It's sad to report restaurants closing rather than opening but one of my favourites, the Gousse d'Ail in Oxford, has just gone into receivership. It was always too ambitious for its location (in the northern suburbs rather than the busy city centre) but the great thing was that it achieved those ambitions. Foot and mouth and 11 September didn't help. Nor did last month's exploding boiler help either.
My favourite restaurant correspondent says he thinks there are more closures to come, alas.
I must say that in the context of the gloomy forecasts for global business, the tiny bit of it that is wine does not look too grim. Unless you are trying to sell 2001 bordeaux while trying to buy a smart chateau in Pomerol, of course. (See wine news.)
