Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category

Spritzers have been around for years and barmen all over the world describe this drink as the easiest of all the cocktails.

I’m not sure what criteria a drink must adhere to, in order to be classified as a cocktail or a wine drink. This  cocktail is so easy to make and is perfect for spring.

 Here’s how to make a white wine spritzer .

Ingredients:

- 125ml white wine (Versus will be just right)

- Soda water  or mineral water

- Lime wedge for garnish

Preparation:

- Fill a white wine glass or highball glass with ice.

- Pour in the wine.

- Top with club soda or mineral water.

- Garnish with a lime wedge.

Soweto has hosted many amazing events and happenings in the past few months such as the World Cup final (and the amazing opening game), Super 14 final and test rugby matches.

And now the next big thing to hit Soweto is the versatile and unconventional wine brand Versus as we embark in making the great Soweto Wine Festival a more funky affair.  

So please join us for a glass of wine at this great event. Our wines suits every pocket and palate and we are looking forward to pour a glass or two for you

For more details, visit:  sowetowinefestival.co.za

The ever popular Stellenbosch Wine Festival has taken a different format this year as festival goers will be visiting the farms. The wines from the company of winepeople^TM have arranged a lovely programme and activities for festival goers.

Bring the family and come and enjoy some of the best wines in one of the most beautiful parts of the county.

Arniston Bay, Kumkani, Versus and Welmoed will the wines that will be showcased at this great festival.

Here are some more details about what we’re planning for the Stellenbosch Wine Festival:

• - Kiddies corner: Face painting, jumping Castle, colouring in fun
• - Tickle your tummies: Spitbraai/ potjiekos. The Duck Pond restaurant will be open daily.
• - Free wine tasting!
• - Specials on selected wines daily
• - A complimentary cool de sac with every case of wine purchased, and other POS materials on sale.
• - Foosball fun
• - Massages for the ladies
• - A jazz band
• - A magician

For more info about the Stellenbosch Wine Festival please visit wineroute.co.za

The Soccer World Cup is finally here, and millions in South Africa and abroad will be anticipating with bated breath to see what the outcome is going to be and which team will ultimately walk off triumphant with the much acclaimed golden trophy.

Many of us will be watching the matches on our televisions at home. Although there is no doubt that this won’t really compare in atmosphere and hype to watching the event live at one of the stadiums or fan parks across the country, here are some fun tips on how to liven things up and make these gatherings something to remember:

Build the atmosphere

Many South African homeowners are doing a really good job – with great displays of flags on front garden walls and gates. Commuters too are showing huge enthusiasm, with mini flags flying loud and proud from car windows, and let’s not forget how ‘Soccer Friday’ has helped build hype around this much anticipated event.

So, if you are hosting a soccer viewing party at your home, you need to bring some of this hype and excitement indoors – recreating a vibey and fun atmosphere inside for all your guests to enjoy. You can do this in many ways – use balloons in the colours of the teams playing, by including various flags and soccer-themed souvenirs and accents dotted around your entertainment areas, and requesting that all your guests come dressed for the part in their soccer t-shirts, custom-made hardhats and of course, with their vuvuzelas (you might want to add ‘bring ear plugs’).

Food for champions:

As with any gathering based around the watching of sport, the food of choice is really good snack food – and a lot of it. Aside from the usual chips, nuts and pretzels, try to prepare or order some delicious snack platters that can be continually served throughout the game. Mini burgers and boerewors rolls, samoosas, sausage rolls, a sandwich patter, cocktail sausages, julienned vegetables with a delicious dip, bedevilled eggs – conveniently, all of these can be pre-prepared before the event and stored in the refrigerator until needed. Try and include some soccer-themed accents in the food if possible. And don’t forget those with a sweet tooth – no matter what is happening on the field – cupcakes, koeksisters and chocolate are always a winner.

Drink and be merry:

What would any sporting event be without a little bit of liquour? A good idea is to prepare some cocktails in the colours of the teams playing, which you can serve to your guests as they arrive, before kick-off. For added flair – decorate the drinks with a miniature cocktail flag of the teams that are playing. After the initial cocktail – beer, whiskey and wine (Versus Wines  off course) are the firm favourites amongst most South Africans. However, remember to drink responsibly, as your guests will need to drive and arrive home safely after the game.

