Heathrow wine tasting to promote New York

State promotional organisation I Love New York has teamed up with Virgin Atlantic on a new wine-tasting initiative soon to be launched at Heathrow airport.

First class passengers using the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse will be able to sample a range of wines for 60 days from June 22nd.

The initiative is being launched to promote the wine regions that can be found in the state of New York, such as the Fingerlakes, Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

Lyndsey Sugden, head of marketing for the New York state division of tourism, said: "This is an excellent opportunity to create an association between the very well respected Virgin brand and New York state, and also make travellers between London and New York aware of some of the superb wines and wine-related opportunities available in the state of New York."

After California, New York is the second largest wine-producing state in North America.

It is home to over 240 wineries, which welcome more than three million tourists every year.

• Exeter Airport toasts record-breaking month
• Air France tests mobile boarding passes
• Bmi doubles flights from London to Moscow
• British Airways business class check-in open at Terminal 5
• Gustav not as severe as first feared
• New Zealand celebrates 'top country' award
• Luton Airport invests in multilingual technology
• Airlines take action as Gustav approaches
• Terminal 5 hosts impromptu basketball match
• Airline collapse leaves 60,000 looking for transatlantic flights