The shape of a wineglass directly affects the flavour of the wine that is served in it, altering both its air exposure, and how the wine lands on the palate when it is sipped.

Effects

The size of the bowl affects the degree to which the wine can be swirled, which changes its exposure to the air. The shape and thickness of the rim affects where the wine lands on the palate, and how its flavour is experienced. The diameter of the glass’ opening controls how quickly the aroma escapes the glass, altering the wine bouquet.

Tulip

The tulip is a goblet that narrows as it approaches the rim. The design has ample space for swirling, but a narrow mouth, to restrict the bouquet’s escape.

Mini-tulip

The white wine glass, or mini-tulip, is smaller to restrict the serving size of a wine. It is designed for serving white wine, which has fuller flavour when thoroughly chilled.

Pinot Glass

The pinot or Burgundy glass is the wine glass design with the largest bowl. It is designed for maximum air exposure when serving closed wines.

Flute

Flute glasses, sometimes called a champagne glass, have a tall, thin design. Their narrow shape minimizes surface area, to limit exposure. Arniston Bay has a wine for every occasion ,and in this case, a wine for every glass. From the Arniston Bay Sparkling Brut for the flute glass to the fantastic Arniston Bay Cabernet Sauvignon for the Burgundy glass.

Source: eHow.com

Ordering wine can sometimes be very difficult especially if you must order for all the guests at your table.

Here’s an easy to remember guide for choosing a wine if you’re forced to order for the whole table.

Set Your Frame

Statistically speaking, the girl you picked up at the bus stop and/or your firm’s managing partner, whoever is sitting across the table from you tonight, probably lacks the refined palette for distinguishing varietals that might otherwise render your decision intimidating. More likely, they think a buttery finish belongs on their breakfast toast and not in their Chardonnay. You are already as competent at navigating a wine menu as most of your fellow diners.

Ask for Favourites

Assuming you’re splitting a bottle, ask the opinions of the others at the table. Some might carry strong preferences between reds or whites that will narrow or even define your decision.

Initially and generally, keep colour in mind. The colour of your meat and sauce will often (though not necessarily) indicate the colour wine you will choose.

Balance

Aim for a wine that balances with your meal. Heavy meats, like beef, call for a full red wine such as a Cabernet or a Shiraz. If your entrée has a lighter meat such as lamb or pork, or is a tomato-based pasta, then turn to a medium-bodied red, such as a Pinot Noir or a Merlot. White wines, such as Chardonnays or Sauvignon Blancs, match well with poultry, fish, and cream-based pastas. Chardonnays will safely fill the gaps for most other vegetarian dishes that could land on your table.

If you’re still uncomfortable making the call, go ahead and ask your waiter for a recommendation. Ask if there is something “the house recommends.”

Once you’ve tasted your decision, don’t be afraid to have an opinion on whether or not you like it. Taste is by definition subjective and the true point of this is to find something that you and your company will enjoy.

Arniston Bay has a wide wine range which will suit all palates. So if you see it on a restaurant menu, try it, I’m sure the wine will be a great choice and you will enjoy the wine and the night.

Read more on www.primermagazine.com

One of our fans recently asked if Rosé wines improve with age (just like red wine)

Our Arniston Bay wine maker, Abraham de Villiers replied the following:

“Rose and white wine are alike in that most of them are at their best in their newest vintage year possible. You will always find that these new vintage wines have more fruit and fresh flavours on the nose and pallet.  These flavours normally disappear over time in bottle due the fact that they react with oxygen and basically form new less fruit full flavour compounds.”

So it seems that the motto for enjoying Rosé wines is… “Drink ‘em if you got ‘em”

Wine serving rules and traditions were developed centuries ago,  before air conditioning and central heating was part of our daily lives. This implies that serving wine at room temperature is probably the Western European room temperature of centuries ago.

The rooms in those were cold which means that serving wine at 17°C -20 °C is probably the right temperature for red wines. I suggest that on warm days you can put red wine in the fridge for while just to bring temperature down a bit.

White wine has more personal temperature preferences. Some people say that adding ice to white wine is an absolute no-no while others say an ice cold glass of white wine is the perfect drink.  My opinion is go for what works for you , just as long as you enjoy your glass of wine.

The Arniston Bay Shiraz/ Merlot  is a great red wine to be enjoyed at room temperature. This  blend is generous and complex with aromas of black cherries and plums.

At Arniston mother nature has ensured that you can ‘get away from it all’. Whether you enjoy sun tanning on unspoilt white beaches, watching whales breaching in the bay or more active pursuits such as hiking or exploring the countryside, Arniston has something to offer everyone.

Arniston Bay Wines are inspired by the sunny skies and pristine beaches of this quaint fishing village. This unpretentious wine is ideal for those carefree, alfresco dining or easy drinking wine occasions – anywhere, anytime.

The range has a multitude of offerings ranging from easy-drinking entry level wines to more sophisticated wines for discerning palates.

Accessible and unconventional, Arniston Bay wines have become the favourite among contemporary wine lovers. Arniston Bay provides a range of lifestyle wines for every occasion, whether socializing with friends or just enjoying a laid-back afternoon on your own.

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

Click here for more info.

Congratulations to Kristen Leigh Brooks on being selected as our first Valentine’s winner. Enjoy the wine Kristen!

Thanks for all the entries. Tomorrow we will run a similar competition and hopefully you can win some Valentine’s wine.

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.

South African wines continued its growth in the UK market as new research suggests that more SA wines are listed on UK wine lists.

According to new research by Wine Business Solutions, South African wines increased their share of listing on UK wine lists by around 16% during the last year. South Africa now holds a 5.1% share of total listings. It did this at the same time as increasing the average price per bottle listed by 6% to £22.49 per bottle. Chenin Blanc was a major driver. The number of listings of SA Chenin were up 16% on a year ago. Chenin, with 5% of all white wine listings, is the fourth most listed white varietal in the UK after Chardonnay (25%), Sauvignon Blanc (22%) and Pinot Grigo (10%).

The Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay is one of the flagship South African white wines in the UK market. The fusions between classic Chardonnay and the uniquely South African Chenin Blanc  makes this an amazing and interesting blend. 

This wine received the Silver Best in Class award at the 41st International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Source: wine.co.za

It is not unusual to find wine labels indicating  exceptional quality by adding the word ‘reserve’ to the brand. But what does reserve wine mean? And are there any legalities around using this term?

In some countries,  the term has no legal meaning whatsoever.  This is not the case, however, in some other countries, notably Italy, Spain, Portugal and France.

In France the term “Réserve” is used specifically in the Champagne region.  These are wines held over from a given year for future blending, typically into the non-vintage cuvée. In this case, the word itself does not appear on the bottle.

In both Spain and Portugal, the term used is “Reserva.”  It indicates, in both countries, that the wine was produced from grapes from a supposedly good vintage.  In order to merit the term in Portugal, the wine must further have an alcohol level at least one-half of a percent above the regional minimum.

The winemaking methods and grapes used for the Arniston Bay Reserve Shiraz are different to the other Shiraz wines. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks until dry. 70% of blend spent 12 months in French oak barrels 30% of blend spent 12 months in American oak barrels. 30% first fill barrels.

This is an extra ordinary wine with good colour concentration and a rich fruit character. This wine has nice soft bubblegum notes and velvety tannins with a good weight and length.

Source: nysaes.cornell.edu

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:

Balance in wine seems to be a straightforward concept but in some cases it can turn out to be more challenging.

Balance in wine refers to the harmony and interaction between two or more of wine’s constituents. By far the most obvious balance is that between sugar and acidity.

