Cramming for exams can leave you very hungry and with not a lot of time to prepare food. Here is a quick, cheap and delicious exam supper.

Ingredients (for 1)

• 75g spaghetti or any other pasta you wish to use
• 25g lighter soft cheese
• milk – at least 25 ml for a thick sauce or more for a thinner sauce –
• 1/4 packet of button mushrooms quartered
• 3 slices of ham
• knob of butter

Method

1) Boil the water for spaghetti – I always add salt

2) Whilst waiting for the water to boil chop the mushrooms into quarters and cut the ham into strips

3) When boiled add the spaghetti to the water

4) Start to fry the mushrooms in a knob of butter

5) Gradually add the soft cheese and milk in roughly equal quantities until the sauce is at a thickness you require

6) When the spaghetti is very nearly ready or done add the ham to the sauce

7) Drain the spaghetti and return to the pan

Add the sauce mixture to the drained spaghetti and stir

9) Serve and enjoy.

Reminder:

Remember to stock-up on the Versus Wines for the post exam parties.

Source: studentrecipes.com

You can download The Best Value Wine Guide as a PDF on winemag.co.za.

Our Versus Dry White 2011 and the Versus Dry Red 2010 are some of the value wines featured in this guide.

This is the 4th year running that Versus wines will be featured in the Best Value Guide – and this year, our Versus Red was recognised with a Best Value Award for outstanding value after receiving a perfect score (scooping 20 points out of 20 possible points) for exceptional quality!

After receiving a record-number of close to 1000 entries –– Mutonda Mutondwa was selected as the lucky winner of our Versus ‘Win-a-Part’ competition! She quickly organized a group of her gorgeous friends for a celebration of note, complete with her own paparazzi.

One of the cocktail recipes Mutonda really enjoyed was the Versus Glamour Girl cocktail.  These cocktails were prepared by a team of LiquidChefs as tasty as the cocktails.

Recipe: Versus Glamour Girl

Ingredients

Peach Schnapps

Cranberry juice

Versus White

Method

Add ingredients to Boston glass, cubed ice, shake and strain

Garnish

Cherry dropped in glass

Good Fellas is a hassle free alternative to drinking and driving and it is the preferred choice of thousands of responsible South Africans.

They started in 2004 in Port Elizabeth and have expanded to all the mayor South African cities. With the festive season in full swing, there are plenty of opportunities to use a service like this. This service is available in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.

For more info visit www.gfellas.co.za or Contact the National Call Centre on (0) 861 433 552 .

We support this initiative and urge consumers to make use of this service.

Spritzers have been around for years and barmen all over the world describe this drink as the easiest of all the cocktails. And with spring on our doorsteps, wine spritzers make for a refreshing change.”

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.

The TOPS Soweto Wine Festival is in its 7th year and it is becoming one of the highlights on the South African wine calendar. This event will be held at the UJ Soweto campus from 1 – 3 September. For more info about the event visit sowetowinefestival.co.za.

If you are planning to visit the show , please join us for a glass of unconventional Versus Wines.

If you can’t make it to the show, Versus is now available for purchase on  wine.co.za

Here is the event’s advert which is currently showing  across DStv Channels: “Shake Things Up in Soweto”.

Hope to see you there!

Welmoed Cellar boosts a lovely range of all the wines of the company of winepeopleTM. Brands like Welmoed, Versus, Arniston Bay, Kumkani and Thandi are sold at the cellar.

Don’t forget that Mondays is Pensioners’ Day and pensioners will get 10% off all their purchases.

Directions to the Welmoed Cellar

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

 Dates: 2 June -5 June 2011

Venue: Welmoed Cellar door.  Directions to Welmoed

The following wines will be on sale:

If you’d like more details regarding the sale, please contact the Zoliswa at our cellar door on 021 881 8062

Believe it or not but today is International Jedi day.

 Jedi worshippers and fans of George Lucas’s sci-fi mega-franchise are today celebrating the unofficial Star Wars Day, May 4.

The origin of the day comes from “May the 4th be with you” a play on the films’ well known catchphrase, “May the force be with you”.

A wine that Luke Skywalker and Han Solo would love is the Versus Simply Wicked White. Served ice cold by R2-D2.

Have you ever wondered about the following?

1.They say there are approximately 49 million bubbles in a bottle of champagne.

My question …who counted it?

2.If mars had earthquakes would they be called marsquakes?

3. How come only your fingers and toes get prune in the shower and nothing else does?

Here is a great wine yoga cartoon clip

Imagine a live action version of this yoga… It will be messy but funny.

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*Versus is a fun wine to be enjoyed in moderation.

Join us for a glass of wine at the DF Malan Food and Wine festival in Bellville.

Click here for more info.

The harvest is in full swing and it seems that wines are coming along nicely. Here are a few interesting facts about wine and wine making

DID YOU KNOW?

• The sugar content in grapes is equal to the amount of alcohol a wine will have. The higher the sugar content, the more alcoholic a wine.
• Certain vines are not watered for over a month-and-a-half pre-harvest. This brings down the sugar content in the grapes.
• A lush green bush of vines does not mean a great crop. Brown leaves signify better quality grapes.
• The lesser the number of grapes per plant, the better the quality of wine.
• Whites are served chilled but reds are served at room temperature (of France)  best between 15-20 degrees.
• The higher the percentage of alcohol in a wine, the more tears (the trickle that you see after you have swirled a glass of wine).
• The higher the percentage of sugar in a wine, the lesser the tears.

