“The aim is to reinforce the ARA message of responsible drinking by keeping the legal age limit top of mind for both the purchaser and the distributor as well as discouraging adults from sending underage buyers to buy alcohol for them,” says ARA spokesperson Adrian Botha.

Creating awareness regarding the role that traders play in driving a reduction of alcohol abuse in their respective communities is key to stemming the problem. Internationally published author of the LifeTalk books, Izabella Little Gates commented, “underage drinking is a real problem the world over, not just in South Africa and it is up to us as parents and communities to put a stop to the problem at the root, limiting underage children access to purchasing alcohol.

Children and teenagers are faced with a variety of difficult challenges while growing up, most importantly the effect of peer pressure and it is up to parents and communities at large to instill a sense of responsibility and awareness in their children so that they make the right choices when they are put in these situations.”

“The ARA acknowledges underage drinking as a huge problem. It is only with the assistance of the distributing outlets and by encouraging responsible behavior amongst purchasers that we can reduce the extent to which this is happening. While this campaign is targeted on the purchase of alcohol, we are continually focused on educating adults regarding awareness of the availability of alcohol within the home to underage drinkers” continues Botha.

The ARA is in the process of distributing their in-store point of sale material to various outlets over the next few months and look forward to working alongside store owners and retail employees to create greater awareness around their latest campaign.

So this festive season and on an ongoing basis, do your bit and take responsibility by alerting others to the issue of underage drinking and the extent to which children can access alcohol so that together, we may help curb this problem.

Versus Wines  support the drink responsible efforts of ARA

 Read more…

Corné Oosthuizen, Brand and Business Development Manager at ‘the company of wine people™’ explains, “We have a loyal following of consumers that rely on Versus for its easy-living wines that deliver on quality as well as a crisp, uncomplicated taste. Our consumers are constantly on-the-go, so we wanted to expand our range with an option that will meet their needs for greater convenience.”

Oosthuizen continues, “While most box wines in South Africa are 3-litres in size, we believe that our handy 2-litre option answers a gap in the market for easier portability and greater convenience. Plus, since our box wines are filled with the same wine available in glass bottles, which have been recognised with top honours in the 2012 Best Value Guide, Versus consumers won’t have to sacrifice quality for price.”

In line with the recent launch of new packaging across the entire Versus range, which has been featured extensively in the media, the box wines feature packaging that looks as refreshing as the wine inside. With a bright colour palette, straight-forward taste descriptors, prominent positioning of the iconic Versus diamond, the packaging communicates the unique personality of the Versus brand while achieving a striking presence on shelf.

Underlining Versus’ ability to deliver exceptional value, the packaging also features a dedicated area that can be customised for market-specific offers. For example, in South Africa the launch of the Versus box wines will be promoted with a Value-Add Offer of two litres for the price of 1.5 litres – or 33% more free. Additional support will be delivered with a focused publicity campaign that will leverage Versus’ powerful presence across social media.

This expansion of the ever popular Versus range to include box wine in a consumer-friendly two litre size is just another example of the brand’s ability to innovate and stay ahead of the curve. Already known as a trendsetting brand for its unconventional approach to advertising, and armed with a powerful presence across social media, the brand’s footprint (which is already strong in South Africa as well as other key European markets) is positioned for even more growth. Oosthuizen says, “This shows us that we are moving in the right direction and delivering on consumer insight to ensure greater demand.”

Available in Red, White and Rosé, the Versus 2-litre boxed wines are exceptionally well-priced at just R49.99 each, and will be available on shelf nationwide from January 2012. More listings are expected to follow soon.

The Viva Versus  punch  are a wonderful party potion that are filled with flavour. With a little creativity, the punch bowl can be dressed up to fit any occasion. It’s the perfect solution to easily serve large groups.

Ingredients

3 cups Fruit Juice ( Red Grape Juice)

3 cups Lemonade

The juice of 2 oranges

750 ml – bottle of  Versus Red

200ml Vodka

Instructions

Mix and pour over ice in large punch bowl. Add lemonade or soda water to taste. The idea is not to be afraid of what you add or what it looks like afterwards, because a punch which is a standard base will taste great with any well thought additions.

Versus supports responsible drinking-  ARA

Source: barnonedrinks.com

Unconventional and easy drinking Versus Wines have two wines which will feature in the Best Value Wine Guide 2012.

The Versus White 2011 and the Versus Red 2010  will be in this handy wine guide.

This is the 4^th 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!