Not all wines, of course, have residual sugar, though all have some acidity. Sugar-acid balance is thus limited to wines which have an interplay between these two elements.

There is no accurate formula for calculating the perfect acid-sugar balance in a wine, despite the fact that there are some people who advance that very notion. In its simplest sense, a wine which has a good acid-sugar balance tastes neither too sweet nor too acidic: the sugar exists in the right quantity for the acid, and vice versa.

The Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is a perfectly balanced wine. This wine has a powerful perfumed nose of sweet fruit with green pepper and grassiness. The palate is concentrated with a herbal grassy character and thick-textured fruit.

Read more on www.nysaes.cornell.edu

Life can be such a rush and often we feel that we don’t have time to prepare a decent meal. But the truth is there are great recipes for amazing dishes where the total preparation time is less than 20 minutes.

For some people making food can be therapeutic and helps them to unwind.  Here’s a great recipe which is simple, quick and really delicious

Recommended wine: Arniston Bay Chardonnay 2010 . This is a fruity wine with good acidity and some toasty, spicy complexity from well judged oak. Really attractive with lots of character and elegance.

Ingredients

• 8 small chicken cutlets (700g pounds total)
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 400g  sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. - Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. - Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.
3. - Add mushrooms and remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. - Stir in heavy cream, goat cheese, parsley, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve over the chicken

Source: realsimple.com

The Arniston Bay UK competition is now closed. Thanks to all the people who entered.

We will be announcing the winner within the next few days so be sure to hold thumbs and keep checking the website.

Arniston Bay is always been associated with the unwinding in tranquillity and we are set to continue this chill vibe at the forthcoming Women’s Show.

Shows and exhibitions can take its toll and really tire you out and that is why laid back brand , Arniston Bay  Wines,  decided to be the ‘Unwind Haven’  for visitors at this year’s Jo’burg Women’s Show.

This year’s Women’s Show promises to be an exciting event with numerous interesting talks, make up tips and exhibitions focusing on the celebration of being a women. The Show  will run from 27-29 August at the Coca Cola dome.

Come and join us for an unwinding glass of wine and stand a chance to win pampering foot hampers to revive tired tootsies.

For more info please visit: thewomensshow.co.za

Keep Flying is a simple idea. An idea that matters. And an idea that belongs to all of us .It believes that its all of our responsibility to fly the flag. Every South African Brand; Every South African, and to recognize what the flag symbolizes: Us, and our unity.

A unity that brought the World’s Greatest Tournament to life in a way only we could. A unity that still reverberates across continents a world away. A unity that says to the  world, and ourselves: “Hear us, each one of us, as one. Our time has truly come”

“Keep Flying” is simply that. A call to fly the flag. A call to keep flying.

For more info on this initiative visit:  keepflyingtheflag.co.za

I love wine and salads but sometimes the pairing suggestions are misleading as the salad dressing plays a more important role than the salad.  It seems to me that the tail is wagging the dog when it comes to wine and salad pairing. 

I have come across numerous Salads and salad ingredients wine pairing suggestions but the salad dressing is the ingredient that needs to be paired with the wine. 

But in general salad dressing is one of the most difficult components to coordinate with wine because of its acidic nature.  So what do you do? 

The best thing to do is address the mayor acidity of some dressings. You can reduce the vinegar part of the salad dressing with olive oil our rich stock, like chicken stock. 

 Chef Josh Ash  wrote that a major problem in pairing salad and wine is the high acid level of most vinaigrettes, which wreaks havoc on wine, making it taste flat and flabby.  He suggests that you can avoid this conflict by making dressings that are less sharp but still vivid, with some of the following techniques.

Replace part or all of the red or white wine vinegar in a recipe with balsamic, sherry, or rice wine vinegar, which have fuller, mellower flavours.

Use fruit juice instead of vinegar. Obvious choices might be lemon or lime juice, but think also of orange juice, apple cider, cranberry juice or any fruit juice with a bright flavour.

Replace acid ingredients with other liquids that are intense, but not sharp, such as rich chicken, veal, fish or vegetable stock, Worcester sauce, soy sauce, juices from roasted meats or vegetables or roasted garlic purée. 

When designing a salad, be sure to include ingredients that have a natural affinity to wine like cheese, herbs, greens, nuts, fruits and more. 

My suggestion for middle of the road wine which will pair well with salads is the Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc / Chardonnay. This is a lovely versatile crispy and fruity wine.

This weekend the Mexicans will take on South Africa in the opening game of the Soccer World Cup. I think it will be great to make something Mexican this weekend.

This recipe is so easy and delicious and your guests may even do a Mexican wave after this lovely meal

Recommended wine: To make it a South Africa and Mexican affair the Arniston Bay Pinotage will be the perfect South African representative.  

Recipe : Steak With Pepita Sauce and Warm Tortillas

Serves 4

Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

• - 700g skirt steak
• - salt and black pepper
• - 8 15cm flour tortillas
• - 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• - 1/4 cup pepitas /  pumpkin seed
• - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

• Heat broiler. Season the steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and place on a rimmed broilerproof baking sheet. Broil to the desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
• Warm the tortillas according to the package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the onion, cilantro, pepitas, oil, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the steak and tortillas.

Source: realsimple.com

Next time you are browsing down the wine isle at your local supplier, take a closer look at the shapes of the bottles. Bottle shapes are all about tradition and many wine producing areas in Europe have developed unique shapes that are still being used for wines that originated in those regions. Let’s take a look at the 5 most common shapes:

A – This is the “Bordeaux” style bottle and is usually dark green for dry red wine and lighter green for white wines. Sweeter wines will mostly be in a clear bottle to show off its colour. This bottle is known for its straight sides and tall shoulders and is by far the most frequently used shape. Wines associated with this shape bottle include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon.

B – The “Burgundy” bottle is slightly fatter with gently sloping shoulders and is generally used for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (sometimes even Shiraz). This bottle suits both red and white wine alike and has a dark green colour.

C – I am sure you will recognize this one as the “Champagne” bottle. This type of bottle also has sloping shoulders, but much thicker glass and a pronounced punt (the dent at the bottom of the bottle). All these features make this bottle much stronger than the rest, as it is designed to withstand a pressure of up to 3 times that of the inside of a normal bottle of wine. The Champagne bottle is used for all sparkling wines.

D – Commonly used for Riesling and Gewürztraminer, the “Alsace” or “Hoch” bottle is slightly more slender than normal bottles and ranges from green to brown in colour (with mostly green being used in South Africa). The wine in these bottles can range from dry, to off-dry, to sweet.

E – Being winter in South Africa at the moment, some of you might recognise this shape. It’s the bottle used for fortified wines. Most fortified wines (such as Port, Sherry and Muscadel) are packaged in these sturdy bottles, but sometimes with a shorter, fatter body. Quite often you will find that these bottles have a bulge in their neck – this is supposedly to catch any sediment when the wine is being decanted. Many of these bottles will be sealed with a cork stopper and not the normal long cork.

So next time you are doing a blind tasting, you might be able to narrow the wines down just by looking at the shape of the bottle!

Source: SA Wine Advocate

It’s not all doom and gloom in the US economy. Some products are bucking the recession and flying off store shelves.

Sales of chocolate and running shoes are up. Wine drinkers haven’t stopped sipping; they just seem to be choosing cheaper vintages.

Gold coins are selling like hot cakes. So are gardening seeds. Tanning products are piling up in shopping carts; maybe more people are finding colour in a bottle than from sun-worshipping on a faraway beach.

Consumers have trimmed household budgets and postponed cars, major appliances and other big-ticket items. Yet they still are willing to shell out for small indulgences and goods that make life more comfortable at home, where they are spending more time.

