Archive for May, 2009

The answer to this question lies in the following photos:

1. Looks can Kill

2. Women will not sit here

3. Men get distracted while driving

Men who drink up to half a glass of wine a day may live five years longer than non-drinkers, the Wine-of-the-Month Club said.

Men who consumed light quantities of any type of alcohol daily added two-and-a-half years to their life expectancy, said Colin Collard, chairman of Wine-of-the-Month Club, referring to research published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Drinkers were also at a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease and other ailments associated with poor circulation.

“There is a lot of research pointing to the fact that a glass or two of wine a day is good for a person’s health, and this research just adds to this standpoint,” Collard said..

The study was conducted at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.

It looked at the lifestyles and alcohol consumption of 1 373 men born between 1900 and 1920, examining their health regularly between 1960 and 2000.

During this period 1 130 of the men died from heart disease.

When researchers compared the men’s deaths and their drinking habits, it found that light to moderate drinking of any alcoholic beverage added about two-and-a-half years to the life-spans of drinkers.

It also found that men who drank only wine, up to about half a bottle a day, lived around two-and-a-half years longer than those who drank beer or spirits.

Compared to teetotallers, they lived five years longer.

“Of course this doesn’t mean you should run out and buy a bottle of wine or take up drinking if you are a teetotaller.

“You should stick to your regular lifestyle. It’s just nice to know that enjoying a glass or two of your favourite tipple can actually have a benefit,” Collard said.

Source: iol.co.za

For those of you who enjoy a glass of wine (or two or three…), I’ve got some great news.

We’re having a massive Market Day wine sale at our Welmoed farm in Stellenbosch (next to Spier).

Dates: Thursday 28 May to Saturday 30 May 2009

Venue: Welmoed Cellar door. Here’s a link to directions: Directions to Welmoed

The following wines will be on sale:

1.       Welmoed 4-pack @ new rock bottom price of R 54.99

2.       Welmoed Shiraz 2006 @ R 19.00 per bottle (case lots only – R114.00)

3.       Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay 2007 @ R 14.00 per bottle

4.       Arniston Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 @ R 12.00 per bottle (case lots only 12×750ml = R 144.00)

5.       Thandi Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc 2007 @ R 14.00 per bottle (case lots only – R 84.00)

6.       Thandi Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 @ R 12.00 per bottle (case lots only – R 72.00)

7.       Thandi Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon @ R 12 .00 per bottle (case lots only – R 72.00)

If you’d like more details, please contact Anri or Zoliswa at our cellar door on 021 881 8041.

Muscle man, Vernon Koekemoer, will again be Versus special guest and star attraction (apart from the wines, of course!) at the upcoming Wine Show Jo’Burg, which will be held from 29-31 May. Vernon was Versus’ special guest at the Splashy Fen music festival, and attracted a legion of fanatic followers.

On Saturday you can sip delicious Versus wines with the big man Vernon Koekemoer himself. Vernon is on Versus’ stand from 2pm until 5pm on Saturday May 30th.

For more info about the show visit The Wine Show Jo’burg

Top winemakers, wine experts and chefs will be in Joburg for the Wine Show Joburg, running from 29 to 31 May at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.

Exhibitors who have booked to be at the show include vineyards Vriesenhof, Arniston Bay, Kumkani, Versus, Bellingham and Annandale Shiraz, and the Cape Wine Academy. While most of the exhibitors have been at the show before, new names are also appearing, including Ken Forrester, KWV and Nederburg.

The celebrities are out in force at this years Show, too! On Saturday you can sip delicious Versus wines with the big man Vernon Koekemoer himself. Vernon is on Versus’ stand from 2pm until 5pm on Saturday May 30th.

“The Cape Wine Academy participated for the first time in 2008,” said Marilyn Cooper, the managing director of the institution. At the Wine Show Joburg, it was able to “reach a particularly special person, who is usually knowledgeable about wine and keen to learn more”.

The academy is an educational and training body that promotes awareness and appreciation of South African wine. It was founded in 1979 in Stellenbosch.

In all, there will be 130 stands, where wine can be tasted and bought from the vineyards and distributors; punters can also learn more about the drink and viniculture.

Besides wine tasting, top chefs will take part in the Friends for dinner theatre, on Friday from 6.30pm, on Saturday from 12.30pm and again on Sunday from 12.30pm. Participants will learn about food and wine pairing and get the hottest entertaining tips.

Chefs at the show will include Jonathan Duiker from Melrose Arch Hotel, who will team up with Arumdale Wines and Bilton Wines; and Debi van Flyman from Cullinary Productions, who will team up with the Cape Wine Academy.

