines. Shanghai's biggest advantage is that it is a famous, opening city with the latest information and modern presence. People here are willing to try different things. They can systematically learn and understand everything about wine without any conventional and traditional preconceptions.

Q: Is wine a new investment field?

A: Some people say so, but I believe wine investment and wine popularization are totally different. Wine investment is used by European wineries to raise their reputation. If people want to find wines worth investing in, they should go to wine auctions. Wineries usually make some wines especially for auction to raise their profile in the wine industry.

Q: What are your recommendations for people who like wine?

A: Wine is a fantastic creature.

I think appropriately drinking wine can make life more exciting; on the other hand, irrational drinking can cause huge trouble. I stronglyrecommend people focus on the quality of wine, instead of the quantity. Although excessivealcoholconsumption has adverse health effects, epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated that moderateconsumption of alcohol and wine is statistically associated with a decrease in death due to cardiovascular events such as heart failure. Also, wine is better for females, and according to the statistic there are twice as many women working in the wine industry as men. And women usually have a better sense of wine. So I think wine will make life better.

Q: What are your interests apart from wine?

A: I love music and my son now is working as a DJ in Tokyo. When I was young I always wanted to be a musician, and now my son helps me fulfill my dream. If I keep on directing, I may become a famous movie investor.

• critic [´kritik] n.批评家；吹毛求疵者 (初中英语单词)
• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)
• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)
• international [,intə´næʃənəl] a.国际的，世界的 (初中英语单词)
• european [juərə´pi:ən] a.欧洲的 n.欧洲人 (初中英语单词)
• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)
• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
• investment [in´vestmənt] n.投资；(时间等)投入 (初中英语单词)
• strongly [´strɔŋli] ad.强烈地；强有力地 (初中英语单词)
• recommend [,rekə´mend] vt.推荐；使受欢迎 (初中英语单词)
• alcohol [´ælkəhɔl] n.酒精；醇 (初中英语单词)
• moderate [´mɔdərit] a.适度的n.温和主义者 (初中英语单词)
• decrease [di´kri:s, ´di:kri:s] v.&n.减少；减退 (初中英语单词)
• failure [´feiljə] n.失败；衰竭；破产 (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• influential [,influ´enʃəl] a.有力的，有影响的 (高中英语单词)
• commonly [´kɔmənli] ad.一般地；通常 (高中英语单词)
• fantastic [fæn´tæstik] a.奇异的；荒谬的 (高中英语单词)
• excessive [ik´sesiv] a.过分的；极端的 (高中英语单词)
• consumption [kən´sʌmpʃən] n.消耗；结核病 (高中英语单词)
• musician [mju:´ziʃən] n.音乐家，作曲家 (高中英语单词)
• conventional [kən´venʃənəl] a.常规的；协定的 (英语四级单词)
• traditional [trə´diʃənəl] a.传统的，习惯的 (英语四级单词)
• totally [´təutəli] ad.统统，完全 (英语四级单词)
• reputation [repju´teiʃən] n.名誉；名声；信誉 (英语四级单词)
• auction [´ɔ:kʃən] n.&vt.拍卖 (英语四级单词)
• adverse [´ædvə:s] a.不利的；反对的 (英语四级单词)
• profile [´prəufail] n.侧面 vt.画...侧面 (英语六级单词)
• consistently [kən´sistəntli] ad.一致地；始终如一地 (英语六级单词)
• investor [in´vestə] n.投资者 (英语六级单词)