Celebrating with wine

 
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 [...]

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Russia is probably the most exciting new wine market

 
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 [...]

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Enjoying wine doesn’t need to be a daunting task

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 [...]

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Arniston Bay flying high with SAA

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 [...]

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Arniston Bay relaunches best-selling original range

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. [...]

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South African wines bear export fruit

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 [...]

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America Keeps Reaching for Red Wine

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 [...]

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‘Be adventurous’ – SA wine expert

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, [...]

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Win a year’s supply of Arniston Bay wine

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 [...]

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Wine writing an experience, not an analysis

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 [...]

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