And it’s not all food and drink – there is boules and golf too, with cases of wine up for grabs.

There will also be an exclusive vintage tasting, called the Whole Nine Yards, with wines going back to 1909. Hosted by sommelier Jörg Pfützner, it will take place on 29 May at 7pm and costs R8 900 per person – and there are only 12 tickets.

This price includes full weekend passes to the Wine Show Joburg. Booking is essential, and must be done through Natalie Campbell natalie@wineshow.co.zaThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Tickets for this exclusive tasting are not available at Computicket.

Wines that will be tasted include the 1909 Armagnac, the iconic 1919 Corton Hotel St Petersburg, a 1929 Cos d’Estournel and a Meursault from 1969, according to the show’s website.

Over the past years, creative ways have been devised to use the wine show as an opportunity to raise funds for charity; this year is no different. Organisers worked hand in hand with Getpix Images and Photographic Academy to launch a competition themed Wine laid bare.

For a R50 entry fee, amateur and professional photographers will be able to submit their photographs interpreting the theme. The cash will be donated to breast cancer awareness and research. The best entries will be exhibited at the show.

Judges from Getpix will choose the 12 best entries that will feature in a charity calendar. Sold for R100 each, the calendars will be available at the show.

The Wine Show Joburg runs from Friday, 29 May to Sunday, 31 May at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Doors are open from 5pm to 9pm on the opening night, from noon to 9pm on Saturday and from noon to 6pm on the final day.

Source: joburg.org.za

Ever wonder how much Jennifer Aniston makes in a year? How about Britney Spears? Or Tiger Woods? Check out what these celebs earned according to Parade.com. You may be shocked to find out.

Jennifer Aniston pulled in a cool $27 million.

Singer/actress Beyoncé collected $80 million … while hubby Jay-Z made $82 million.

Taylor Swift is only 15 years old and already has $5.5 million in the bank

Actress/writer Tina Fey made $4.6 million.

Some writers do manage to make money. Writer John Grisham put $25 million in the bank.

Tiger Woods made a grand total of $110 million.

Britney Spears pulled in a respectable $2.25 million.

Read more: nydailytimes.com

In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes.

There are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Crackers cookie zoo.

Should there be a crash, Prince Charles and Prince William never travel on the same airplane as a precaution.

Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second.

The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache on a standard playing card.

There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.

There is one slot machine in Las Vegas for every eight inhabitants.

 In the US- Every day 20 banks are robbed. The average take is $2,500.

The most popular first name in the world is Muhammad.

Tablecloths were originally meant to be served as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces after eating.

Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult.

In the US- One car out of every 230 made was stolen last year.

Until the nineteenth century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia.

The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts three naked men with their hands on each other’s shoulders.

When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 4800 km per hour. To photograph the event, a camera must shoot at a millionth of a second.

A lightning bolt generates temperatures five times hotter than those found at the sun’s surface.

A violin contains about 70 separate pieces of wood.

It takes glass one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times.

Forest fires move faster uphill than downhill.

Almost half the newspapers in the world are published in the United States and Canada.

There was a time when people thought George Michael was straight

 

Source: www.strangefacts.com

Beer will help my bones but shrink my brain. Which should I sacrifice, wonders Michael Deacon

For years I’ve tried to hide it but at last I must confess: I have a problem. It’s my drinking. And I’m terribly worried. Either I’m drinking too much – or I’m not drinking enough.

So science tells me, at any rate. Seemingly every week sees the publication of new research into the effects on health of alcohol consumption – and each set of results appears to contradict the last. Last week it was reported that drinking half a glass of wine a day adds five years to your life. Excellent, I’ll stick at it.

But hang on. Does that override the results published in February that said one small glass of wine a day increases the risk of throat cancer? I’m ashamed to say I didn’t study science beyond GCSE level but my understanding is that cancer tends to shorten your lifespan, rather than lengthen it.

Then again, in November, research showed that a substance found in red wine could help to mend damaged backs. Great news. But while I’m sinking red wine to sort out my back, I’m simultaneously increasing my risk of heart failure (according to research from last February). Beer will help my bones (March) but shrink my brain (May 2007). Oh dear: which is more important to me, my skeleton or my mind? I wonder which one I should sacrifice to save the other.

Drinking wine improves the memory (December). But drinking wine weakens the memory (October).

It’s all too difficult. Perhaps I should give up booze altogether. Wait a minute, can’t do that: giving up booze can lead to depression (last July).