Of the 982 competing wines, 380 wines were selected for inclusion in the Best Value Guide and only 38 wines received a Best Value award, making this achievement a stellar success.

For more info on this guide visit winemag.co.za

Versus wines launches a refreshed, more colourful look this month, portraying the brand’s no-nonsense approach to wine and flair for the unconventional with lighter, brighter colours that make it more visually striking at point of purchase.

Chris O’Shea, Executive Director for Sales and Marketing at ‘the company of wine people explains, “After a process of extensive consumer research and consultation with industry experts and valued trade partners, we are confident that the new labels will achieve greater prominence on shelf while better demonstrating the unique personality of the Versus brand.”

He explains, “Our consumers have given us great insight into what needed to be changed on the packaging, and we have taken their input to ensure that the brand presence – which is already strong in South Africa and in other global markets – continues to grow.”

“Our consumers consider the clean, classic diamond logo to be iconic for the brand, so this remains but it has also been enhanced to be bolder and more visible on the label,” adds O’Shea.

He says, “The icon is further reinforced on the capsules, where the brand name ‘Versus’ is unconventionally printed in the shape of a diamond and set against the lighter, brighter colour palette.”

“Our consumers take a fun, lighthearted approach to wine drinking,” explains O’Shea. “Versus is loved by fans who want an easy-living wine that delivers on quality as well as a crisp, uncomplicated taste so now we have taste descriptors that tell them, purely and simply, what’s in the bottle – for example, ‘Crisp and Fruity’ or ‘Mellow and Smooth.’”

The Versus brand continues to bring a refreshing, fun approach to the enjoyment of wine through its innovations. “Our consumers are always on-the-go and embrace technology in the new media space,” he adds. “We now also make use of QR-codes on the label, which gives our consumers greater freedom to interact with the brand when, and where, they want to.”

Versus already enjoys a strong presence in South Africa and, with sales on the rise in both in South Africa and key European markets, it’s global footprint is expanding.

“This shows us that we are moving in the right direction and delivering on consumer insight to ensure greater demand,” O’Shea adds. “Versus continuously strives to challenge perceptions and the brand will see some innovative product developments – including the launch of a 2-litre Boxed Wine option – in the coming months.”

The bold and colourful new look of Versus wines is currently available on shelf.

Here is Mutonda’s Facebook comment:

“Wow ,where do i begin !! im so happy with the way my party went . from the day i won the party till yesterday when it actually happened the versus team has been so great ,open communication and efficient planning.. the party was yesterday and everyone organised arrived on time from the liquidchef people who made the wonderful cocktails to the professional photographer, wow i was beyond impressed. the cocktails where so nice and all my guests truly enjoyed them each and every many options we were given. THANK YOU VERSUS WINES i even have so much left over bottles enough to host another party!!!!!THANK YOU.”

Versus ‘Win a Party worth R15000’ Competition:

And the winner is Mutonda Mutondwa – congratulations!

Time to get your guest list going – you’re party will be complete with Versus Cocktails, prepared by our professional team of Liquid Chefs!

To everyone who entered this competition, thanks for the amazing response and best of luck for next time!

Versus will be participating in the 12th annual food and wine evening at Richdens Superspar. The event is a charity fundraiser, which has over the years raised almost R280 000 which has benefited many of the very needy local charities through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Hillcrest. All proceeds generated (for example from tickets sales and raffles) will be donated to charity.

Versus wines, including Dry White, Dry Red, Natural Sweet Red and Natural Sweet Rose will all be available for tasting at the event, which will take place on Fri 30 Sept from 18h30 to 21h30, at the Richdens Superspar, located on Saint Margarets Road, Hillcrest KZN. For more information about the event, phone 031 761 5540

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.

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.

Visitors are welcome to visit our stall and taste these exciting wines.

For more info on the event visit sowetowinefestival.co.za

Here are few pictures from this event.

Hope you enjoyed the wines!

Kwa-Zulu Natalian wine lovers are in for a treat this weekend.

They will be able to taste Versus wines at few retail venues this weekend.

Here is the schedule

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• 1 Small Raspberry Jelly Package
• 1 Small Berry Blue Jelly Package
• 500ml. of boiling water
• 120ml. of Versus Red Wine
• Glass or plastic shot glass cups

Boil the water. After the water has started to boil, remove from stove and measure out 500ml. Pour the water into a large bowl.

Pour each Jelly mixture into the bowl of boiling water. Stir until the Jelly has completely dissolved.

Add the Red Wine to begin setting the Jelly. (The Jelly will probably take longer to cool because of less water being used than normal. If you would rather the Jelly set a little quicker you can add a small amount of cold water.)

