Heads up, oenophiles! Reuters is reporting that Italy's top winemakers are joining forces with the country's luxury goods elite as the world's second-biggest wine producer tries to give itself an edge in the battle for U.S. and emerging market customers amid falling consumption at home.
Members of Italy's luxury industry body Altagamma, headed by Santo Versace (of the fashion dynasty), have agreed to bring Italian wines to their shows and other high-profile events.
Sales of Italian wine were flat last year, the article continues, and the country's austerity measures to tackle a sovereign debt crisis means the industry is becoming increasingly reliant on exports.
Italy is already the world's top wine exporter by volume and second only to France by value. It saw wine exports climb 13 percent in 2011, when about 55 percent of total sales volume was sold abroad.