Following the results of scientists’ research can be stressful. They are medical experts, after all, and I am not, so I dutifully obey each new set of instructions. One week I can’t get the stuff down my neck fast enough, the next I’m recoiling from the bottle as if it contained a cocktail of polonium-210 and anthrax spores mixed by a Mexican pig. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going, and not only because half the time, on what are practically doctors’ orders, I’m leathered. It’s enough to drive a man to drink.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

If Hollywood went bust, what would these A-Listers have to fall back on? We take a sneak peek at the CVs of the rich and the famous

Madonna

Job History: Once just another New York wannabe in her quest for superstardom, the material girl earned a crust squirting jam into doughnuts at Dunkin’ Doughnuts, and judging by the 50-year-old’s bod today, it doesn’t look like she’s been near a doughnut since.

Jennifer Aniston

Job History: Everybody’s favourite Friend Jen turned her hand to many a blue-collared job whilst struggling to break into acting. She worked as a telemarketer, a waitress and a bike messenger before hitting the big time playing Friends‘ Rachel Green, a waitress-turned-fashionista, in a case of art imitating life.

Colin Farrell

Job History: Not quite the bad boy he would have us believe, during Colin’s quest for international stardom, the wannabe not only auditioned to be in Boyzone (!), but also toured his native Ireland teaching line dancing (!!).

Barack Obama

Job History: Long before he became the most powerful man in the world, Barack Obama worked as a humble ice-cream seller in American favourite Baskin-Robbins to help put himself through Harvard Law.

For more Celebrity CVs visit: glamourmagazine.co.uk

If you are young and have a sense of adventure, then look no further than the Student Flights guide to funky festivals and happenings around the world.

• -Burning Man – Black Rock, Nevada: Starting on August 31 2009, this annual festival takes place on an ancient lakebed, known as the Playa. There are no rules regarding behaviour, save one of the most important aspects of Burning Man, which is to leave no trace behind.
• -Liars Festival – Moncrabeau, France: Set to play out over August 2009. The rules are simple – tell a good (but untrue) story while avoiding the subjects of sex, politics and religion and if you’re the best fibber you could be crowned king of the liars!
• -Mud Festival – Poryong, South Korea: Poryong is world-renowned for high quality mud that is known to be an excellent treatment for the skin. Indulge in mud body painting, the mud beauty contest mud sculpting, mud slides and, of course, mud wrestling.
• -Akankanto Festival – Sonkajärvi, Finland: Enter the annual Wife-Carrying Championship. If you manage to carry your ‘woman’ through the obstacle course and finish, the lady’s weight in beer awaits you. It costs 50 Euros to participate.
• -La Tomatina – Bunol, Spain: Line up for the world’s biggest and craziest food fight in Spain. The tomato battle or “La Tomatina” is one of Spain’s most recognised festivals where participation by everyone is not only allowed – it’s expected! The fight (with truck loads of ripe tomatoes) takes place on the last Wednesday of August between 11am and 1pm.
• -Air Guitar Championship – Oulu, Finland: In the first round, each contestant must play a one-minute version of a “hard riffin’ guitar classic” chosen by the jury. In the second, contestants get to choose their own song. The jury looks for originality, charisma, and, above all, technical aplomb.
• -Cockroach Racing – Brisbane, Australia: Join in the fun every January at the Storey Bridge Hotel – you can bring your own favourite hairy-legged crawler, or you can buy one on the day. Entry fees and cockroaches start from $5 each, with all proceeds going to charity.
• -Who moved my cheese? Cheese Rolling – Gloucester, England: May sees the annual cheese rolling down Coopers Hill in Gloucester. The first person over the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins the cheese.
• -Nude Night Surfing – Sydney, Australia: This self-explanatory sporting attraction takes place in the height of the Australian summer over the Sydney Fringe Festival at Bondi Beach.
• -Water Festival – Songkran, Thailand: The annual water festival that celebrates the end of the dry season and lasts up to seven days during April. Water pistols, ice-buckets, and hose pipes are the order of the day.

Did you attend one of these festivals? Please leave comments and tell  us more.

The funkiest South African festival is probably Splashy Fen Music Festival.

To view Splashy photos visit Versus – Flickr ;

Source: ioltravel.co.za

CAT’S pee and sweaty passion fruit are hardly flavours to make your mouth water but it seems Kiwis can’t get enough of them.

These are the core aromas of New Zealand’s world-leading Sauvignon Blanc, according to a six-year study by a team of wine scientists.

The team spent more than $12m defining the flavours of the country’s most popular grape variety, which has a unique flavour and character that has captured the world’s interest.

They concluded it was a winning combination of sweet, sweaty passion fruit, asparagus, and cat’s pee.