Everybody wins:

To add a bit of excitement, devise a gambling wager for all your friends to take part in. Let each of your guests predict the score and put R50 into a kitty. At the end of the game, see who predicted the nearest score – and that person wins the entire kitty! Not only will this keep guests interested in the game, but it will add a bit of spice to the evening’s proceedings.

Source: property24.com

I have a really bad case of Football Fever… I’m so excited about Bafana Bafana.

What can you do to contain your Football fever? Play Foosball.

This is a great game and is played all around the world. I did some research (OK, I just went to Wikipedia) and I found that this game was in invented in 1922 in the UK by a huge Tottenham supporter and it has grown immensely. Today there are number of shots and even an International Table Football governing body.

Here is a list of some of the Foosball shots:

“Pull Kick” – Pulling the rod to direct the ball to another man for a shot
“Push Kick” – Pushing the rod to direct the ball to another man for a shot
“Bank Shot” – Intentionally aiming at a side wall to ‘bank’ the ball towards the net
“Snake Shot” – When the ball is in front pin position, rotating the rod <360 degrees to hit the ball forwards
“Pull Shot” – Pulling the rod to direct the ball towards you before shooting with the same man
“Push Shot” – Pushing the rod to direct the ball away from you before shooting with the same man
“Pin Shot” – Pinning the ball under the foot of the man and then moving to either side bringing the foot of the man behind with the same man and striking the ball forward

Read more…

Versus Wine invites you 

Come join us for a glass of wine and foosball at our stand at The Wine Show Joburg (4-6 June).

Some wine snobs have made wine tasting much more complicated that needs to be. Wine is there to be enjoyed and tasting wine is not a daunting task.

Cathy Mason indicated the bare necessities about the glugging, gulping, spitting, swallowing and all you need to know to taste wines.

If you have never tasted wine before – then you’re in for a treat. There is nothing scary about winetasting – if you’ve got a tongue, you can do it! Remember – your palate is unique to you so whatever you taste is right and happily, the more you taste wine, the better you get at it. Here is a step by step guide to tasting wine.

1.    Look
Pick up the glass and tilt it in front of something white so you can see the colour properly. Does it have anything floating in it? Is it clear and bright? What sort of colour is it – dark, light, intense, pale – and is there a difference between the middle of the wine and the edge where it touches the glass?
Can you describe the colour – pale green – light lemon – straw – golden – deep yellowy brown might be words for white wines. Young, unwooded whites tend to be paler than older, oakier wines. Reds may range from – bright purple – clear ruby – dark maroon – semi black – brickish red – vaguely brown. Young reds tend to be brighter in colour which fades to a bricky, almost orange colour with age.
You are trying to assess the age, the condition and, possibly even, the variety of the wine in the glass.

2.    Smell
With the base of the glass on the table, swirl the wine round and round (if you feel confident, you can do this in mid-air but the table is easier). Try and use a glass which is wider at the bowl than the rim as it is practically impossible to spill wine out of these sorts of glasses so you can do it with a bit of dash and verve! You are doing this in order to mix oxygen into the wine which releases the aromas.
When you have swirled, stick your nose in the glass and take a good sniff. Does it smell clean and fresh? If it smells of damp mushrooms and wet cardboard, it may be corked. What sort of fruit can you smell? Swirl and sniff again. Is there anything else that isn’t fruity – tobacco, smoke, butterscotch, leather, honey, incense, flowers?
Try and remember those aromas as you taste for the first time.

3.    Taste
Now tilt your glass and take a decent mouthful. Move it round your mouth so it touches every part of it – different parts of your mouth and tongue detect different flavours so make sure you cover all your bases. If you feel really confident, you can suck in a little extra air through your lips to continue aerating the wine – don’t dribble though, that is really uncool! Swallow your wine and then think what it tasted like.
Does it taste clean and correct – if not, then could it be corked (mushrooms and cardboard again) or oxidised (smells and tastes like sherry or vinegar)? Is it dry, crisp, fresh and acidic or smooth, soft, rounded and fat? If it is a red wine, does it have high tannins – the same extracts as in a strong cup of tea which make your mouth dry up after you’ve swallowed the wine.
What fruit does it taste of – same as you smelt or different? What else does it taste of – other flavours? After you’ve swallowed it, do those taste linger in your mouth for some time or do they disappear completely – this is called the length of a wine or the finish.

