Versus wants you to give us a piece of your mind as we value your wild, wacky and unconventional views. This survey will take mere minutes to complete, and for your efforts, you could be rewarded with enough wine to last for a year!

Upon completing the online survey, you will automatically be entered into our lucky draw.

We will be having a Market Day wine sale at our Welmoed cellar door in Stellenbosch.

Dates: Thursday 30 September to Saturday 3 October 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.

Sangria is traditional Spanish fruit-based wine punch which is ideal for a summer drink. With the Spaniards wining the World Cup  in SA and summer just around the corner, I think it’s time for a summer party with some Spanish flair.

While Spain is heralded as the creator of Sangria, countries all over the globe have adapted the recipe to make a fruit-filled wine beverage that is refreshing and easy to drink with a wide variety of foods.

To give this drink a South African twist , the ideal wine to use is South Africa’s favourite party wine , Versus.

The beauty of the basic Sangria recipe is that it is as delicious as it is easy, and it only gets better as you spice it up with your own additions. Really, it is hard to add the “wrong” ingredient here, think favourite fruits, spice and liquors. Chill and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle of Versus red wine
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Shot brandy
• 2 Cups ginger ale or soda water

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

If you’d like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice.

Source: wine.about.com

Wine cocktails are not as well-known as the classic spirit-based cocktails and you normally see much more spirit cocktails on the menus. 

But, the glass is half-full as many undiscovered wine cocktails await to be created, explored and named. This is so cool, you can make your own cocktail and name it. 

My wine cocktail invention for the week is the Versus Red Devil. 

It is so easy to make, very delicious and ideal for the summer. 

Ingredients 

• ½ lemon
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 125ml Versus Red
• Lime garnish

Preparation 

1. Muddle lime and sugar until all lemon juice is extracted.
2. Add wine. Pour with ice into a shaker and shake vigorously.
3. Pour into a glass and garnish with a lime spiral.

Today we will have a unique time sequence and last month also had a few oddities about it.

Today at 6 minutes and 7 seconds after 5 on the 8 September the time sequence will be 05:06:07 on 08/09/10.

August had 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Tuesdays. According to some clever people (clearly, who have too much time) this only happens once every 823 years.  This means that the last time  it happened was in 1183.

Somebody should have warned me as I’ve had five blue Mondays in August.

We love this useless info and cheers to whoever calculated this utterly unnecessary stats.

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