The tests were carried out by an expert sensory panel trained to distinguish between sixteen flavours, including canned and fresh asparagus, stone fruit, apple and snowpeas.

A wine region called Wairarapa, near the capital of Wellington, was found to be the top spot for cat’s pee influences in the white wine.

Sauvignon Blanc in the celebrated South Island wine region of Marlborough had an intense “sweet, sweaty passion fruit” and asparagus flavour, a flavour a panel of ordinary wine drinkers ranked their favourite.

Plant & Food science research leader Dr Roger Harker said wine connoisseurs routinely describe wine using the terms such as cat’s pee and capsicum and now the market place was also catching on.

One winery, Cooper’s Creek, had already caught on, calling its Sauvignon Blanc Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush.

Sue Blackmore, a wine science lecturer at New Zealand’s Lincoln University, said the flavours were only found in moderation.

“We’re talking about parts per billion, very tiny amounts to make the wine more complexing and interesting,” Blackmore said.

“If you had a whole lot of the compounds that give you cat’s pee it obviously wouldn’t be great but it’s amazing what a little can do.”

One wine retailer said New Zealanders would not be fazed by the unsavoury associations in their favourite wine.

“Most wouldn’t stop to think about it,” he said.

“Most people drink purely for enjoyment – they don’t stop to analyse the wine.”

My question is:  “How do they know how cat pee tastes like?”

Source: www.theaustralian.news.com

 

A glass for drinking a lot. I think that just about sums up this design from Kyouei Designs – when the amount in the glass decreases, a constant amount is poured from the tank into the glass.

From: seriousaboutwine.co.za

English is the world languish (pun intended) but sometimes the translation can be a bit misleading.

 Here are some humourous examples of translations gone wrong…

 

 

Self serving terminal

No cycling or skating. No soccer.

 Please ask for assistance

Temporary parking for unloading

 

Source: fun-in-language.blogspot.com

Captain Kirk, Spock, Scotty and the entire original crew of the USS Enterprise are re-introduced to a whole new audience in the latest movie, out this week. Take our refresher quiz to see if you’ll live long and prosper…

 

The Quiz

Our next Market Day Sale will take place at Welmoed Cellar Door on Friday 8 May and Saturday 9 May 2009.

 

Here is the list of wines that will be promotion this weekend:

• -Thandi Chardonnay/Chenin Blanc 2007 @ R 16.00 per bottle (Case lots only – R 96.00)
• -Kumkani Chenin Blanc (Barrel fermented) 2006 @ R 10.00 per bottle (Case lots only – R 60.00)
• -Bergschaduw Ruby Cab/Cinsaut @ R 10.00 per bottle (Case lots only – R 60.00)
• -Arniston Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 @ R 12.00 per bottle (Case lots only 12×750ml – R 144.00)
• -Thandi Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 @ R 12.00 per bottle (Case lots only – R 72.00)
• -Thandi Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 @ R 12.00 per bottle (Case lots only – R 72.00)
• -Welmoed 4-Packs @ R 59.95
• -Arniston Bay The Tides Range @ less 20%

 

 

Prince Charles has converted his vintage Aston Martin car, given to him on his 21st birthday by Queen Elizabeth II, to run on English wine, a spokesperson said.

The move, part of the prince’s green drive to reduce by 12.5% his carbon footprint up to 2012, was announced in a recent report released on the royal’s activities. And according to the report, the prince, an keen advocate of the environment, has already reduced his carbon emissions by 18%.

Sir Michael Peat, the prince’s chief aide, called the conversion a “symbolic role” saying: “Charles only travelled two or three hundred miles a year in the Aston but he wanted it to be environmentally friendly. It just happened that our bioethanol supplier makes the fuel from surplus English wine.”

The classic 1970 Aston Martin Volante convertible is usually only driven in the summer, having an annual mileage of around 300 miles (480 km).

The prince’s other cars, including Jaguars, Audis and Range Rovers, are entirely powered by cooking oil.

The annual report on the Prince of Wales said: “When their Royal Highnesses are travelling in the UK the aim is to reduce emissions through greater use of cars, trains, and turbo-prop aircraft. In accepting and arranging engagements more consideration is being given to reducing travel distances.”

The prince’s carbon emissions do not include the highly criticized Royal Air Force flights taken by his son Prince William at the British taxpayers’ expense. According to The Guardian newspaper, William flew a military helicopter to his girlfriend’s home, his father’s house, as well as to a stag party in southern England.

The Ministry of Defense said all flights were part of the prince’s training, while admitting that there may have been an element of “naivety” in their planning.

 Source: portalino.it