Most importantly – did you enjoy that? Does it make you want to have more? Try another mouthful to see if you get anything different and to see if you’ve changed you mind at all. Jot down a few notes, have a disagreement with your neighbour as to your differing opinions and move on the next wine.

Uncomplicated and unconventional wine brand  , Versus,  believes that wine must be enjoyed and our back label also indicate that we’re really not into the pretentious wine snob stuff.

Source:www.food24.com

Here are three unconventional tricks you can perform at a party or during a dinner. Common household materiel needed. Hit pause when Solution title appear to try the tricks for yourself.

3 Easy Party Tricks – Funny blooper videos are here

After you have used the wine glass for the first trick you can fill the glass with  Versus and reward yourself for an excellent party trick .

Can you add any unconventional party tricks?

When you’re cold and in need of something to help you defrost, Glühwein – a mulled red wine concoction – is your best bet. This spicy drink – made more according to taste, than following a recipe precisely – has long been revered as a great winter beverage.

The basic ingredients are red wine, spices, and citrus fruit, heated together to diffuse the flavours, and then served warm to bring relief to hands that cup it and bodies that drink it.

Ingredients:
· 1 bottle of red wine. Try the Versus Naturally Sweet Red , it  is a perfect wine for making this drink
· cinnamon sticks
· whole cloves, quantity added according to taste
· 1 orange
· 2 tablespoons runny honey
·1 heaped teaspoon mixed ground spices –any ground allspice, nutmeg, coriander mixed together will do
· Water – wineglass full

Method
1. Put water in large pan and place over medium heat.
2. Add cinnamon, honey and spices.
3. While honey is dissolving cut the orange into quarter lengthways, then cut them in half so you have eight pieces.
4. Pour in all the wine.
5. Increase heat gradually. It should not boil so as when bubbles start rising turn the heat off.
6. As soon as it is cool enough to taste, test it for sweetness. If it is not sweet enough add sugar to taste and stir to dissolve.
7. Let the pan stand for an hour or longer so the flavours develop.
8. Warm gently before serving and spoon out into a heatproof glass, leaving the oranges and cinnamon behind. Optionally garnish with slice of lemon or fresh stick of cinnamon.

Everyone wants to have a party that rocks or at least remembered. So do you want your birthday bash to be really memorable? Give it an it unconventional theme.

Never have a bland get-together again with these delightful party themes.

Arch Nemesis Party- Dress up as your arch nemesis and parody what they say and do all night. Steal their clothes if you have to. Just make sure they’re not there. Maybe if you spend time in your worst enemies shoes, you’ll understand them a little better… or just hate them more. Also, if you are lacking an arch nemesis, feel free to make one up.

Your Mom’s Pajamas Party- Raid your mom’s pajama drawer. Add alcohol and music. Shake well, and end up with an amazing evening of maternal proportions. Note: this is not an excuse to show up to a party naked.

Truman Show Party- Choose a friend, and let the fact that everyone at the party is spying on them become entirely conspicuous. Plant fake secret cameras. Have everyone at the party be quiet as soon as they walk by, giving that “i know you were just talking about me” feeling. Be completely artificial. Bust out into random advertisements.

Flop Party- Come dressed as a character from any memorable movie flop. Ideas include Catwoman, Hudson Hawk, a young Hannibal Lecter, or Ben Affleck… as himself.

Monocle Party- Wear a monocle. And a vest. Speak in a British accent; say things like “poppycock” and “hip hip hooray”. Be sure to serve brandy…. the English have very refined palates.

Worst Fears Party- Face your fears by dressing up as them. Come as a spider, or a masked, threatening man with a weapon, or the girl from ‘The Exorcist’ in my case. If you’re afraid of heights, come on stilts. If you’re afraid of change, come to the party dressed in a way you never would and don’t talk to anyone you’re already friends with. If you’re afraid of death, come covered in fake blood and funeral clothes. If you’re afraid of loneliness, come to the party and leave immediately (get it?).

