In the romantic month that is upon us, it’s essential to embrace our senses. Walking through a market, we are overwhelmed by the smell of flowers, brand new teddy –bears and helium filled plastic hearts.

How to truly appreciate ones senses, is to pair the two most important things in life – Wine and Chocolate. Some might think the pairing should be handled only by experts, but it’s easy and fun to do it yourself.

So, if you want a quick escape from this month’s busy festivities and do a wine and chocolate pairing from the comfort of your own home, here’s what you do.

Firstly keep in mind, you won’t necessarily find the perfect matches straight away, but that’s the best part. You have to keep on experimenting, which means more wine and chocolate.  A general tip is to match lighter chocolate with lighter-bodied wines and the stronger the chocolate, go with a more full-bodied wine.

Here are a few simple hints to get you started.

Try a Sherry with a nice buttery white chocolate.

A Pinot Noir or the medium bodied Arniston Bay Merlot will compliment milk chocolate, a creamy mousse or even a chocolate accented cheesecake.

Muscats do wonders with mild milk chocolates.

The Arnsiton Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Arnsiton Bay Cabernet Sauvignon is a marvelous match with dark chocolate.

To end things off, appreciate a well aged Port with a dark chocolate dessert or a truffle.

That’s the basics. So invite someone over, get creative and enjoy your pallet.

For some, chilling out may mean booking a camping site 20 km from the nearest village a year in advance. Or going into a Trappist monastery until the festive season is over.

But most people will have a more sociable time – either at home, visiting relatives, or at the seaside somewhere. Who knows, you might need to get back to the office in January to get some rest. In order to get the most out of your break , women24.com suggest that you try and avoid the following festive season stressors.

Guests galore. You have a big house, and over Christmas it fills up with aunties, grannies, nieces, uncles – you name it. Instead of looking after four people, you are now looking after twelve. This is no holiday for you, as you are the unofficial entertainment committee, the caterer, the conflict resolution specialist, and the local cleaner. If you live in a popular destination, you might have to put your foot down. Or at least put together a duty roster for the cooking and the cleaning. And, for heaven’s sake, don’t feel you have to be the unofficial tour guide. Take a day or two off and let the guests entertain themselves.

Feeding frenzy. Food, food, food. It’s all over during the Christmas season and it’s lying in wait for you everywhere, and we’re not talking about celery sticks either. It’s chips, cakes, cheese snacks, chocolates, to name but a few. And, after all, you’re on holiday. So why not? That’s fine, but just don’t get into a new habit. Most people end the festive season with quite a few kilos that were not there in November. Don’t become a festive season fatty.

Booze bonanza. From the office party to friends’ homes, to family barbecues – booze is no stranger to the festive season. And often, other people are paying for it. By all means have a beer or two, if you’re not driving, but don’t binge on booze. Drinking too much is something that carries its own punishment with it, a bit like eating that second helping of hot Indian curry. And do remember, that everyone likes you to have a drink or two, but nobody likes having a social embarrassment at their parties. Fall down drunk, or insult one of the other guests, and you can be sure you’ll be off the party list. Forever.

I’m so lonely. Some people wish everything could be a little quieter. Others wish for a break from the peace and quiet and they dream of the phone ringing or a horde of guests arriving. The secret is to arrange a few things in advance. Invite people for supper, get a friend to go with you to a movie, or organise a day or two away in a different place. Don’t wait until the festive season is upon you before doing something about your social calendar. It’s not going to happen by itself.

Exercise inertia. Most people give their exercise regimes a break during the festive season. It is, after all, the end of the year. Problem is, many people overindulge completely on the food front at the same time, and coupled with a fortnight of couch-potato-ism, your waistline might be expanding at the rate of knots. Go for a walk with the family, run along the beach, play volleyball. Do anything to burn up those extra calories. And get back into it early in the new year.

Credit card crisis. The last of the Big Spenders. If that describes you in the shopping centre with your Christmas bonus and your credit card, you’re obviously a sucker for all those Christmas ads. And you’re going to be stony broke in January, and depressed in February when the credit card statements start arriving. Point is that you can probably buy just as nice a present for R100 as you can for R200, or R400. You just need to plan it well. It’s the thought that counts, not the size of the present.

Sunburn stress. The sun in the southern hemisphere is vicious , and skin cancer is a real danger. And remember that the damage is cumulative. Burning yourself to a crisp or having a whimpering and sunburnt child on your hands, is no way to spend Christmas. Speak to your pharmacist and get a high-factor sunblock before you head for the beach. And speaking of the beach – watch out for bluebottles or pieces of broken glass in the sand.