Recession shoppers also are drawn to items that make them feel safe, both personally and financially.

“The focus on the family hearth is something that has happened in nearly every recession. It’s, ‘How can I have more fun at home?’” said Paco Underhill, whose company, Envirosell, monitors the behaviour of shoppers and sellers across the US and in other countries.

“People are much more focused on their homes and their immediate happiness and they’re buying things that they can use themselves – seeds, fishing equipment. Lipstick and chocolate are small rewards that make you feel better.”

Profits in the first three months of 2009 at  Hershey Co., the nation’s second-largest candy maker, surged 20 percent and beat Wall Street’s's expectations. Kraft Foods Inc. reported double-digit growth in macaroni and cheese dinners – the consummate comfort food.

Recessions, it seems, are good for love, too. Over the final three months of 2008, condom sales rose 5 percent and Match.com reported its strongest performance in seven years.

But economic woes are as rough on the tummy as they are on the wallet. Chicago-based market researcher Information Resources Inc. reports that sales of laxative liquids and powders rose 11.5 percent for the 52 weeks ending April 19. Sales of stomach remedy tablets, including Pepto-Bismol and Phillips brands, climbed 8 percent.

As expected during any economic slump, recession shoppers looking for deals have boosted sales at discount chains such as Wall-Mart Stores Inc. Dollar Tree Inc. sneaked into this year’s Fortune 500 for the first time, at No. 499.

These trends will probably be true in South Africa as well with chocolate, condoms and value-for-money wine flying off the shelves during the credit crunch.

Source: nydailynews.com

According to a recent study, a couple of glasses of beer or wine every day are good for your bones. The scientist indicated that moderate drinking can significantly increase their mineral density.

But researchers at Tufts University, Boston, US, warned that binge-drinking damages bones and makes them weaker.

Regular, moderate consumption of beer and wine might keep bones strong with age. The results of an observational study from Tufts University finds an association between greater bone mineral density in men and women over age 60, who consume one to two servings of beer or wine daily.

Bone loss can lead to osteoporosis, in turn leading to increased risk of fractures and disability. However, exceeding the recommended dietary intake of beer and wine may accelerate the chances of osteoporosis in men over age 60.

Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as one drink a day for women, and two for men, according to 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the federal government.

The researchers found that alcohol can devastate the bones, but with moderate consumption, older drinkers seem to have stronger bones. The study is observational, and therefore, not considered conclusive.

Source: emaxhealth.com

The South African wine industry will celebrate its 350th year of existence in 2009. Dutch commander Jan van Riebeeck first planted vines in 1655, and on 2 February 1659, the first wine was made from Cape grapes.

 the company of wine peopleTM will commemorate the historic occasion by offering free wine tastings at our Welmoed (tel: +27 21 881 8062) and *Helderberg (+27 21 842 2370/1/2) doors on Saturday 31 January, Sunday 1 February and Monday 2 February. You also stand the chance to win random spot prizes over the weekend. *Helderberg is closed on a Sunday.

 If you make a reservation at our restaurant, The Duck Pond, you will also receive a complimentary glass of Welmoed wine.

 For more details visit : www.southafricanwine350.co.za

This time of year is not called “silly season” for nothing! December arrives and with it comes extended traffic jams, queues and congestion.

This is a time for sharing. Involve your family and friends in all festive preparations. Here are some ideas to help lighten your load.

• As a family set a theme or colour scheme for this Christmas. Involve everyone in choosing decorations and they’ll want to stay involved with setting things up.

• If you are planning on having lots of visitors throughout the day – set the table once – use a long lasting centre piece such as ‘peace in the home’ in terracotta pots, add candles, lanterns and torches for the night time. Set up a separate table for buffet tea/coffee – this takes off a lot of pressure and gives you more time to mingle and relax.

• Decide on a simple menu that can be prepared well in advance to reduce last minute stress. You want to be out celebrating with your guests and not cooped up in the kitchen.

• Delegate simple tasks to the kids – setting the table (you can do a sample setting for them to copy), gift wrapping, card making. The key is to keep things fun – that way they’ll stay motivated. Tip: set out some coloured card, stars and glitter glue so the children can make their own cards while you focus on more challenging things.

• This is a great time of year to go through the old toys to make space for the new. Involve the children with this task and let them put broken or seldom-used toys aside for giving away. Before Christmas go with your children to a charity of their choice to experience the joy of giving.

• Shop for gifts throughout the year – this way you won’t blow your entire bonus cheque on Christmas gifts. Have a list of names with a budget figure next to their name to keep you focused – once you have purchased a gift for that person write the gift next to the name and cross them off your list. Remember teachers and caregivers and have a couple of extra generic gifts packed away in case someone unexpected pops in. (This tip might be a little late… but as the saying goes ‘better late than never’ – now you know the info – get to the stores ASAP)

• Keep one running ‘to-do’ list. As a family decide who will take on which tasks. People are far more likely to carry out a task if they have chosen to do it other than being told that they have to do it.

• Do whatever preparations you can at least 2 weeks before. On your ‘to-do’ list allocate an estimated time frame for the task – mark in red the tasks that can be carried out before the time and allocate a time for these in your diary.

• Remember that this is supposed to be fun. If you feel yourself slipping into the wicked witch of the west… take a deep breath and laugh it off.

Articles supplied by Tracey Foulkes of the national professional organiser company Get Organised. Visit www.getorganised.co.za. to download your free organising info pack to help you take control of your clutter and create calm in your life. Contact tracey@getorganised.co.za, 084 507 6891.

Source: women24.com

The Telegraph Travel Awards for 2008 were released today and New Zealand, Australia and South Africa were voted the readers’ “favourite destinations on earth”; while their favourite cities were voted as Cape Town, San Francisco, Sydney and Vancouver.

The Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town was named one of the favourite city hotels in the world to visit.

More than 25 000 readers were polled in Britain’s biggest survey of travel habits and an overwhelming 92 per cent of them maintain that the financial crisis will not affect their choice of holiday destinations. 96 per cent of the readers polled refuse to downgrade their holiday accommodation.

The readers’ favourite destinations (outside of Europe) can be identified as ones where the pound has strengthened against the respective foreign currencies in the past year (the Australian and New Zealand dollars, and the South African rand). The same can be said for the choices of cities, with the exception of San Francisco (where the pound has fallen against the dollar).

The Telegraph readers’ holiday budget remains high – more than half of the readers polled spent more than £1,000 (R15 220) on their last holiday: one in six spent between £2,500 (R38 000) and £5,000 (R76 000) and one in twenty spent more than £5,000.

“As Britain enters a new winter of discontent, taking a break may never feel more needed, but the value for money it provides will be scrutinised like never before,” said Charles Starmer-Smith.

“This is why, during belt-tightening times, readers return to destinations they know – namely, the English-speaking former colonies.”

Source: sagoodnews.co.za

This is a dilemma amongst many of us. There are times we want to drink wine but couldn’t finish a bottle alone.

Or when we are with a date who is not much of a wine drinker, we will end up with leftover wine, which of course we do not want to just throw away. Wine is really tough to preserve after opening. But there are gadgets to do this preservation for us.

Remember, re-corking your opened wine does not help much, except prolong the wine for a few more hours. As you know, the cork is porous, and aeration will continue to happen, risking the optimum quality of your wine. Putting your leftover wine into a refrigerator also help very little, and may actually make the wine worse. Not only will the change in temperature of the wine fluctuate drastically, but refrigerators also vibrate, and vibration further agitates the wine. The odour of food in the fridge may also affect the wine.

The only way to preserve wine is to seal it properly. You can buy expensive sealing machines or you can simply buy wine with screw cap closures (also called Stelvin closures).