Amish Party- Wear a bonnet, or suspenders, and generally unflattering clothes made popular by the Amish. Make sure there’s no electricity at the party… in fact, the party should optimally take place in a corn field. Roll up in your Conestoga wagon with some barrels of ale and you’ll be sure to bag some wholesome wenches.

Read more:

Unconventional wine brand, Versus, will make your party even more memorable. So, let the good times roll.

We’re having another Market Day wine sale at our Welmoed cellar door in Stellenbosch.

Dates: Thursday 25 March to Saturday 27 March 2010

Venue: Welmoed Cellar door. Here are the directions: Directions to Welmoed

The following wines will be on sale:

If you have any  queries  regarding the Market Day sale, please contact  our cellar door directly on 021 881 8062

A stable of young-gun comedians are gearing up for Splashy Fen.

Booked to do a daily comedy hour at the festival, several of Durban’s top (and rated among SA’s best) comedians will be performing in the Versus tent from Thursday through to Sunday. That’s right, Versus returns to Splashy Fen this year, proving that this unconventional wine brand is the life-blood of the party.

Comedians lined up for the daily comedy hour include Glen Bo, Simmi Areff, Robby Collins, Jem Atkins, Gareth Woods, Little Paul and Neil Green, among others.

Glen Bo has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was a regular on the UK comedy scene before returning home where he tours and performs in theatres, clubs, dingy smoky pubs and at big comedy festivals. He’s an award-winning globe-trotter, leading the comedians into battle. He was born in Mooinooi. It means pretty girl. It’s a real place.

Simmi Areff (from the ECR breakfast team) is a young effervescent Muslim comedian who has opened for John Vlismas. Known for his parody songs, Simmi is young, single and carries a pipe wherever he goes. This is why he is single.

Robby Collins was voted KZN’s ‘Best Newcomer’ of 2008 and is a regular at DSOC, Punchlines! and 99% Zulu shows. He is from Sydenham/Overport and wears his granddad’s hat. He is currently billed to open for Trevor Noah in Joburg.

Gareth Woods hails from the ‘bustling metropolis’ of Klerksdorp. He’s a graduated scientist and trainer lawyer and, within his first year of stand-up, won the 5FM Fresh Drive Comedy Competition and opened for Trevor Noah.

Little Paul has been part of the Durban underground comedy resurgence since it started in 2007. His humour has been described as dry, and is based mostly around personal, cultural and political observations.

Jem Atkins is KZN’s ‘Best Newcomer’ of 2009 and also made it to the third round of SA’s Got Talent on SABC in the same year.

Neil Green is a regular on the ‘Bruin Ou’s’ comedy shows and performs on the DSOC scene.

Dusty Rich is a skilled tattooist and resident of Toti. He brings a degree of grit and self-deprecation, which is steeped in honesty and hilarity. He recently toured to Cape Town, playing the club scene.

To view the complete comedy programme at the Versus tent visit: www.splashyfen.co.za

One of South Africa’s most successful bands will be performing at this year’s   Splashy Fen Festival .

Prime Circle has been together for more than eight years and their albums like “Live this Live”  and “Hello Crazy World” made them the biggest selling South African rock act for three years in a row (2003-2005)

They will be performing on Saturday 3 April at Splashy Fen’s Grant Erskine Marquee. Other bands on the programme include Newtown, Horse the band, Fokofpolisiekar, Jack Parow  Dimeshift and much more.

Be sure not to miss this festival on a farm near Underberg in KZN. Join us for South Africa’s Ultimate Outdoor experience.

Unconventional wine brand, Versus, will have a hospitality tent at the festival and there will be various comedy and music acts in the tent, so don’t miss out. You will also have the opportunity to meet Afrikaans rapper Jack Parow in the Versus tent at Splashy. For more details, visit www.splashyfen.co.za

Drinking and Driving over the Festive Season? Then it’s time to ask Goodfellas to the party.

Cathy Marston writes  “Sadly, I realise that this is not the norm here in SA. The drink-driving stats in this country are horrendous with alcohol being blamed for 50% of the 18,000 deaths on our roads every year – yes, that number is correct – 18,000 deaths a year. A massive sea-change is needed in people’s attitudes to drinking and driving, and one company which is providing a real alternative to this is Goodfellas. They offer a membership service which you can call after one too many drinks and they will come to wherever you are and drive you safely home in your own car.”