Crowd control. Think of Christmas, and what many people see are teeming masses of people in a shopping centre, all of them with a mission, and accompanied by at least two unwilling and exhausted kids. It can be avoided – do your gift shopping in November and do a bulk grocery shop before 18 December. Milling crowds can be exhausting, and elicit everything but the Christmas spirit in you. In fact, it can bring on a bout of trolley rage.

Gift of the grab. Frantic last-minute gift-buying is a killer – not only don’t you get what you are looking for, you also spend a fortune on it. Rather than give unwanted and expensive presents, go for gift vouchers – at least people will appreciate them, even if they are not the most personal of offerings.

Family fest. Family. You get them, you don’t choose them. And never is it more obvious than at Christmas time when Uncle Freddy is holding forth on all his achievements, or Aunt Doris is slurring after her third beer. Or your cousin’s kids are running around screaming, chasing your poor cats. Then there are the endless questions about when you are going to tie the knot, have babies etc. Family get-togethers seldom do much for your self-esteem. Just repeat the mantra, “It will soon be over for another year.”

Arniston Bay has a wide wine range that will suit any palate for all the festive season occasions.

Source: women24.com

Know your limits:

Safe and healthy alcohol intake levels are 30g/day for men and 20g/day for women (women generally have less of the enzyme that helps break down alcohol in the body).

This means that one unit of alcohol a day is considered safe and healthy for an adult female and two units for a male. One unit = 340ml beer, tot (25ml) spirits, 50ml port, sherry or muscadel or 120ml wine.

Moderation is key:

Spread your weekly alcohol allowance as evenly as possible over seven days. Infrequent bingeing on alcohol can bring on attacks of gout or pancreatitis, and may cause abnormalities in heart rhythms and increases your risk of cancer.

Stretch your intake:

Use plenty of ice, water or soda water in spirit drinks or white wine (to make a spritzer); this dilutes the alcohol while increasing the volume so you drink less. Ensure your first drink is some other liquid e.g. a mineral water or a cooldrink – your alcoholic beverage should not be used as a thirst quencher.

Arrive alive:

On average it will take the liver about an hour to break down one unit of alcohol. So even after a night’s sleep, if you have had six cans of beer or two bottles of wine, you could still be over the legal limit the next day. Remember that, when driving.

Being fitter makes no difference to the rate of absorption. But, the absence or presence of food and the type of fluid that accompanies the alcohol does. Alcohol consumed on an empty stomach is more rapidly absorbed. Water and fruit juices mixed with alcohol slow the absorption process, whereas carbonated drinks (because of the carbon dioxide) will speed it up. Warm alcohol is absorbed quicker than cold alcohol.

Weight gain:

The calorie content of alcoholic beverages (which depends on the percentage of alcohol, the type of beverage and the type of mixture) plus the behaviour associated with drinking all have their part to play in the effect it will have on your weight.

When drinking alcohol, you tend to snack more, especially on the high fat foods, often available in social drinking environments. Eating high in fat take-away food (e.g. pies or burgers) late at night is another typical problem which arises after drinking, especially in students and young adults.

If you are watching your waistline, consider that one unit of alcohol is roughly equivalent to a slice of bread. It is then prudent to occasionally substitute a carbohydrate during the day to compensate for a drink or two that night.

Apply the 24 hour rule for training:

Avoid alcohol in the 24 hours prior to exercise. After exercise, once you have rehydrated and refuelled with carbohydrates, enjoy alcohol (and here I must include the ‘in moderation’). However, if you have any soft tissue injuries or bruising, abstain from alcohol for another 24 hours.

Fake it:

My personal favourite – a Rock Shandy (soda water, angostura bitters, ice and a slice of lemon) gives the impression of being an alcoholic drink, but hardly contains alcohol and calories – a sneaky option when friends continuously want to buy you a drink when they spot you standing empty handed.

Did you know?

Using thinner, taller glasses (especially wine glasses) can help you reduce your consumption. Research shows that people consume more alcohol when drinking out of shorter, wider glasses.

Read more on  iafrica.com

Just in time for summer, Arniston Bay has launched ‘The Coast’ range of wines for the first time in South Africa. Already popular in the UK market for their exceptional value, the range is available in White, Red and Rosé, at the amazing price of just R19,99 a bottle.

