A good selection of medals from across the New World shows this is a category with real strength in depth

There was little to excite the judges in this new category. Here’s hoping for better things from the pair in 2012

A big improvement on last year’s medal haul, although with nothing under a tenner, it came at a price…

Consistent only in its inconsistency, this year’s Aussie Shiraz category was all about the lower price points

No Golds, but plenty of positive feedback. A good hunting ground for those of you who ‘do’ esoteric on your list

Plenty of medals again for Chile, although the judges were most impressed stylistically with Australia and South Africa

Some good-value wines but the relatively low ratio of entries to medals suggests a lot of bandwagon-jumping, too

Aussie Shiraz is rarely cheap now, but a growing elegance saw a big rise in medals this year – and a lot of happy tasters

Not a vast amount in the way of bargains, but there were some decent, unusual wines here, proving that the New World still knows how to innovate

Sparkling Wine & Champagne: Under £14

Italy has emerged triumphant at this year's 42 Below Cocktail World Cup in New Zealand.

New Zealand winery Felton Road is doing its part to help in the aftermath of the recent Christchurch earthquake.

The Aussies might not be able to play cricket any more, but restaurants are ever more in love with their wines. To redress the pain of being thrashed by the Poms, Chris Losh asked Imbibe’s own Salami Army (well, a selection of top sommeliers and restaurateurs) to name their favourite people and places Down Under

Wine importer PLB has teamed up with family-owned Australian winery Brown Brothers in the UK

Pinot Noir is finding its feet in Australia’s Mornington Peninsula and a team of sommeliers attended a masterclass and tasting to find out whether the wines are worthy of UK lists. Julie Sheppard reports.