According to Alison Brussow, marketing manager for Goodfellas, all the drivers have to pass stringent background checks, driving tests on both manual and automatic cars and undergo regular training by the company. Both Morell and Mogamat had branded uniforms and ID cards and we were given their names by the call centre when we rang to book the service so there was no possibility of any mistakes. And we felt completely safe in their hands – much more so than when we pick up a random taxi from the rank, something which is an added boon for women going home on their own as well.

Drinking and driving is a complete social no-no in the UK – if ever I contemplated getting behind the wheel after a few drinks, then the thought of my friends’ total disgust and disapproval is always enough to change my mind. I have heard various excuses over the years such as “Well, we have to drink and drive in SA because we have no public transport!” or “I’m a really good driver so alcohol doesn’t affect me like other people” and really folks, enough is enough. The choices are simple -

• – Drink, but don’t drive
• – Drive, but don’t drink
• – Call Goodfellas or somebody like them.

and with the Festive season in full swing, there are plenty of opportunities to use a service like this and I fully intend to do so. After all, if it’s good enough for the Sharks, for South African Breweries and for Bob Skinstad, then it’s good enough for me too.”

www.gfellas.co.za Tel:   0861 433 552

Source: food24

Versus Brand News

Versus Wines  supports this initiative and urges consumers to make use of this service.

After last year’s extremely successful Township Wine Festival, the organisers decided to expand this year’s festival with more wines and a full activity calendar.

This festival is Cape Town’s only township wine event and it promises to a huge success, full of fun and entertainment. The Annual iTownship Wine Festival will be held from Thursday, 29 October – Sunday 1 November 2009. The new venue for the festival is Gugulethu, one of Cape Town’s most vibrant townships where the famous Mzoli’s is situated. Over 130 wines were tasted at last year’s inaugural wine festival, which was held in Khayelitsha.

This is the second year that Kumkani and Versus wines will be exhibiting at the festival. Please join us for a glass of wine and come and enjoy the festival.

For more info, visit: itownshipwinefest.co.za

A must for acoustic music lovers, the annual White Mountain Folk Festival is held near Giant’s Castle in the beautiful Central Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal – only 34km from Estcourt on tarred roads, 200km from Durban and roughly 430km from Johannesburg.

Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, the festival offers acoustic performances by well-known and up-and-coming South African artists, a choice of camping, caravanning and chalet accommodation, plus outdoor activities for the whole family.

Attractions include hiking, boating and bass fishing, arts and crafts, a beer market, assorted food stalls and fun kids’ entertainment. For the more adventurous, there’s abseiling down a 45m cliff face or a fuffi slide across a nearby 100m-wide gorge, with helicopter flips also available if the weather permits. Alternatively you can simply relax outdoors and soak up the peaceful beauty of one of the most idyllic spots in the Berg.

Versus fun-loving wines will be promoted at this exciting festival. Be sure to visit the Versus hospitality tent to enjoy a glass of wine while listening to the impressive line-up of artists.

For more info visit whitemountain.co.za

Unconventional wine brand, Versus, once again proves that it is the lifeblood of the party as it is the official wine sponsor for the White Mountain Folk Festival, to be held in Kwa-Zulu Natal from 24 to 27 September 2009.

Come to sample our value-for-money wines at the event, and see what all the fuss is about regarding our innovative, trendsetting wine pouch.

Versus wines are uncomplicated, easy-drinking wines, hence the descriptive names for the range: Versus Simply Wicked White, Versus Simply Refreshing Rosé and Versus Simply Rocking Red.

To add a hint of sweetness to any occasion, opt for the new Versus Naturally Sweet range, which consists of a white and red blends and a rosé, available in convenient screwcap bottles.

There’s nothing better than the pouch – a world first – for outdoor activities than the pouch. Lighter than a bottle so it’s convenient to lug from one party to the next, the Versus pouch also chills quicker, so it’s ideal when you’re in a hurry to have fun.

Earlier this year, the fun, funky brand was also the only wine supplier at South Africa’s longest-running music festival, Splashy Fen, with South Africa’s answer to Chuck Norris – Vernon Koekemoer – as the Versus special guest.

