South Africa is gaining fans as celebrities are using social media sites like Twitter to talk about their love for our great country.

Celebs like Will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Alicia Keys, Akon and R Kelly all Tweated about South Africa and they promised to be come back. Will.i.am, of the music group Black Eyed Peas, posted pictures of himself and singer Alicia Keys celebrating South Africa’s first goal at the opening match, and enthused: “20 years ago no one would have never (sic) thought the whole world would come to south africa for world cup…this is historic”.

They were among the litany of celebrities who visited South Africa for the tournament, including British Princes William and Harry, hip-hop artist K’Naan, rapper R Kelly, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones fame and former supermodel Kimora Lee Simmons.

The model gushed to her fans about the Cape Town, posting pictures of the landmark Table Mountain from her room.

On her departure, Kimora promised to come back and stay longer.

“I am very sad 2 b leaving the gorgeous S.Africa! Thank u 2 all 4 ur luv and kindness! We’ll b back very, very soon! Team Fabulosity SA rocks,” she said.

Singer Akon declared his love for the country and the continent by posting mini-videos shot at different locations around South Africa.

“South Africa rocks, this is the place to be,” the star said on Twitter.

“Thank You S. Africa!!,” said R Kelly on his departure.

The distinctly South African vuvuzela, the noisy plastic horn which has become a signature sound at World Cup matches, has become a trending topic on Twitter.

Even world football president Sepp Blatter has a Twitter account where he enthuses about the games and the organisation of the event.

I think this is awesome that the word of mouth marketing of social media is improving the image of Mzansi.

Source: sport24.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 winepeopleTM 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

Someone over at YouTube has the World Cup bug, and must like the sound of vuvuzelas. The site has added an icon (a soccer ball, no less) to some (not all) videos which enables a user to drown out the sound of the video with the blare of vuvuzelas

Although criticized by many, blowing vuvuzelas is a tradition at South African soccer matches. Vuvuzela simulators have even become popular apps on both the Android Market and App Store.

The other day, the unconventional folks at Versus tried to make a vuvuzela orchestra but I must admit it was not in the league of Bach or Mozart.

The placement appears to be random, though I found one on a soccer related video (as shown).

The vuvuzela has come under scrutiny from soccer players, fans and the media. It seems that some people believes that  this instrument are deemed to be extremly anoying but it is not a new thing.

Check out this painting from the 17th century, this guy is really anoyed by this ancient vuvuzela.

I like the vuvuzela ,it gives this World Cup a unconventional and African feeling.

Viva, Vuvuzela, Viva.

With my football fever reaching fever pitch I investigated a bit to find some weird World Cup stats

The first World Cup was held in 1930 and is held every four years. (It wasn’t held in 1942 and 1946 because of World War II.) Brazil has won a record five World Cup titles, and Brazilian Ronaldo holds the individual record for most World Cup goals with 15. But there are some other facts that aren’t as well-known about the World Cup:

1)      The first goal

The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. Many believed American Bart McGee scored the first goal in the World Cup, against Belgium in the 40th minute. But a dispute erupted and FIFA determined the first goal was scored by Frenchman Lucien Laurent in the 19th minute against Mexico on July 13, 1930.

2)      The first Red Card

The red and yellow card system was not introduced until the 1970 World Cup. The first player to receive a red card was Chile’s Carlos Caszely in 1974 in a match against West Germany in the 67th minute.

3)      Youngest Player

The youngest player to play in a World Cup match was Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside against Yugoslavia in 1982. He was 17 years, 41 days old.

4)      Largest Attendance

The highest attendance for one match was in the 1950 final. The official attendance was 199,854 for the match between Brazil and Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

5)      Most Consecutive First-Round Eliminations

Scotland holds the record with eight: 1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1998

6)      Most cards in a match

 20 Cards – 16 yellow and 4 red cards in the 2006  “Round of 16” match between Portugal and the Netherlands

Source: ehow.com

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

Soccer World Cup fever has hit the country and I realised that the game of soccer has many rigid and formal structures, stereotypes and strategies. But this guy is really taking refereeing to new, unconventional level.

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Last night I met a few German soccer fans and we had great night with a few bottles of Versus wines.

Their English was pretty good and they told me about this hilarious TV ad about learning English.

Here is the ad. See it for yourself.

To my amazement and amusement a friend asked me if you get some points in soccer when the ball is kicked over the goal post. I realised that although Fifa et al. did everything to organise the World Cup they have not educated the sport illiterates about the game.

First you must remember that although you are clueless about soccer you can still enjoy the soccer party / braai / whatever with some Versus.

Here are quick guidelines for those who will score 0% for a soccer theory test. 

This is what you need to know in order not to look completely clueless during the following four weeks:

• Soccer is played by two teams with eleven players each (that includes the goalkeeper).
• Most soccer balls are made from synthetic leather. Many of them are black and white, but they can also be decorated in the colours of the different teams.
• Soccer players wear special shoes that give them a grip on wet grass. Soccer jerseys, shorts and socks distinguish the two teams from each other.
• Soccer is a winter sport.
• The aim of the game is to get the ball into the goal defended by the other team.
• The game lasts 90 minutes – 45 minutes a side with a short break in between.
• Any part of the body may be used, except the hands and arms.
• The goalkeeper is the only player on the field who may use his arms and hands to try and stop the opposing team from scoring a goal.
• A goal, which is scored if the ball goes over the line of the opposing team’s goal posts, a goal is scored. It is worth one point.
• Soccer is not a contact sport and no direct physical contact, such as shoving or grabbing, is allowed between the players.
• A soccer pitch, or field, is marked off with boundary lines, and can vary in size. It is usually rectangular in shape with the length more or less double the width.
• If the ball goes across the line on the side of the field, it is thrown in with an overhead throw. If it goes out at the end of the field, the goalkeeper kicks it back in.
• The section in front of the goal is large rectangle called the goal area. If a player breaks the rules in this area, a penalty kick is awarded to the other team. Only the goalkeeper can defend the goalposts during a penalty kick.
• So-called fouls include kicking the ball when it is in the air, tripping or touching other players, or using the hands and arms. The penalty for this is free kick for the opposing team.
• A yellow card is issued for serious fouls, such as fighting, disrespecting officials or their decisions, or flagrantly disobeying the rules more than once. The referee holds up the yellow card for everyone to see.
• Avoid conversations about offsides rules. These are complicated and the subject of endless discussions during and after the games, especially if fans do not agree with the referee’s decisions.
• Two officials watch from the sidelines and will raise a flag if someone has gone offsides.
• If an offence is repeated, a red card is issued.
• If a red card is issued, it means the player has to leave the field and is not replaced by another player, leaving his team one short. This does not lead to popularity.
• The referee keeps track of injury time when play is stopped because a player needs medical attention. This is added on at the end.
• If the game ends in a tie, the issue of who wins the game is resolved with a penalty shootout. This is a series of five penalty kicks per side. The team who gets the highest number of goals wins the game.

Source: health24.com

Congratulations to Cindy Wiid, Susan Ryall, Denise Myburgh and Hilary Klopper. They are the winners of double tickets to The Wine Show Joburg. Enjoy the show.

Remember to join us at The Wine Show Joburg for a glass of wine and a game of Foosball.

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).