The Arniston Bay range, which has been repackaged to refresh and upgrade the range, proudly boasts with screwcap closures from its entry level wines such as The Shore or The Reef, to premium wines such as Arniston Bay Reserve. Unlike former years when screwcaps were used mainly for sealing inferior quality or cheaper wine, these wines are certainly worth preserving for future enjoyment.

WINE magazine recommends two wine preserving options. One option is the SoWine-bar refrigerated storage unit. If you are not in the mood to finish a bottle of wine, simply place the opened bottle back into the compartment and plunge down the oxidation extraction cap. The oxygen extraction system will draw oxygen from the bottle, keeping it “fresh” and unoxidised until your next party. The SoWine-bar is distributed by Wine Essentials and retails for R4299. Visit www.wineessentials.co.za for more info.

The second option is the Preserver Loyalty Can. This can retails for R65 and is an easy and effective way to preserve opened wine. All you do is to squirt the odourless, argon gas into the neck of the bottle to prevent contact with oxygen, then lightly re-insert the cork or screw the cap back on. The bottle can then be kept in a cool place for between one and two weeks. The Preserver is available at winesense. Call them on 021 702 0128 or e-mail info@winesense.co.za for more information.

Seeing how expensive (especially the storage units) and complicated preserving wine can be, I suggest that you only save wines that are worth saving— those expensive and fuller-bodied reds. Also, the fuller or heavier bodied your wine is, the better it preserves on its own for hours without any preservation method.

When I am asked how long a wine should be kept when opened, I always give the six-hour rule—meaning, sip and drink gradually, and your wine should still be good for six hours (at comfortable room temperature). But the lighter the body, the lower the alcohol, the faster the wine loses its elements. For these wines, even the wine preservation gadgets cannot salvage them.

The best (cheapest and most satisfying) solution, however, remains very simple… just finish the bottle.

Sources: manilastandardtoday.com - And Wine Magazine

Contrary to what you may expect, most wines today are made for consumption while they are still young (within a year or two of the vintage on the label) and will not improve much over time.

With red wines, you can generally bank on an older vintage having more complexity and smoothness than a younger vintage, especially for age-worthy grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and blends containing these grapes.

Because red wines contain age-friendly tannins originating from contact with grape skins and stems, and from aging in oak barrels, they continue to develop and mature inside the bottle and become more drinkable over time.

Fine red wines that are more expensive than average usually will improve with age, whereas lower-priced wines, usually under R40 , are made for more immediate consumption — within months of their release.

The issue of vintage can be complex. There are wine vintage charts (available as a reference resource in many wine stores) that list wine regions around the world and rate each vintage year according to its quality, which is primarily determined by that year’s weather.

Weather in a given year is more critical in France, for example, than in the United States because wine laws in France prohibit irrigation of vines. In other words, the quantity of water that a vine gets is not controlled.

What’s more, the climates in California wine regions are fairly consistent from year to year, making differences between vintages less meaningful. Red wines age according to a curve that reaches a peak of improvement and then declines. It is just a guess by winemakers and wine critics as to when in the life of the wine that peak occurs.

Because white wines are absent of tannins and their preservative characteristics, the older a white wine gets, the greater the chance that it may be beyond its peak and on the downside slope of its “drinkability” curve.

Source: Ventura Country Star

Summer celebrations usually conjure up thoughts of sweet treats and some bubbly. Here’s an easy, delicious dessert which incorporates the best of both these elements. You’re bound to receive a barrage of compliments from your guests!

Ingredients - 200g digestive biscuits - 90g butter, melted

Filling - 15ml gelatine - 60ml water - 500g cream cheese - 85ml castor sugar - Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon - 125ml sparkling wine (the Arniston Bay Sparkling Brut, with its tropical fruit flavours, is ideal) - 250ml cream, lightly whipped - 1 punnet of cherries, washed, retaining stalks - Sugar - Icing sugar

Method - Crush the biscuits and combine with butter. - Press into base of a 20cm, loose-bottomed cake pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. - Refrigerate. - Sprinkle gelatine over water and set aside to form a thick cake. - In a mixing bowl, beat cheese and castor sugar together. Add rind, juice and sparkling wine and beat again. - Place gelatine in microwave on medium for 1 minute. Pouring from a height, add to cheese mixture and then stir through the cream. - Pour into biscuit base, cover and refrigerate for three hours. - Just before serving, stone a handful of cherries. - Place in food processor with 60ml sugar, 100ml warm water and 15ml honey. Process till you have a chunky sauce. - Use remaining cherries to decorate the top of the cheesecake. - Drizzle over the cooled sauce and sift over some icing sugar and serve.

Source: The Times

The wines from the company of wine people’s stable have been chosen to be served on one of the world’s largest airlines, namely British Airways

The Thandi Chardonnay 2006 was chosen for the British Airways Comair Club Class while the immensely popular Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay 2008 was chosen for the Traveller Class.

Executive director of sales and marketing, Chris O’Shea, said: “We are very proud to be associated with a world-class airline and brand such as British Airways in having the opportunity for wine drinkers to enjoy two wines from our growing and internationally recognised brands. We see British Airways as both a relevant business partner as well as providing a great match for our successful Arniston Bay and Thandi wines.”

The Thandi Chardonnay is continuing its winning streak after winning a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge, silver at the renowned Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and silver at the AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge this year. This string of accolades attests to the fact that Thandi – the first wine in the world to receive Fairtrade accreditation – prides itself on producing first-rate wines. This Chardonnay is concentrated and achieves a fine balance between fruit and oak, has citrus and orange blossom aromas on the nose and hints of vanilla on the palate.

The Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay – also available in an eco-friendly, innovative pouch – is consistently one of the company’s best-selling wines. This expertly blended wine has pineapple and ripe melon flavours on the nose, a full middle palate and ends with a crisp freshness. It’s best served with light meals, salads and seafood.

Arniston Bay is one of the best-selling international brands in the United Kingdom, the Far East and parts of Europe. The Arniston Bay range is available in a variety of packaging alternatives (such as a 187ml and 250ml pouch which is ideal for travel and event channels) and has a multitude of offerings ranging from easy-drinking entry level wines to more sophisticated wines for discerning palates.

the company of wine people is one of South Africa’s top wine exporters whose people are passionate about producing wine for those who love sharing good wine. Its core brands are the ‘king’ of South African wine Kumkani, Thandi – the first wine in the world to be Fairtrade accredited, traditional Welmoed, unconventional Versus and the lifestyle wine Arniston Bay. The winemaking team, under the guidance of chief winemaker Nicky Versfeld, ensures that the company of wine people boasts with a diverse variety of excellent wine suitable for every drinking occasion. For more information, visit www.thecompanyofwinepeople.co.za .

Wines from Old World countries like France, Italy and Spain and New World wines from California seem to always garner most of the experts’ accolades. The majority absolutely deserve these high ratings, but there are many outstanding wines from other parts of the New World.

South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile are producing fabulous wines. In many cases, their prices are well below those of their European and California counterparts.

Over the past three years combined, these New World countries have accounted for 22 percent of the wines on Wine Spectator’s top 100 list. In 2006, 25 percent of the top 100 came from these countries.

South Africans have been making wine for many years. Over the past few years, they are getting recognised for making some quality wines.

They plant more white grapes than red. Much of the white produced is Chenin Blanc. They also have been making some very good Sauvignon Blanc.

Their top red varietals are Shiraz (Syrah), Cabernet Sauvignon and their creation Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. Pinotage used to be hard to find, but is starting to pop up more regularly at wine shops.

