Turning water into wine: how did simple H2O become a luxury commodity?

From crystal infusions to water sommeliers and even bottling the frequency of rainbows, the top end of town has well and truly cashed in on the world’s most vital resource

UK housing market is a ‘goldmine’ for wealthy foreign buyers

Sales of houses worth over £10m tripled after sterling slumped following Brexit vote

Super-rich sabbatical: the boom in luxury long breaks for the 1%

From shark swims to snow leopard treks, a tailored trip of up to a year is now a must-have

The commodification of Frida Kahlo: are we losing the artist under the kitsch?

As a new exhibition of Kahlo’s photographs opens, Jenny Valentish looks at the merchandise bearing the artist’s image and wonders if we’ve missed the point

Masters and machines: the best art and architecture of 2019

Van Gogh comes to London, Keith Haring scribbles over Liverpool, Jean Nouvel gets weird in Qatar, and the V&A hits top gear

The best cheese in the world is running out fast. What should we eat instead?

The winner of this year’s World Cheese awards is made by a Norwegian farmer with only 12 cows. While you’re waiting for next year’s batch, here are some alternatives