Thieves steal 30 tonnes of grapes

A vineyard near Béziers in the Hérault region of southern France had 30 tonnes of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes stolen overnight.

Grant's to sponsor Piers Morgan Life Stories

Grant's has announced that it is to sponsor the ITV1 show, Piers Morgan Life Stories as part of the brand's multi million pound investment for 2010.

Grants whisky signs TV sponsorship deal

Grant's whisky will return to TV screens after a 15-year break after signing a sponsorship deal with Piers Morgan Life Stories on ITV1. 

Currency update, September 30 - sterling falls due to concerns over Quantitative Easing

Sterling fell again against the euro yesterday after Tuesday's downbeat comments by a key Bank of England policy maker left sterling under severe pressure from investors.

Fairtrade wine sector set for "massive growth"

Fairtrade has surpassed organic as the latest ethical product set for massive growth in the alcohol sector, according to recent research by Datamonitor.

Cockspur unveils new distributor

From October 1 Whyte & Mackay will distribute Cockspur rum in the UK and Ireland's on and off-trade markets.

Clos Maggiore pairs chocolate with food and wine

London restaurant Clos Maggiore is championing that most traditional of aphrodisiacs in a special chocolate-laden tasting menu designed to coincide with National Chocolate Week.

Sterling flounders after downbeat comments

Currency exchange rates daily analysis for September 29 from Smart Currency Exchange.

UK entering the "Prosecco decade"

Prosecco is becoming a favourite tipple among UK wine drinkers, according to the latest consumer research from Wine Intelligence.

Highland Park's Visitor Centre retains five star rating

Highland Park's Visitor Centre has retained its five star rating from VisitScotland's quality assurance scheme for the seventh year running.

Wines in the press - September 23-26

The Guardian
Victoria Moore likes crackling so much that she once roasted an entire pork shoulder and managed to eat all the crispy, crunchy, fatty skin in a single sitting.

Currency update, September 28 - sterling hits seven week high against dollar

Sterling rose against the US dollar to hit a seven week high of $1.5867/£1 as the US currency struggled to shake off concerns that the Federal Reserve would ease monetary policy further to stimulate the flagging recovery.

Gondola changes name to yourfavouritewines.com

Gondola.co.uk has rebranded its name to yourfavouritewines.com after feedback from a customer survey.

Bottle Green launches "no-nonsense" website for French Connection Wines

Bottle Green is to launch a new consumer-focused, interactive website for French Connection Wines.

Sterling hits seven week high against dollar

Currency exchange rates analysis for September 28 from Smart Currency Exchange. For bespoke currency advice go to www.smartwinespirit.com.

Terroirs to open second site in East London

The team behind the award-winning French, biodynamic-influenced London restaurant, Terroirs, is to open a second site in east London.

Early boost for sterling against US dollar

Currency rates for September 27 from Smart Currency Exchange. For bespoke currency advice go to www.smartwinespirit.com.

Asda to roll out its in-store Wine Selector across the country

Asda is to roll out its Wine Selector nationally after a successful trial boosted sales by 4.5%.

iPad wine lists could risk role of sommelier, warns Rousset

A top restaurateur has warned that venues using iPads to replace paper wine lists risk undermining the sommelier's role.

Lower-alcohol wines and 50cl sizes are inevitable, says Brand Phoenix

By Graham Holter

The wine trade will increasingly gravitate towards 50cl sizes and lower-alcohol styles in order to hit popular price points, according to one major supplier.