Wines in the press - February 28-30

The Guardian
The Chinese may be buying up the world's best Bordeaux, but is hard to think of a wine that's less suited to Chinese food, says Fiona Beckett.

Treasury pulls support from Wine Australia

Treasury Wine Estates has withdrawn its support from Wine Australia in the UK ? saying the body does not do enough to "promote and represent our total portfolio of brands".

UK restaurants to offer deals via Facebook

UK restaurants, bars and shops willl now be able to showcase special offers through Facebook Deals, a new mobile phone discounting system.

Greene King buys Cloverleaf for £56 million

Pub company Greene King has acquired the 12-strong pub restaurant chain Cloverleaf Restaurants for £56 million.

Sterling steadied against euro after turbulent week

Sterling steadied against the euro at the end of a turbulent week for the UK economy and sterling's prospects.

Analysis: Gloom lifts off the on-trade

Property agent Christies sees conditions improving for restaurants and pubs, whether they're staying in business or selling up.

Blue Nun to relaunch in UK

Blue Nun wines is reaching out to 35-55 year-old women with its UK relaunch ? it aims to position the wines as "unpretentious".

Wine drinkers trust merchants over bloggers

Independent bloggers are one of the least trusted sources for wine information in the UK, USA and France, according to research published by the Wine Intelligence.

Hillebrand signs import contract with Waitrose

JF Hillebrand has signed a three-year contract to manage all wine imports for Waitrose.

FindWine launches fine wine portfolio

Online merchant FindWine has launched a 50-strong fine wine portfolio following the success of its Australian Wendouree tasting.

Sterling gains against US dollar after Bank comments

Sterling gained against the US dollar yesterday as the currency continued to gain support following Wednesday's Bank of England minutes, hitting a daily high of $1.5991/£1.

Jameson celebrates St Patrick's Day

Jameson Irish whiskey is launching a limited-edition bottle conceived by designer Paul Daly to capitalise on St Patrick's Day.

Heidsieck under starter's orders with Jockey Club

Piper-Heidsieck has been named as the official Champagne partner to Jockey Club racecourses.

Alcohol deaths fall, official figures show

There were 8,664 alcohol-related deaths in 2009, 367 fewer than recorded in 2008, according to the Office for National Statistics. But the number of deaths is still up 26% on a decade ago.

Trade bodies step up fight to protect smaller shops

Diageo to buy stake in Vietnamese distiller

Diageo is to buy a 23.6% stake in Hanoi Liqour, the Vietnamese branded spirits producer.

Restaurants 'don't maximise web opportunity'

Restaurants have been urged to do more to promote their restaurants online, and to use the web to allow bookings.

WSET holds fourth annual Awards & Graduation Ceremony

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust held its fourth annual Awards & Graduation Ceremony to celebrate the success of the top performing 2009/10 WSET students and diploma graduates.

Tiger Tiger operator 'to buy Balls Brothers'

Tiger Tiger operator Novus Leisure has been linked with a bid for Balls Bros, the London wine bar chain which went into administration last year.

Sterling plummets on back of poor GDP figures

The rate of sterling plummeted earlier today, dropping by 1.3% against the US dollar and 1.1% against the euro, as the market reacted to worse than expected GDP figures, writes Nick Ryder of Smart Currency Exchange.