From every day occasions to picnics or poolside celebrations, it’s the perfect time to go out and get yourself a bottle of Arniston Bay’s The Coast wines. If you’re a white wine fan you can look forward to a crisp, uncomplicated blend filled with tropical fruit flavours, while lovers of rosé will enjoy easy-drinking strawberry flavours, and last but not least, red wine devotees will savour this mellow red that’s simply bursting with ripe berry fruit.

Winemaker Abraham de Villiers explains, “Arniston Bay wines are enormously popular around the globe and deliver exceptional value. But you don’t have to take my word for it – three of our wines will also feature in the 2012 Best Value Guide.”

He continues, “I believe that wine doesn’t have to be expensive to be enjoyable, but you shouldn’t have to sacrifice quality for price either. That’s why quality is so important to my entire winemaking team, and this year alone Arniston Bay wines were recognised with a dozen medals from the likes of the Decanter World Wine Awards, the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the Veritas Awards.”

Available exclusively at Pick-n-Pay shops throughout the Western Cape for just R19,99 a bottle, Arniston Bay ‘The Coast’ wines offer refreshing Summer Fun in a glass at a sizzling price that just can’t be beat. Look out for our Arniston Bay Facebook promotion where you could win fun summertime prizes or even the Grand Prize – a relaxing boat cruise! Plus, if you like Arniston Bay The Shore wines, look out for our other popular wines – like the Arniston Bay Chenin Chardonnay, or the Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc – also available at Pick-n-Pay.

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

Accessible and easy drinking , 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.

These wines confirmed this status of ‘accessible and easy drinking’  by having three wines in the South African Best Value Wine Guide 2012.

These three wines will feature in this guide:

Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay 2011

Arniston Bay The Shore  Non-Vintage

Arniston Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2010

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

Join us at the upcoming Cape Wine Europe show, taking place today at London’s  Brompton Hall in Earls Court.

Our expert team will be showcasing a selection of our top wines at our stand (#38), including a few of our ever popular, easy drinking Arniston Bay wines.

The wines include:

Original Range:

• Chenin Blanc Chardonnay 2011
• Rosé 2011
• Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2011

Winemaker’s Retreat:

• Colombard Chardonnay 2011
• Shiraz Rosé 2011
• Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Sparkling Brut NV

For more info on this event visit capewineeurope.com

Arniston Bay, the easy-drinking lifestyle wine inspired by the relaxed spirit synonymous with the fishing village of Arniston, showed its serious side this weekend after being awarded a bronze medal at the 21^st annual Veritas Awards ceremony.

The Veritas Awards is South Africa’s biggest wine competition, and is widely regarded as its most highly esteemed indicator of quality, market-ready wines.

The Veritas Bronze medal was awarded to the Arniston Bay Bushvine Selection Pinotage 2009. Sourced from a Western Cape vineyard block of 20-year old bush vines, the grapes were selected for optimal quality to produce this full-bodied wine.

“Just like Arniston Bay wine, my winemaking style is relaxed – but I always try to over deliver on quality. My goal is to create as many award-winning wines as I can at reasonable prices and for me, the Bushvine Selection Pinotage does just that so it’s fantastic to see it being recognised.” says the beaming winemaker, Abraham de Villiers.

With its deep purple colour and sensual flavours – from smoky layers of ripe black fruit and hint of truffle – the wine was matured for 18-months in French oak barrels and makes an ideal partner for rich, red meat dishes or spicy curries.

The Arniston Bay Bushvine Selection Pinotage 2009 is priced from just R39 per bottle when purchased directly at cellar door, and is also available online at www.wine.co.za, or at selected wine outlets nationwide.

The Veritas Awards are deemed to be the Oscars of South African Wine competitions and Arniston Bay was in the medals this year.

One of our best wines,  the Arniston Bay Bushvine Selection Pinotage 2009 was awarded a bronze medal at the this year’s Veritas awards

For more information you can visit www.veritas.co.za

“The Coast” – the Arniston Bay range of easy-drinking lifestyle wines – is now available in South Africa exclusively at Pick ‘n Pay stores in the Western Cape. Popular in the UK market, Known for delivering exceptional value, The Coast range is priced from just R19,99 per bottle.

White:

An uncomplicated crisp, dry white wine blend filled with tropical fruit flavours, this wine is perfect for every day occasions. Enjoy it on its own or with seafood and salads.

Rosé

A fresh easy-drinking Rosé filled with sweet, red berry and strawberry flavours this wine makes a great choice for picnics or poolside occasions.

Red

This mellow red wine blend is bursting with ripe berry fruit – share it with friends over a braai.