Source: mumbaimirror.com

Rio de Janeiro held the biggest New Year’s party ever. More than four million people saw in the New Year on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Two million party-goers were on Copacabana beach alone, witnessing a fireworks display that lasted nearly 20 minutes.

They set the world record for the Biggest New Year Party. 

OK, you will probably not beat this record this year but you can have your greatest New Year’s party ever. Versus have a few great party wines but remember moderation is the key.

Here is a firework display from that ‘Biggest New Year Party’ night.

Good Fellas is a hassle free alternative to drinking and driving and it is the preferred choice of thousands of responsible South Africans.

They started in 2004 in Port Elizabeth and have expanded to all the mayor South African cities. With the festive season in full swing, there are plenty of opportunities to use a service like this. This service is available in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.

For more info visit www.gfellas.co.za or Contact the National Call Centre on (0) 861 433 552 .

We support this initiative and urge consumers to make use of this service.

For a great way to enjoy the festive season before making your New Year’s resolutions about getting into shape and losing the Christmas kilos, try some of these delicious puddings made with wine. These delicious recipes will ensure an unforgettable traditional Christmas meal as it’s all about indulgent decadence

It’s important to remember that not only is wine the key ingredient in these recipes, but you also have to pair your puddings with the right wine. A good rule of thumb is to ensure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert it will be accompanying. If you have a tart pudding, try an acidic wine to bring out the flavour.

It isn’t an easy task matching wine and desserts as the desserts have a diverse variety of flavours. Here’s a simple guide:

• Custard – pair with a sparkling wine or MCC
• Fruity – pair with a Sauvignon Blanc
• Cream based tart or pie – pair with a spicy red like a Pinotage

Tip: Balance is key Acidity and sugar levels must be balanced in both the food and wine. If not balanced, the very sweet dessert will make the wine seem more tannic, less sweet and more acidic. Work with the aromas and flavours of the wine to get a good match for pairing desserts.

If you aren’t into pairing puddings and wines, here are some recipes that have wine in them so the job is done for you!

Fruit and wine: Fresh fruit simmered in wine

Ingredients:

• Fresh fruit (pitted cherries, sliced strawberries, blueberries etc)
• Red wine – try: Kumkani Pinotage
• cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth sack
• sugar to taste

Method: In a large pot, cover the fruit with the wine. Bring to the boil, the reduce heat to low simmer. Add the spices. Continues to simmer until fruit becomes slightly tender. Remove spices and serve warm or refrigerate overnight, then remove spices and serve cold. Sprinkle sugar on top to sweeten and taste for something decorative add sugar syrup to the plate and serve with wafer biscuit.

Blanched Almonds

Ingredients:

• Finely ground almonds
• powdered ginger spice
• sugar
• salt to taste
• pastry dough
• oil
• honey
• a slightly sweet white wine – try: Arniston Bay Reserve Chenin Blanc

Method: Mix almonds with sugar, ginger, and a little salt – this should be a sweet, slightly spicy blend. Roll out the pastry dough. cut out circles of dough, placing filling in the middle, and folding into a half-circle make sure the edges of the pastries are securely sealed.

Fry the pastries in hot oil until lightly browned; remove from oil and let drain.

In a pot, bring the honey to a soft boil, and then reduce heat. Skim off the residue as it rises. Add just enough wine to make a thick sauce. Thoroughly coat the pastries in the wine sauce, and then place on a baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven for several minutes. The pastries may be basted with additional sauce during baking or immediately afterward.

Serve with a dollop of cream.

Wine bread pudding (update on the classic bread pudding)

Ingredients:

• Macaroons
• sponge cake
• 500ml white wine – try: Welmoed Heydens Courage White
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 3 egg whites
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts

Method: Place sponge cake into an ovenproof dish (½ full). Add a few macaroons; heat the wine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch and sugar together and slowly add the wine. Beat the yolks of eggs and add to wine mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes. Pour over the cake and let cool. When its cool cover with the stiffly beaten egg whites and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 180ºC for 5 minutes until golden brown. Serve cold.

Wine prices: Welmoed Heydens Courage White – R38.99 per bottle Arniston Bay Reserve Chenin Blanc – R46.99 per bottle Kumkani Pinotage – R66.99 per bottle All wines available at Checkers.

We’ll be having our popular Market Day sale, so be sure to stock up for the festive season.

Dates: Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 November

Directions to Welmoed

Wine will be sold by case lots only. Here’s a list of what will be on offer:

I’m in the process of creating new promotional T-Shirts and I need your help.

What do you think of the first T-shirt design?

Be honest- Yes or No?

Finally, a computer error message I can understand!

Bet your friends that you can make wine magically go into an upside down glass.

All you need is:

1. A shallow bowl or dish 
2. ¼ glass of  Versus Red wine
3. A small candle
4. A friend willing to bet that you can’t do it

Here is how you do it:

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.

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