The annual White Mountain Folk Festival will feature live acoustic performances by acts such as Rambling Bones, the alter ego of Jay Bones, frontman for popular ska/punk band Fuzigish; Wonderboom’s Cito, acoustic solo performance by Bertie Coetzee, lead vocalist for Afrikaans folk rock outfit Zinkplaat, Farryl Purkiss, Josie Field, Larry Amos, Gary Thomas, Laurie Levine, Redhand Blues Band, Joshua Grierson, Andra, Barry Thomson, Flowing Water Band and Catlike Thieves.

For more information about the festival, visit whitemountain.co.za or contact Pedro at  (082) 892-6176       

Funky wine brand Versus and the iconic, uniquely South African brand, Kumkani, will be exhibiting at the Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival this weekend.

Join us at the Versus and Kumkani stand in the Main Hall, Soweto Campus of UJ to taste some of our award-winning wines.

The Kumkani range maintains its proud winemaking tradition. Derived from the Xhosa word meaning ‘king’, Kumkani is an award-winning wine that celebrates South Africa’s rich heritage, eclectic mix of people and abundance of natural resources.

The Kumkani range comprises single varietals, dual varietals, the Reflections range and award-winning single vineyard wines.

Versus wine brand will wow the younger audience with its uncomplicated, easy-drinking wines, and consumers are also afforded the opportunity to sample the Versus new Naturally Sweet range.

This year’s Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival promises to be bigger and even better than previous festivals.

The annual Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival kicks off this Friday, 4 September 2009 at the Main Hall, Soweto Campus, University of Johannesburg, Old Potch Rd and will host 115 wineries, showcase approximately 850 wines and attract an expected 5500 Sowetan residents.

The wine festival is now considered the most popular lifestyle festival of its kind in Soweto and has one of the highest growth rates, year on year, to similar lifestyle shows in South Africa. With over 300% growth in visitor attendance since 2005, this festival is setting trends that are representative of Soweto as a burgeoning suburb of Johannesburg.

It provides residents of Soweto with opportunities to learn about wines and wine tasting within their environment. Simultaneously, this festival provides economic value to South African wine producers by introducing South African wines to new markets via education and interaction, which in turn increases local consumption and sales.

The 2009 Soweto Festival opens this Friday, 4 September, and runs until the evening of Saturday, 5 September.

Please join us as we will exhibit Versus and Kumkani wines at this amazing wine show.

Source:bizcommunity.com

A taste for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay or a liking for Merlot or Shiraz can indicate more than just a preference in wines. It could also reveal personality traits.

New research showed that drinkers who preferred a sweet taste in wine were more likely to be impulsive while those who chose dry varieties had greater openness.

According to the Australian researchers, participants with a sweet taste preference were significantly higher in impulsiveness than their dry preference counterparts.

Researcher for Sheffield Hallam University added that apart from impulsiveness and openness, no other personality trait was significantly different between the two groups.

“There is some support for the notion that sweet preference develops early in humans and thus could drive the development of impulsiveness,” said the researchers

They tested the wine preference of 45 people from Sheffield in South Yorkshire and divided them into two groups — those who liked sweet or dry wine.

Each group was also given personality tests to evaluate their impulsiveness, empathy, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.

The researchers said there is some evidence that a preference for sweet tastes fluctuates throughout life. It seems to be heightened during childhood and then declines in late adolescence.

Source: Reuters

Congratulations to Philip Steyn.

Philip is the lucky Facebook fan of the month and has won a Versus wine hamper.

Become a Facebook Fan of Versus and stand a chance to win wine hampers: Versus Facebook page

As the title reads, this Wine Tourism Handbook is South Africa’s Ultimate Guide to the Cape Winelands full of useful and practical information you can use to visit wine regions, cellar doors and restaurants with the help of  maps and contact details for the wineries and more.

First thing the book does for someone like me who has been to South Africa before is it transports you instantly to the beautiful Cape Winelands region where small mountains adore as the backdrop for most of the vineyards and make them look picture perfect.

For a first time visitor, the book is an excellent companion and a complete guide to help understand the South African wines. It includes the history, the grape varietals grown, the environmental issues involved. It helps you understand the labels, wine styles and all the regions, Districts and Wards.