On international wine markets South African brands are doing exceptionally well. Leading South African wine producer, the company of wine people™, has announced an increase of 21.9% in sales of their flagship brand Arniston Bay. This is largely driven by the success of its revolutionary, environmentally friendly packaging format, the Arniston Bay pouch.

Wine of South Africa’s UK market manager, Jo Mason, said it is satisfying to see South Africa performing so well in one of its most established export markets. “South Africa enjoys an enviable image in the minds of UK consumers and the quality and value for money the country offers are clearly having an effect. The more established South African brands have been successful this year.

Source: Ventura County Star

The month before the festive season tends to be the busiest period on the social calendar thanks to numerous year-end functions, and visits from friends and family. We’ll leave you to decide on the eat-some-morish menus and music, but here’s a few tips when choosing wine for the silly season.

In order to make a good recommendation for type and quantity of wine, I usually have a number of questions; I ask about budget, what type of food is being served, how many persons, are the majority of guests wine drinkers or not, how long is the event, is it mainly standing or sitting, what time of day is the event.

After a number of experiments with large and small events, I am beginning to realise that the bigger the guest list for the party, the fewer wine choices you should have unless wine is the primary focus of the event. Now I typically suggest four wines; a fruity light-bodied and a full-bodied white wine and a light-bodied and a full-bodied red wine.

If there are a lot of new wine drinkers expected I usually throw an off dry white wine or blush in the mix. Persons come to mix and mingle and most are not too concerned about what wine is in their glasses as long as it tastes good, so don’t break the bank for fancy wine; on the flip side don’t go with the cheapest product on the market either.

Examples of light to medium-bodied crisp, dry white wines are: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and blends containing these cultivars. These wines are all usually food-friendly. RECOMMENDED WINES: The Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay is masterfully blended with pineapple and melon flavours on the nose. The Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is a dry white wine with melon, citrus and peach tones and is delicious served with seafood dishes.

Full-bodied whites: Chardonnay and Viognier. Other great white wine choices include some off dry and aromatic wines such as Gewurztraminer, Torrontes and Reisling. RECOMMENDED WINE: The Arniston Bay Chardonnay which was partially fermented with oak chips to give a mini blockbuster wine with a crème brulée finish.

Medium-bodied reds to choose from are: Pinot Noir, Merlot, some blends. RECOMMENDED WINE: The Arniston Bay Merlot which was partially aged in French oak barrels for eight months, and has a dark cherry and plum nose with a spicy palate.

Medium to full-bodied reds would include Bordeaux blends, Shiraz and blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinotage. RECOMMENDED WINE: The Arniston Bay Reserve Shiraz has a rich fruit character with nice bubblegum notes and velvety tannins. Good weight and length, and is heavenly when paired with succulent roast beef or venison carpaccio.

How much wine to purchase? Standing guests tend to consume more wine than when they are sitting, so factor four glasses per guest for a typical stand-around cocktail party lasting three to four hours in the evening. One regular 750ml bottle of wine can comfortably pour five to six glasses. If wine is the only drink, then buying one bottle per guest is recommended, with 2:1 red/white ratio. Of course this all depends on your target audience. The earlier the event the less people will consume – unless you’re having a beach or pool party.

Other Home Entertainment tips:

PREPARE FOR SPONTANEOUS EVENTS: Keep a mixed case of inexpensive favourite wines on hand, as well as a couple of bottles of the ever popular Merlot, Chardonnay and a bottle of champagne in the fridge. You’ll always be ready for drop-in guests or spur-of-the-moment celebrations.

CHILLING WINE QUICKLY: Your guests are arriving in 10 minutes and you forgot to chill the white. Sound familiar? Relax and, most importantly, resist the urge to throw the bottle in the freezer. The fastest way to chill a white is to submerge it in an ice bucket filled with a mixture of ice and cold water.

REMEMBER: A white that’s “too chilled” won’t be able to exhibit its full flavour and bouquet; and a red that’s too warm won’t show its full potential. A handy rule of thumb is to take whites out of the ice bucket a half-hour before serving, and place reds in the refrigerator for a half-hour before serving.

CHOOSING WINE GLASSES: Glasses vary in size and shape to enhance the aroma of a particular wine. Start with a set of all-purpose glasses for white and one for red, they must be tulip or pear-shaped; wide bottom, narrow top. Since champagne requires a tall narrow glass so that bubbles stay perky for as long as possible, you’ll want a nice set of flutes as well. When filling a glass with white or red, stop just below half-full. Leaving room in the glass allows a wine to release its aromas and “open up”. Champagne flutes should be filled two-thirds of the way up.

TO DECANT OR NOT TO DECANT: Do you have an older (10 years or more), or a young full-bodied red on hand? Then yes! Break out your gorgeous decanter and go to it. Decanting separates unpleasant sediment from older wines, and aerates them. Big, younger reds simply benefit from having the opportunity to breathe (decanters, like red wine glasses, have a much larger opening than the slim neck of the wine bottle, giving oxygen easier access to the wine).

Some wines will benefit from an hour or so in the decanter before being served, while others can slowly be enjoyed right away. Either way, you’ll notice a progressive deepening of both aroma and taste as the wine opens up over the course of your gathering.

Cheers! Now go forth and try a few new wines.

Source: Jamaica Observer

Never mind the oligarchs. Russia is probably the most exciting new wine market to emerge in the past five years. Why? Because a growing slice of ordinary middle class Russian society has developed a taste for quality wine, according to Wine Intelligence’s Russian Wine Market Landscape report, published on 14 November 2008.

 Based on a groundbreaking consumer survey of Russian drinkers of imported wine, and containing both the latest sales data and information about routes to market, this report provides an unprecedented insight into a rapidly growing wine market on the doorstep of Europe.

Unlike in the emerging Asian markets – to which Russia is often compared – people in this country are familiar with wine and are used to drinking it at the table with food. Wine was actually a popular choice during the Soviet era, and today Russians treat imported wine, especially from traditional European winemaking areas such as France, as a product with an important cultural value.

However Russia’s modern wine market is still relatively immature and has suffered two serious crises in the past 10 years, the financial crash of 1998 and the 2006 wine tax crisis – and as we enter the final weeks of 2008, the threat of a global economic downturn may yet precipitate another crisis in the wine industry.

Moscow is fundamental to the success of any aspiring wine producer, representing at least two thirds of all wine sales. It is followed by St. Petersburg, and a handful of other key population centres. With its Vinitrac® Russia study, Wine Intelligence has been among the first to survey real consumer behaviour in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the results of this groundbreaking consumer research are contained in the report.

While the global financial crisis may dampen some demand in the short term, the long term picture for wine in Russia is very encouraging. Wine Intelligence predicts that the Russian wine drinking population will more than double by 2020, which gives an opportunity for further sales and consumption growth. The challenge for the wine trade is to sustain this increase, as well as to educate a relatively unsophisticated market.

 Earlier this year, Arniston Bay and Kumkani expanded their global footprint and entered this strategically important market despite complicated export procedures. A diverse variety of wine from these award-winning brands will be sold at major retailers in Russia.

 Business development manager, Mark Lester, said early indications are that Arniston Bay and Kumkani wines have a promising future in the Russian market. “Traditionally, Russian palates have leant towards European-styled wines as a result of historic influences on consumption patterns. However as the footprint widens for Russian businessmen and leisure travelers to countries beyond European shores, increased exposure to New World wine producing countries and their wines are bound to have an influence on their buying decisions back home. Simultaneously, the current growth in the number of New World brands appearing on local shelves in Russia along with improved access to disposable income will further contribute to interest creation and increased demand for these wines.”

Source: wine.co.za

It’s easy for diners to be confident when ordering their favourite domestic beer, or a common cocktail that every bartender knows how to prepare.