Pour the entire mixture into shot glasses or little plastic cups.

PS. Please enjoy responsibly

Source: ehow.com

Congratulations to Tanya Horne. She is the Monday winner of a Versus Hamper worth R550.

Enjoy the hamper, Tanya!

We will draw another winner on Friday.

There are some stains you hardly have to worry about right away and then there are those that need to be taken care of right away. Red wine stains would be in the latter category.

From painstakingly washing the fabric by hand to simply tossing it into the washing machine, effective methods are available for getting rid of those dreadful red wine stains.

Things You’ll Need

• Landry detergent, laundry pretreatment or dish soap
• Clean sponge
• Washing machine
• Paper towels
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Towel or washcloth

Instructions

1.Blot the stain immediately with paper towels. If it is a dry clean only garment do not pretreat the stain and get it as fast as you can to the cleaners. Pretreatment of the stain can cause irreversible damage and the dry cleaner may not be able to remove the stain.

2. Combine 1 teaspoon laundry soap or pretreatment  and 1 cup hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl. Soak a clean sponge in the mixture, squeeze it halfway dry, then gently blot the stain.

3.Place a dry towel or washcloth between the front and back of the garment if the stain has not penetrated through to the back of the fabric. This will prevent staining on the back of the material.

4.Review the washing instructions on the label of the fabric. Heed any special care instructions.

5.Wash in cool water and air dry if the fabric is machine-washable.

6.Wash gently in the sink with a mild detergent if the fabric is hand-wash only.

Source: ehow.com

On the other hand Kwa-Zulu Natalians will be able to taste Versus wines at few retail venues this weekend.

Here is the schedule, so if you are in the area joins us for a wine tasting.

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

The Gugulethu Wine Festival is new and exiting event on the South African wine calendar.

The Gugulethu Wine Festival is the brainchild of Lungile Mbalo and Mzoli Ngcawuzele.

Mzoli is best known as owner of the successful restaurant called Mzoli’s Place and as a property developer constructing the first mall to be built in Gugulethu – The Gugulethu Square Mall..

Join Versus for a glass of wine at this year’s festival 27 – 28 May.

For more info about the event visit gugulethuwinefestival.co.za

Lovers of wine brands Welmoed and Versus can expect to sample their favourite tipple at the 10^th annual SA Cheese Festival, this year hosted at a brand-new venue.

Cheese lovers are expected to descend on Sandringham, just off the R44 between Stellenbosch and the N2, from 29 April to 2 May for this popular festival. Visitors can look forward to a vast array of cheese, oysters, olives and braaivleis to suite every taste, and of course, Versus and Welmoed will be there to wash down the nibbles.

“We have been involved with this festival for many years now,” says Corné Oosthuizen, Brand and Business Development Manager: SA and SADC for the company of wine people™. “It’s such a jovial family festival. We can’t wait to be involved again.” 

As most epicureans will know, wine is one of the best known partners for cheese delights.  Versus Wines, which aligns itself with unusual, fun and interesting events will have a wide variety of styles to complement the various cheeses. Try a sip from their uncomplicated Naturally Sweet range of White, Rosé or Red with a tangy chevin, or if a drier style is preferred, match their Original Range to your favourite cheese.

For the traditionalist, a glass of carefully crafted Welmoed should go well with some of the bolder, more intensely flavoured cheeses. Their range of single variety vintages includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz.

* Please enjoy our wines responsibly. Not for sale to persons under legal drinking age. For more information about the Cheese Festival, visit http://www.cheesefestival.co.za.

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

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

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.

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 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.

Cocktails and punches are one of the key elements in hosting a great party.  But sometimes , when you’re hosting a large party,   the last thing you want is to be stuck behind the bar shaking cocktails. This not only takes some of the fun out of the party for you, but it also takes you away from your guests.

The Viva Versus  punch  are a wonderful party potion that are filled with flavour. With a little creativity, the punch bowl can be dressed up to fit any occasion. It’s the perfect solution to easily serve large groups.

Ingredients

3 cups Fruit Juice ( Red Grape Juice)

3 cups Lemonade

The juice of 2 oranges

750 ml – bottle of  Versus Red

200ml Vodka

Instructions

Mix and pour over ice in large punch bowl. Add lemonade or soda water to taste. The idea is not to be afraid of what you add or what it looks like afterwards, because a punch which is a standard base will taste great with any well thought additions.

Versus supports responsible drinking-  ARA  

Source: barnonedrinks.com