It also gives useful advice on the cellars where one can taste wines, tips on wining and dining and various wineland activities to help you make the trip well rounded. It does not purport to be exhaustive but is extremely practical for a first time tourist or even repeat visitors. For someone who is not much into wine, it might even convert them into wine lovers and value-add to their trip. It is truly a practical 101 type or course book on South Africa as a wine destinations.

Although the information on accommodation is too abridged, it does highlight specific wineries to visit due to their significance-historic or otherwise as also several places for stay because of their special charm. It does list the basics for a tourist though.

The Guide has been organized to help you traverse the various wine routes and not according to the regions. It starts with taking you through the Coastal routes-starting naturally with Constantia, Darling, Durbanville, Franschhoek, Paarl, Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Tulbagh and Wellington. The accompanying maps are very clear and give specific location of the wineries in these Districts and Wards.

From there it takes you to the inland wine routes starting with Breederkloof, Klein Karoo, Northern Cape, Olifants River, Robertson and the capital of co-operative wineries- Worcester. Mountain Routes include trips to Aguilhas & Elim, Elgin & Bot River and walker Bay.

The book is in full colour and art paper with lots of pictures that make a very conducive reading. Perhaps for financial reasons, it is full of sponsored winery ads. Before it takes you to various wine cellars where tasting is possible, it helps a first time taster learn the basics of tasting sitting on your armchair in the privacy of your home.

Read Subhash Arora’s review: indianwineacademy.com

Backlabels of wine can sometimes be so misleading and it has some of the silliest and most unhelpful winespeak.

Why do people use such strange and bizarre descriptions and what do they mean by them? Are they helpful in any way shape or form for the average drinking Joe or Josephine in the street or is it just one more example of how wine folk try and separate themselves from the common herd?

Some of the silliest and most unhelpful winespeak is found on the back of the bottles themselves. I will concede that it can be tricky to convey the right information to your customers in the very small amount of space available, but why do so many winemakers waste this sales opportunity by writing useless and irrelevant rubbish? I have been conducting a little research with the contents of my fridge and a large retailer’s shelf and now, would like to offer my top five Back Label Blah Blah Blahs which, in my opinion, could be omitted with no harm whatsoever to the wine.

1. The ‘So what?’ description. Phrases that come under this heading include ‘Perfectly manicured vineyards’, ‘This winery is privately-owned’ and ‘the winemaker is meticulously detailed in his approach.’ Well whoopee do – for the amount of money I am paying, I certainly hope he is, but does any of this have any real relevance for what is going to end up in my glass? No, I don’t think so.

2. The ‘Blind ‘em with science’ description. Here we’re looking at things such as ‘The vineyard is not irrigated’, ‘low-yielding old bushvines’ and ‘maturation on the lees’. I’m not saying that this isn’t interesting if you know something about wine – the problem is that all these phrases were found on inexpensive, everyday wines and to the lay person, these mean absolutely nothing. These may be great features of your wine, but if you don’t say how these sorts of thing benefit the consumer, they are a waste of space.

3. The ‘Euphemistic’ description. As we all know, wine is a business and sometimes you need to do whatever it takes to make a wine sell. My advice is to be wary of any red wine which describes itself as ‘needing food’ because what they really mean is ‘dry, tannic and tough as old boots’. Hey, sue me, but you know I’m right.

4. The ‘Keep ‘em guessing’ description. Many people have an irrational prejudice against oaked white wines – how much longer can teeth-searingly, acidic Sauvignons rule the roost I wonder? No matter, the result has been that many Chenins and Chardonnays try and disguise the fact that they are wooded wines. So here is my shortlist of words which generally mean oak, even if the rest of the label doesn’t say it – ‘buttery, golden, toasty, rich, honeyed, brioche, baked, caramalised, toffee.’ Happy guessing.

5. The ‘Cover all the bases’ description. ‘Serve with seared tuna, smoked salmon, chicken, crayfish, creamy pasta dishes, grilled fish, artichokes, seafood risotto, oysters, white meats or parma ham’. Yep – think that about does it.

Versus Wines has a really unconventional backlabel. It looks quite normal but if you look closer and even read the backlabel you will know what I mean.

