Wildlife volunteers say 23 kangaroos used as a tourist drawcard at award-winning Jacob’s Creek winery were found in what they believed was a malnourished state – so apparently neglected that some were in “shocking” pain from untreated injuries. Jacob’s Creek, owned by French company Orlando Wines, is one of Australia’s best-known international brands. Its tourist centre in the Barossa Valley this month won the Australian Tourism Award for best tourism winery and best restaurants and catering services, reports News.com.au.

Bordeaux Chateau Brane Cantenac is using Carmenere in its Grand Vin for the first time, the result of climate change, owner Henri Lurton said. Although almost never used in Bordeaux, Carmenere is a sixth variety allowed under appellation rules. It was widely-planted in the Medoc in the 19th century, and regarded as a mainstay of claret, but it is difficult to ripen and prone to disease and its popularity waned, reports Decanter.

Italian wines are really hot today. Italy became the world’s biggest wine producing country in 2010, surpassing longtime world leader France. Meanwhile, Italian wine imports to important markets like the U.S., Britain and China have risen dramatically in the last several years. This is due in no small part to the fact that Italian wines from many regions are good values. It also reflects the popularity of Italian cuisine around the world. The most widely grown grape in Italy, comprising about 10% of the vineyard area, is Sangiovese, writes Richard Jennings in the Huffington Post.

A Chinese wine was launched yesterday in Beijing for 900 yuan ($142) per bottle. Some already consider that price outrageously high, others woefully low. If the price sticks, this could mark the emergence of Chinese wine into the realm of fine, high-price wines, which are predominantly French, writes Jim Boyce in The Wall Street Journal.

Since 58% of shoppers are willing to trade up on wine, but only 11% do, Pernod Ricard is stepping up its premium push. That’s according to research of 2,500 consumers carried out by PRUK – almost 60% said they were willing to spend more than £7 on a bottle. Deputy managing director Simon Thomas said that move to premium was spurred on given light wine is in decline – volume fell 2.3% in the last year – so that “a new and accessible source of value growth is required”, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

Advertising is most effective when it creates an image or story that consumers can connect with on an emotional level, proved by Gallo with its successful late 1980s campaign. So why aren’t more wine brands following suit, asks Jonathan CahillIn. In the world of marketing, the wine industry is an enigma. Much of marketing is concerned with emotions. One of the most useful definitions of a brand is that it is something consumers buy for its emotional benefits, whereas a product they buy for its functional one, reports The Drinks Business.

The grape harvest, which is under way for early varieties in the Auckland and Gisborne regions, is expected to be smaller than usual. The harvest is running about a fortnight behind last year due to wet and cool weather conditions during summer which slowed down the ripening process. New Zealand Winegrowers estimates the harvest will be 300,000 tonnes this year – a fall of about 30,000 tonnes on last year, reports Radio New Zealand News.

Adverse weather conditions, bulk wine sales, volatile exchange rates, a lack of confidence in government policy and the vagaries of fruit supply and demand are all dealing blows to an already fragile industry, according to the latest Markhams wine industry business confidence survey. Whilst many wineries remain “carefully optimistic” about the year ahead, nationally the poor weather conditions have impacted on fruit volumes, with lower yields expected, particularly in Marlborough, reports Voxy News.

It was all hands on deck this week, as Gladstone High School began the massive task of harvesting their grapes for vintage. The school operates a vineyard under its agricultural program, and chemistry students are able to put their skills to the test with the actual winemaking. This year’s quality is looking outstanding, something agricultural teacher Dean Humphries is quite proud of. Across the three acres, the school collects one tonne of grapes to make their own Shiraz, and five tonnes goes to Taylor’s Wines in Clare, reports The Flinders News.

Champagne connoisseur Jayne Powell traces her love of champagne to drinking fizzy drinks as a kid. ”I’ve always loved bubbles,” she said. Her father, who ran a casino in Cardiff during Powell’s youth, was keen to foster a healthy relationship between his daughter and alcohol, so wine was offered at dinner from a young age. But she was uninterested until a visit to her French penpal led to a life-long passion for the bubbly she now spruiks the world over, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.