Hand them a wine list, though, and all confidence goes out the window. The average diner tends to be less than well-educated when it comes to pairing wine with their meals, or knowing how to serve it. To avoid turning ordering a glass of wine into a major ordeal, it’s important to educate yourself about the wines available and the things you should or should not be doing to enjoy them.

Ordering out

Few things are more embarrassing than stumbling over the wine list at a fancy restaurant.

Try following these tips you find yourself on the spot. No red and white rules: The old adage is “red wine with red meat and white wine with poultry or fish.” But feel free to give yourself some wiggle room when it comes to that. A salmon dish can be paired with a red wine just as easily as a steak. With a broadened variety of wines and blends, the wines have become more complex. They have expanded their capabilities of what they can be successfully paired with.

Weight: Keep the weight your entree and wine balanced so one doesn’t overpower the other. A thick steak with onions and mushrooms would go best with a heavy red wine, while white fish would be best paired with a light white wine. Glass half full: Don’t allow your server to fill your wine glass to the top. Instruct the server to fill the glass halfway so you can swirl the wine and oxygenate it to make the drink more refreshing. No hard alcohol: You’ve heard of no swimming for 30 minutes after eating. Well, don’t try a new wine immediately after downing a martini or brandy. The hard alcohol numbs your palate, making wine tasting impossible. I recommend waiting 20 minutes between cocktails and wine. Don’t go cheap: In light of today’s economy, it’s tempting to go with the cheapest wine on the menu. These wines have the highest markup. Pick a wine right in mid-range, that way, you’re getting your money’s worth.

Wine at home

Serving wine at home can be almost as nerve-wracking as ordering wine at a restaurant, especially if you have guests. As the host, the success of the meal depends on making good wine choices. Start with bubbles: No matter what wine you are serving with dinner, give your guests a glass of sparkling wine to help cleanse their palate. Choices, choices: Offer a red and a white wine with dinner. Each guest’s palate is different, and it may change over the course of the meal, depending on the main course. Pour early: Pour the wine before your guests sit down to dinner. It gives the wine time to breathe, and plus you won’t be leaning over people trying to pour while they start their meal. Get smart: Even if you think you have a good grasp on wine, keep educating yourself. Try a different wine every time you go out to eat. Also, keep an eye out for wine tastings and classes.

Source: Press of Atlantic City

The newly launched Arniston Bay Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2008 has been chosen for the 2009 South African Airways On Board Wine List, and the 750ml bottle will now be served on all their African and international flights, including their airport lounges, during 2009

 The wine – which won a gold medal at the esteemed Veritas Awards and bronze at the International Wine & Spirit Competition earlier this year – has delicious cut grass and green pea aromas, great typical Sauvignon Blanc characteristics on the palate and a crisp finish.

South African brand and business development at the company of wine peopleTM, Johan Erasmus, said: “It is always an enormous honour to have our wines chosen by the panel and we are very proud of our continued relationship with SAA. Arniston Bay continues to impress with its consistent quality.”

The competition is judged by a panel comprising 12 renowned local and international wine experts, and wines receiving the highest scores after a rigorous two-and-a-half-day tasting process are chosen to be served on all SAA’s flights. More than 900 wines were entered for the selection process.

With the exception of Champagne, SAA only buys and serves locally produced wines aboard its flights and in their lounges.

Source: wine.co.za

Arniston Bay is to relaunch its best-selling Original range into the UK market. The relaunch is set to upgrade the range, and will see screwcap closures and fresh, updated packaging on all varietals.

The first varietals to receive the refresh will be the best-selling Chenin Chardonnay 2008, Pinotage Rose 2008 and Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2008. The new packaging will be available in the UK grocery trade from December with an RRP of £5.29.

The packaging refresh is part of an overall strategy by brand owner, the company of wine peopleTM, to expand and innovate the entire Arniston Bay portfolio. Recent developments have included the launch of a 1-litre tetra pak, the launch of a sparkling wine and a new entry-level range Arniston Bay: The Reef.

UK Brand and Business Development Manager for the company of wine peopleTM, Barney Davis, says: “We felt it was time to regenerate the most popular range in the Arniston Bay portfolio and respond to an increasing demand from our customers for a screwcap closure. The Original range has shown consistently strong sales and offers consumers exceptional value for money without compromising on quality.”

South African wine exports are up 36% over 2007 export figures as of September this year, reports wine export facilitator Wines of South Africa (Wosa).

Wosa CEO Su Birch reports that the growth is being driven by the weakening rand and the commendable performance of South African wines in key export markets.

She adds that, although the final figures for the year have not been calculated, it is believed that exports will maintain momentum and finish up considerably higher then 2007’s figures. Last year, South Africa exported 309-million litres of wine to the international market.

Birch reports that a year ago, South African winemakers were working towards reclaiming lost ground after a slight dip in sales in 2006. The results of this reclamation is that international consumers have an extensive range of South African wines to choose from.

She adds that the biggest international consumer of South African wines by volume is the UK.

Birch reports that, according to the latest data from independent market research company AC Nielsen, South Africa is the fastest-growing category in the UK off-trade wine market.

In the first period of 2008, South African export wines grew 13% by volume, against a total market growth of 1,1%. South African value sales also grew by 13%, demonstrating a strong and profitable performance from this category. South Africa’s current market share in the UK is 9,1%, by volume, and it is the fifth-largest export country in the UK market.

Wosa UK market manager Jo Mason says that it is satisfying to see South Africa performing so well in one of its most established export markets. “South Africa enjoys an enviable image in the minds of UK consumers and the quality and value for money the country offers are clearly having an effect. The more established South African brands have been successful this year.

Numerous South African brands have delivered commendable results, and Arniston Bay in particular has put in a strong performance. According to the latest Nielsen statistics – Total Off Trade MAT to 9 August 2008 – Arniston Bay increased by 21.9% in value.

In addition, South African wines are selling more wines above the £5 a bottle mark. This is being driven by the fact that South Africa is being viewed as a producer of premium wines with distinctive regional characteristics,” says Mason.

Read full article: engineeringnews.co.za

Wine Spectator magazine reports that for the third straight year, Americans are expected to drink more red wine than white, thanks to a projected 3 percent increase in red wine consumption in 2008, to 121 million cases, an all-time high according to the recently-released The US Wine Market : Impact Databank Review and Forcast, 2008 edition. White wine consumption is also expected to grow this year, but by a slightly slower 2 percent rate to 118 million cases, while rosé and blush wine consumption is projected to decline 3 percent.

Before 2006, red wine had not outsold white since 1976. A white wine cocktail boom emerged back then, fueling the dominance of white wines until wine coolers had their heyday in the mid-’80s. When cooler sales slowed, the blush wine phenomenon began, driven by white Zinfandel, but sales of red and white wines also began to grow. Increases in the number of working women and the number of legal-age drinkers were responsible for much of that growth. Members of the “echo boomer” generation began reaching legal drinking age in the mid-1990s, adding about 60 million potential new wine drinkers, according to the report. By the end of this decade, those consumers will be in their 30s, the prime target for wine marketers.

Most of red wine’s 2008 growth is projected to come from sales of variety-labeled brands, both domestic and imported, particularly Pinot Noir, which is expected to advance 12 percent, to 9 million cases. Cabernet Sauvignon is also projected to perform well, according to Impact Databank, which is owned by M. Shanken Communications, the parent company of Wine Spectator.