Here is the back label of some of the Versus Wines.

Source: wine.co.za

A new product called the Wine Doggy Bag has been introduced in the US.

The doggy bag is thought to have started out because patrons literally wanted to take home their leftovers for the dog. A combination of increased portion size served by restaurants, the cost of dining out, and the dismal economy have encouraged more people to avail themselves of the opportunity to take home their leftovers. This over time turned into what we now know as the doggy bag where diners take home food that they enjoyed, couldn’t finish and look forward to eating the next day.

It is surprising that with more people drinking wine today that there has not been the same demand for taking home the unused wine. I have noticed in BYOB restaurants that patrons frequently leave the restaurant with wine bottles (whether new or leftover wine would be hard to determine).

A combination of the economy, the changing state laws, and the popularity of wine have created an opportunity for an entrepreneurial company, Wine Doggy Bag to help all of us wine lovers to savor our last drop of wine. Now, according to Wine Doggy Bag it is now legal in all 50 states to take home your unfinished wine from a restaurant with certain restrictions depending on the state.

Wine Doggy Bag has created bags just for this purpose. These one time use bags are made in both 750 mL and 1.5L sizes for the purpose of sealing wine up (in order to meet some state requirements)

I think it is legal in SA to take home wine from a restaurant. Do you think a wine doggy bag will work in SA?

Source: corksavvy.com

The No. 1 wine trend for 2009 is trading down. The theory is that, given the failing state of the economy, you, the consumer, are expected to still buy wine but spend less money per bottle, thus trading down your aspirations.

It all seems a bit condescending, coming as it does from retailers, restaurateurs and wineries who conveniently encouraged us to trade up for the last decade, but in these troubled economic times – well, you get the picture: Cheap is in and Value is King.

While many wine drinkers will simply drink less, and likely less expensive wine, the goal should always be to drink better value wines. With a little luck, by the time the slump, downturn, slowdown and/or recession comes to an end, you will have become a more resilient, smarter, savvy wine drinker able to withstand any economic setback. Perhaps more important, when things get better you will be a much better judge of price and quality the next time prices escalate.

The point is that once you learn how to uncover value and enjoy drinking quality, value-for-money wines, you will become a much more confident and sophisticated wine buyer in the years to come.

Source: windsorstar.com

Next time you are browsing down the wine isle at your local supplier, take a closer look at the shapes of the bottles. Bottle shapes are all about tradition and many wine producing areas in Europe have developed unique shapes that are still being used for wines that originated in those regions. Let’s take a look at the 5 most common shapes:

A – This is the “Bordeaux” style bottle and is usually dark green for dry red wine and lighter green for white wines. Sweeter wines will mostly be in a clear bottle to show off its colour. This bottle is known for its straight sides and tall shoulders and is by far the most frequently used shape. Wines associated with this shape bottle include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon.

B – The “Burgundy” bottle is slightly fatter with gently sloping shoulders and is generally used for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (sometimes even Shiraz). This bottle suits both red and white wine alike and has a dark green colour.

C – I am sure you will recognize this one as the “Champagne” bottle. This type of bottle also has sloping shoulders, but much thicker glass and a pronounced punt (the dent at the bottom of the bottle). All these features make this bottle much stronger than the rest, as it is designed to withstand a pressure of up to 3 times that of the inside of a normal bottle of wine. The Champagne bottle is used for all sparkling wines.

D – Commonly used for Riesling and Gewürztraminer, the “Alsace” or “Hoch” bottle is slightly more slender than normal bottles and ranges from green to brown in colour (with mostly green being used in South Africa). The wine in these bottles can range from dry, to off-dry, to sweet.

E – Being winter in South Africa at the moment, some of you might recognise this shape. It’s the bottle used for fortified wines. Most fortified wines (such as Port, Sherry and Muscadel) are packaged in these sturdy bottles, but sometimes with a shorter, fatter body. Quite often you will find that these bottles have a bulge in their neck – this is supposedly to catch any sediment when the wine is being decanted. Many of these bottles will be sealed with a cork stopper and not the normal long cork.

So next time you are doing a blind tasting, you might be able to narrow the wines down just by looking at the shape of the bottle!

Source: SA Wine Advocate