More than 700 “controlled drinking zones” have been set up across England, giving police sweeping powers to confiscate beer and wine from anyone enjoying a quiet outdoor tipple.
Local authorities are introducing the zones at a rate of 100 a year. Some cover whole cities, a radical departure from what the law intended.
Once a control zone [...]

The latest statistics from Nielsen indicate a modest increase in the sales of off-license wines in the British market. In terms of value sales have risen 5% over the 12 months closing at the end of may.
The increase represents only 1% in terms of volume. This progression remains very moderate when compared to the rate [...]

We’re having another Market Day wine sale at our Welmoed cellar door in Stellenbosch.
Dates: Thursday 25 June to Saturday 27 June 2009
Venue: Welmoed Cellar door. Here are the directions: Directions to Welmoed
The following wines will be on sale:
- Welmoed 4-pack@ R 54.99
- Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay 2007 @ R 14.00 per bottle
- Arniston [...]

Merlot is one of the world’s most planted grape varieties and is one of the most popular red wine varietals. It is also popular in blended wines.
Merlot grapes are thin-skinned and ripen faster than Cabernet Sauvignon, another popular red wine varietal. Merlot can grow in a cooler climate than Cabernet but prefers a relatively warm [...]

The culture of wine has many customs on the correct way to enjoy wine, rooted in centuries of tradition, and perfected through trial and error. But, while some rules are made to be bent or broken, there are possibly only three things that should never be done with wine. Which in fact is a good [...]

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most popular red wine grape varieties. It is the product of a crossing between Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc during the 17th century in France.
The ease of cultivation is often considered one of the reasons for Cabernet’s popularity. The plant produces hardy vines and thick-skinned grapes that are [...]

Long dismissed by certain purists, boxed wine is now getting a thumbs-up, of sorts, from the realm of science.

One type of cardboard packaging, according to a new study, is better than any cork or screw-cap when it comes to reducing an unpleasant “green” taste that strikes some wines.
This taste may come from one of two [...]

A survey carried out by German magazine Focus and Vinexpo has shown that when buying wine, German women focus more on origin and grape variety than on the price.
The typical female German wine consumer appreciates wine as a cultural product, and preferably enjoy wine with friends. This is the conclusion of an international study that [...]

An ingredient called resveratrol found in red wine has remarkable health benefits including cancer prevention and protection of the heart and brain from damage, according to the latest research. Low to moderate drinking – especially of red wine – appears to reduce causes of mortality, while too much drinking causes multiple organ damage.
According to professor [...]

Lifestyle brand Arniston Bay-a real pearl of a wine – is the official wine sponsor of the Pick ‘n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival.
And, while Irish author Jonathan Swift said:  “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster”, the festival has firmly established itself as one of the highlights on the South African social [...]

Your daydreams this afternoon have focused on that delicious bottle of wine that you’ll enjoy at dinner. As you sit down at the table, the first sips of a satisfying vintage are so close, yet so far. Instead of the immediate gratification you wanted, you are faced with a voluminous wine list that might take [...]

It’s been hardly a decade since the long-maligned metal screw cap started appearing on quality wines, and during that short time, many wine enthusiasts have moved from snobbish rejection to closer analysis and on, for many, to enthusiastic acceptance of a wine bottle closure that cannot impart cork “taint.”
Now get ready for the next big [...]

Last year, we saw a unique trend in the wine world; the world  went wild for ‘pink’ or rosé wines.

I’m not referring to ‘blush,’ which are high-production sweet wines usually adjusted with doses of sugar and colouring, but to the groovy, refreshingly crisp, fruit forward yet dry, pink wines. Rosé wine is typically lighter in [...]

A new independently published wine guide, The People’s Wine Guide, lists 600 wines and features “blind tasting” to ensure impartiality. It’s aimed at those who buy wine from supermarkets and liquor chains, and is written in everyday language.
Tasting for the first edition of The People’s Wine Guide, commenced recently in Cape Town’s The Nose Wine [...]

A pint of beer or a glass of wine a day can protect against gallstones, scientists have found.
Drinking two units a day reduces the risk of developing the painful stones by a third.
It had long been known that moderate drinking can reduce the chances of gallstone formation, but this is the first study to show [...]

Feeling the pressure of the economic downturn, South Africans are tightening their budgets and cutting out unnecessary expenses. However, alcohol which is a luxury item is still very high on the priority list for most people.
The Nielson Global Consumer Confidence Index saw South Africans’ consumer confidence dropping to its lowest level yet , with 15% [...]

Here are some useful ‘green tips’ to mark World Environment Week (1 – 5 June).
Truly “greening” yourself involves fundamental changes and some deep thinking about how you consume and pollute. But if you aren’t quite up for that yet, then ease into it with some low-key lifestyle tweaking. Here’s some easy tips for this week [...]

A new Passport that takes you to 14 of the finest cellar doors in the Cape Winelands with major savings of up to 60% on tastings and tours, has been launched to offer visitors a variety of experiences at a packaged price.
The Cellar Door Collection Passport offers some of the most memorable winelands experiences from [...]