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.

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.

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.

Italy will be attending this year’s LIWF, returning with one of the largest stands. Many of the consorzio from key regions have signed up for the show and will take their place alongside other key national generics, reports The Drinks Business. A statement released today announced: “Brintex has confirmed that Italy will have a strong presence at this years’ show. Sicily, Friuli, UVIVE (Veneto), Lombardia and ICE – the national Italian pavilion – are all on board for 2012, as well as major producers such as Zonin and Fratelli Martini.

Tesco’s fine wine revamp has paid off – the retailer has seen sales jump 50% in the past year. The fine wine range was overhauled by Laura Jewell MW after identifying that customers were increasingly trading up on wine. The facelift was carried out in June 2011, both in store and online. Although fine wine sales have increased by 50% in the past 12 months, Tesco was unable to provide supporting figures, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

Given that I’d been long-seduced by its Sauvignon Semillons, was crazy about its Cabernet blends, and had been excited by what I’d been hearing about its culinary scene, it was amazingly only last year that I finally made it over to Margaret River. And when I finally arrived in Western Australia there were surprises in store, writes Jo Burzynsca in The New Zealand Herald.

When John Geber stumbled upon one of Australia’s oldest wineries on a morning bike ride in 1998, he saw a giant Bavarian-style chateau in shambles. All the windows were broken, there were gaping holes in the roof and pigeon droppings were everywhere. He found out the property, in the Barossa Valley in southeastern Australia, was for sale. Realizing it was a national treasure laid to waste, he bought Chateau Tanunda the very next day. He spent the next decade pumping millions of dollars into restoring the long, rectangular brick building and reviving its 220-acre vineyard, home to more than 100-year-old Shiraz and Grenache vines, reports Market Watch.

Legacy Wines, the recently launched impulse, export and on-trade division of Manchester-based Kingsland Wines & Spirits has added New Zealand brand Shorn to its portfolio. The addition follows the launch the South African range, The Gathering, which launched in January. Legacy’s contemporary New Zealand brand ‘Shorn’ currently offers a Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (rrp £7.99) from the Marlborough region, and plans to expand the range throughout the year, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

Legacy Wines, the recently launched impulse, export and on-trade division of Manchester-based Kingsland Wines & Spirits has added New Zealand brand Shorn to its portfolio. The addition follows the launch the South African range, The Gathering, which launched in January. Legacy’s contemporary New Zealand brand ‘Shorn’ currently offers a Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (rrp £7.99) from the Marlborough region, and plans to expand the range throughout the year, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

As I write in the opening days of autumn, a potentially great Canberra vintage hangs in the balance – threatened by a massive band of rain moving across south-eastern Australia. If it hangs around too long, mildew and Botrytis could threaten the crop; if too much rain falls, berries might split, increasing disease risks and reducing yields. Should mild, clear weather follow the big wet, however, the district may yet produce some of its best wines ever, several producers say. By the time you read this, we’ll have some idea of the outcome, writes Chris Shanahan in the Sydney Morning Herald.