The recent success of red wines can be attributed to the American consumer’s increasingly sophisticated palate, expanding knowledge of wine and willingness to experiment with a wider variety of wine styles. Drinking red wine has also been linked favorably in numerous medical studies to various health benefits, such as a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Among white wines, Chardonnay continues to lead the pack, except when it comes to imports, where it was once again surpassed by Pinot Grigio. Total Chardonnay consumption is projected to grow 2 percent in 2008 to a whopping 63 million cases, but outpaced by Pinot Grigio’s expected 7 percent gain to 18 million cases.

Meanwhile, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling imports will continue to surge at double-digit rates in the near term. The lone bright spot for blush wines this year is white Merlot, which is expected to advance by a modest 3 percent, while the much larger white Zinfandel category is projected to decline by 2 percent. Some imported rosés have started to come on strong, but from a very small base.

Source: Wine Spectator

The wine buyer for the Shoprite Checkers group, Stephanus Eksteen, is probably one of the most respected and influential individuals in the South African wine market. In a recent interview published in The Times, Eksteen gave a few valuable suggestions for buying and enjoying wine.

Here are some tips:

-         Drink the wine you like and know, but in between experiment a little. As consumers we are blessed with having more than 6 000 labels to choose from. So be adventurous.

-         When you see a wine on a “special” and it is one you like, go for it. There is nothing wrong with wines on special offer. The retailer may simply be clearing stock or the wine had been offered to him or her at a discounted price.

-         Wine is a fascinating and venerable topic. Read what others have to say about our wines and see whether you can discover for yourself all those tastes and smells they describe. It is a most rewarding experience.

-         At the same time, try not to get too pretentious about it — just enjoy it.

Read full article: The Times

Arniston Bay, in association with Good Housekeeping, are offering one lucky winner a year’s supply of Arniston Bay wine.

This competition is exclusive the UK and entrants can visit Arniston Bay’s website to enter. 

Arniston Bay is also running another competition which is open to all countries. In the Escape to Arniston Bay competition consumers are invited to send their most enjoyable memories (photos or video clips) of enjoying a bottle of Arniston Bay. The monthly winner will receive a fantastic hamper of Arniston Bay goodies.

For more info visit: Arniston Bay

Wine tasting notes can be misleading and misunderstood. Sometimes consumers expect the wine to taste exactly like the tasting notes suggests. Wine that have a hind of chocolate and caramel do not taste like a Cadbury’s Caramello Bear (South African chocolate bar).

In an article, published on C-Ville.com, J. Tobias Beard said: “Many of us misunderstand the nature of wine language. I constantly run into people who seem to actually expect to find various foods in wine. “Mmmm,” they will say, reading the back of the bottle, “I like chocolate. I’ll buy this one!” Indeed, when confronted with wines that are said to offer a “mouthful of silky-textured cherries, blueberries, plums, boysenberries, earth, minerals, and spiced oak,” people can hardly be blamed if they expect dessert. I tend to advise customers to ignore those descriptions. But why? Doesn’t wine taste like all that stuff? Isn’t that the point?”

Yes and no. Wine language is poetic—a way of describing not what a wine objectively tastes like, but what it was like for the writer to taste the wine. Good wine writing presents an experience, not an analysis.

Granted, wine can taste and smell like all kinds of weird things, some of which I personally have tasted and smelled. Sauvignon Blanc does sometimes smell like cat pee. I used to have a cat that peed on my clothes, so I know that smell. But I have never smelled or tasted any of the following, taken from actual wine reviews: liquefied minerals, animal fur, beef blood, white flowers, or scorched earth.

Maybe you’ll taste all that stuff, maybe you won’t. We all have different palates, after all, and taste is subjective. But modern wine writing has become so fixated on isolating scents and smells that we’re led to believe there’s no other way to enjoy wine. The critics strain to conjure up ever more esoteric descriptions, and the drinker is left to strain for a small hint of “new saddle leather,” lest he be seen as a wine ignoramus.

People really want to know what wines taste like. They ask me all the time, but the only honest answer I can give is to tell them to taste it for themselves, and not to be afraid to wax poetic.”

One of my favorite wines , the Arniston Bay Shiraz / Merlot 2005, was described as follows on the tasting note:

“A medium-bodied wine with intense red colour. It has subtle blackcurrant and pepper nose with hints of coffee and chocolate on the taste and a soft, round finish.”

I think this is a soft, easy-drinking wine with a great balanced body. I can’t taste the hint of coffee, but I nonetheless enjoy the taste of this wine.

Source: c-ville.com

In a recent article on homemakers.com, Lynn Hoffman talks about the basics of swirling, sniffing, sipping and serving wine.

Do you feel a little nervous about serving wine to guests? Are you worried about seeming pretentious or are you just intimidated by the whole thing? Well, it’s time to pop a cork and relax; wine is fun and here are 10 ways to be a part of the good times.

1. Wine is delicious! The swirling, the sniffing, the sipping. All of the fuss about wine would be pointless if wine wasn’t just plain delicious. It’s true that wine can have tastes that you’re not used to or that aren’t so great the first time you try them, but there are lots of starter wines that are easy to like and even more that turn delicious when you have them with food.

2. Wine tastes best at the right temperature Common “knowledge” about wine is that you serve white wine well-chilled and red wine at room temperature. Surprisingly, that’s wrong. Room temperatures in North America are just too warm to serve red wines. Most drinks are unappealing at 22C so why should wine be any different? Refrigerator temperature -3C is too cold for anything that you really want to taste. What to do? Try storing your red wine in the coolest part of the house or giving a bottle a brief cold water bath. Take the white wine out of the fridge 10 minutes before you serve it or at least let it warm up a bit in your glass.

3. It’s usually better to air wine out Any drink without bubbles tastes better if it’s aerated a bit. Those decanters that you see aren’t just decorative; they let you pour your wine out with a bit of splashing and get some air dissolved in it.

4. Make sure the (right) glass is half full The best wine glass is shaped like a tulip and isn’t much bigger. What makes it best is that the tulip shape helps capture the aromas of wine and transport them to your nose.

5. Your nose knows Most of the pleasure that we call taste is really smell. That’s why nothing really tastes good when your nose is stuffed up. So be sure to swirl the wine around in the glass, take big sniffs and enjoy! 6. Take your time Tasting wine is a dance, not a race. One of the best things about wine is that it invites you to slow down. If you haven’t smelled the flowers today, at least you can smell the wine’s bouquet. You’ll have even more fun if you take a minute to enjoy the wine’s colour before smelling it and maybe even pausing after your first sniff, before taking a sip.

7. Don’t rush to judgment There’s nothing worse than premature evaluation. Once you decide if it’s good or not, you stop paying attention to the taste. So try this: swirl the wine in the glass, look at the colour, smell the aroma, sip and swish, pay attention to the taste and don’t decide if you like it or not. The last person to make up his or her mind wins 8. Have a variety of wine on hand It won’t be long before you’ll have preferences. You’ll discover that you like this wine with chicken and that one with pasta. You may even find that you’re suddenly ‘in the mood’ for one of your favourites so it’s a good idea to have a few different bottles available — all stored in a cool place in your home.

9. There’s no shopping like wine shopping! Shopping for wine is fun. If you find something you like, you can ask the clerk in the wine shop for advice about finding something similar. You can pick a bottle at random (in your price range, of course) or you can surf wine websites, in search of stores that carry your favourites. If you look around, you may find wine-tastings where you can sample a few different wines and pick out ones you like.

10. Respect your tastes but try new wines Remember that there are two things that count: liking what you like and being open to liking something new. So relax and let the wine work its magic.

Source: homemakers.com

Decanter reported that UK wine drinkers are cutting the amount they spend on a bottle, with price now the most important factor in buying wine, according to a new survey.

