Some top-notch bottles from Carte Blanche Wines

Annual wine report paints a gloomy picture

Made against all odds on the stunning fringes of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, the Pinot Noirs of Central Otago are an enticing – if pricey – addition to premium wine lists. Tim Atkin MW follows in the footsteps of Gandalf

Merchant to sell directly to on-trade and independents

In New Zealand’s warmer North Island, there is a growing feeling that the best reds are being made not with Cabernet and Merlot, but Syrah. Rebecca Gibb heads to Hawke’s Bay and discovers a battle between winemaking idealism and hard-nosed pragmatism

Mission Estate outpoints Lafite, Latour and Margaux

Agents can win a trip to New Zealand, taking an on-trade customer with them

Sparkling Wine & Champagne: Under £14

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

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

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

Good wines, good prices and a variety of styles, Syrah was one of the stand-out varieties for the New World

Food Match Awards

Still no Golds for Viognier, though certainly lighter, fresher, more food-friendly wines than in previous years

With steady rather than spectacular results in 2011, the New World still seems to be struggling to get its head around this most polarising of aromatic grape varieties