A WineIntelligence poll of 1,000 wine drinkers found that the number of people willing to spend £5–£6 on a bottle of wine had dropped by 5% in the past three months.

There has been a corresponding increase in those paying less than £5 for a bottle.

Pubs and restaurants have also registered a downturn in sales of more expensive wines. According to the survey, customers are buying more and more wines under £12 – again, there was a corresponding drop in the higher price levels.

The study, commissioned by the Wine & Spirits Trade Association (WSTA), also found that grape variety had been overtaken by price promotions as the most important factor for consumers in choosing wines.

Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the WSTA, said the impending economic crisis was to blame.

Retailers have reacted by focusing on value for money wines. ASDA, the fastest-growing wine retailer in the UK, recently announced an exclusive value-for-money wine deal. ASDA indicated that the new value-for-money range will be launched under the Arniston Bay brand. This easy drinking South African wine will launch 3 wines exclusively to ASDA.

The exclusive The Reef range includes: The Reef Red 2007, The Reef White 2008 and The Reef Rosé 2008.

“The Reef is a wine range which represents really great value for money,” said brand and business development manager Barney Davis.

Source: Decanter

Wine writer, Neil Pendock, and publishers of The Platter Guide are embroiled in a heated debate about the pros and cons of blind versus sighted tastings.

 Pendock indicates that the Platter tasting methods (sighted) are not fair and the tasters are influenced by preconceived ideas about regions, brands and prices etc.

Phillip van Zyl, the editor of the John Platter guide, argues that “sighted tasting is a perfectly legitimate approach, which serves as a useful tool for gaining a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a wine”.

Arniston winemaker, Abraham de Villiers, comments on the topic:

 “I would definitely agree that the only fair way to conduct any tasting is to do it blind. In many cases packaging and to a certain extent “estate name and reputation” plays an important part in judging a wine sighted before it even has been tasted.

 “Especially for a novice South African wine drinker who uses the Platter Guide as a indicator of wine quality, it is even more important that the guide be accurate in their wine ratings and not judge a wine on packaging, ‘looks’ and reputation.

  “Any good rating is always a good marketing tool in any format.”

Source: The Times

Sparkling wine has become a more popular any occasion drink and it has shed the image of being exclusively consumed as a celebration drink.

Bennet Bodensteain wrote that one of the great pities of the wine world is that some how, some way, sparkling wines have gotten the reputation of being associated only with celebrations. Stuff and nonsense! The most probable reason is that in the past, sparkling wines were expensive and presenting them at an important event indicated the extreme in luxury.

That was then, this is now and there are many sparkling wines on the market that are of excellent quality and are extremely affordable. Sparkling wines are the perfect accompaniment to almost any meal, from filet mignon to meat loaf. Where wine can add elegance to a meal, sparkling wines will add opulence.

South African and Australian wine producers have perfected the manufacture of sparkling wines and are now producing them at very reasonable prices, making them readily available to one and all. These are wines that should be considered in place of “the usual suspects” to grace your table during the upcoming holiday season.

The Arniston Bay Charmat Brut is a perfectly manufactured sparkling wine. It has elegant, zesty tropical fruit flavours with fresh bubbles and a clean, crisp finish. Serve well chilled as an aperitif or own its own regardless of the occasion.

Source: sun-sentinel.com

While in Cape Town, South Africa for Cape Wine 2008, Reva Singh interviewed the CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA) Su Birch. She discussed the South African wine market and how the show has evolved over the years.

Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is a fully inclusive body, representing all South African producers of wine who export their products.

Source: Sommelier India

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Recipe: Lamb Chops With Lemon And Olives

This delicious recipe, sourced from Real Simple magazine, is easy to make and is guaranteed to be a mouth-watering treat for dinner guests.

The Arniston Bay Shiraz 2007 is ideal when paired with this meal. This wine – with its intense purple colour – contains scents of wild strawberry, mocha, and caramel with touches of sage and rosemary. The flavors burst through with intense blueberry and strawberry jam notes wrapped around rich French oak and finishing with touches of chocolate and sweetened cranberries.

Recipe: Lamb Chops With Lemon And Olives

Serves 4

Hands-on time 20 minutes Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 kilogram lamb chops or knuckles (if using chops, ask your butcher to cut them in half if you like) ½ cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, sliced 6 cloves garlic, peeled 2 cups dry white wine (the delicious, good-value-for-money Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 is a good option) 2 cups chicken stock juice and zest of half a lemon 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves 10 black olives 2 baby fennel bulbs, halved

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Coat the lamb with the flour and shake off the excess. In a frying pan over high heat, heat the oil and brown the lamb well.

Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon and place in a large casserole dish. Fry the onions and garlic until golden and add to the casserole dish. Pour over the wine, stock, lemon juice and zest, bay leaves, thyme and olives. Cover tightly (use foil if your dish doesn’t have a lid) and bake for 1 hour. Add the fennel and bake for a further 40 minutes. Serve with soft polenta or mash.

From: Real Simple Magazine

The economic crisis has changed the buying habits of American wine consumers. Consumers are looking for value wine and more wine will by purchased in retailing outlets and not restaurants, states Michelle Locke from the Associated Press.

In her article she refers to statements by Wilfred Wong and Prof Robert Smiley about the changing consumer habits.

Wong, cellar master for the Concord-based chain Beverages & more!, usually tastes 8 000 wines a year in search of products. But this year he’s up to 10 000 because of the pressure to find good wines at lower prices.

“The consumer has definitely changed buying habits,” says Wong. “They are buying wines, which is good for us, but they are being more careful. People don’t need another $50 cabernet. What they need is a really good wine at $10.”

So far, the effect of the economy on the wine industry is “a mixed picture right now,” says Robert Smiley, a management professor and director of wine studies at the University of California, Davis.

For instance, recent research by The Nielsen Company indicates that although restaurants and bars see a decline in business during faltering economies, the affect is milder on store sales, although there’s evidence shoppers look for better prices.

So, a winery could lose restaurant business but make that up in retail sales. Meanwhile, a consumer price trade-down could mean trouble for wines over $15 a bottle and a bonus for lower-priced brands.

With the economy swinging wildly from day-to-day, it’s hard to draw too many conclusions. But Nielsen figures from U.S. food, drug, and major market liquor stores as of late last month showed 8.3 million cases of wine (a total of about $591 million) were sold for the four weeks ending Sept. 20, up nearly 3 percent from the same period a year ago.

Source: The Mercury News

The health benefits of a glass of red wine are well known, but new research has found a tipple of white could also protect the heart.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut in the US found that rats who were given the equivalent of one or two glasses of white wine suffered less heart damage during cardiac arrest than rats who were fed water or grain alcohol, according to New Scientist.

The benefits from the white wine were similar to those found after animals ingested red wine – or the wonder ingredient found in grape skin – resveratrol.

Previously, it was believed only wine made using grape skin could prevent heart damage.

“The flesh of the grape can do the same job as the skin,” molecular biologist Dr Dipak Das said.

“In lab rats that suffered heart attacks, the animals that received wine or polyphenols experienced less heart damage, compared to rats fed water or straight liquor.

“Their blood pressure and aortic blood flow plummeted less drastically as well.”

Molecular tests of heart cells suggest white wine protects mitochondria.

Director of the Hatter Institute for Cardiology Research in South Africa, Professor Lionel Opie, said Das’ evidence proved white wine protected lab rats, but said human heart attacks occur from blood clots and diseased arteries and not necessarily mitochondrial failure.

Other experiments conducted using dogs showed benefits derived from red wine, but not white, Opie said.

But Das expects similar studies to soon prove white wine’s worth.

“We can safely say that one to two glasses of white wine per day works exactly like red wine,” he said.

Source: The Australian

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