Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

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

South Africa has received praises from all over for hosting an amazing World Cup. It is great to read about journalists, politicians and tourists raving about our county and what we have achieved.

One such a feel good article was published in the Vanity Fair and here is what Austin Merrill had to say about the World Cup.

“But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s pause for a minute and offer a nod to the 2010 host. South Africa spent much of the past few years fending off criticism and doubt—the country didn’t have the technology or sophistication to host the planet’s largest sports event; crime rates were too high; security would be too lax; infrastructure wouldn’t be up to par. There were rumors that FIFA was formulating a plan to move the tournament elsewhere. An attack by separatist rebels at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola in January even had some people afraid that South Africa might fall victim to similar violence and bloodshed.

None of these fears were borne out. South Africa stood up to the challenge of hosting the World Cup and did so with flair and exuberance. The stadiums were gorgeous and mostly full, restaurants and shops did banner business, and the locals continued to embrace the games after their beloved Bafana Bafana were knocked out.

Merrill concluded by writing : “The ten days I spent at the tournament went off without a hitch. The only down side was that ten days weren’t nearly enough—my time there went by in a blur.”

The iconic and uniquely  South African wine brand , Kumkani, congratulates and thank everyone who made an effort the make this World Cup so special.

Source: vanityfair.com

Try this hot and spicy romantic recipe on your honey for Valentine’s Day. It’s sweetly spicy, inherently healthy, and couldn’t be easier to prepare or clean up. Piri-Piri is an African term for hot and spicy. Control the amount of fire by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper. This recipe is presented as mild-to-medium heat.

Piri-Piri Pomegranate Chicken

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup parboiled brown rice
1 cup water or broth
2 to 3 pieces chicken
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt to taste
18 to 20 Brussels sprouts, trimmed with shallow “x” cut into stem end
1-1/2 cups baby carrots, halved
1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced thickly
1/2 pomegranate, seeded
Fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees C. Spray inside of 2 liter  Dutch oven and lid with olive oil.

2. Pour rice into pot and add liquid. Stir gently to coat grains and smooth into an even layer. Set chicken pieces in next in a single layer.

3. In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, honey, molasses, lemon juice, garlic and cayenne pepper. Drizzle 1/2 mixture over top of chicken. Drop in Brussels sprouts and carrots. Pour rest of mixture over all. Top with mushrooms and pomegranate seeds.

4. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes, or about 3 minutes after the aroma wafts from the oven.

Recommended Wine:

The Kumkani Chardonnay Viognier 2008 will complement this dish. This wine as aromas of lemon peach with a hints of vanilla oak flavours complementing a well balance elegant wine.

Notes:
You can use any combination of boneless, bone-in, skinless, or skin-on chicken pieces in this recipe.

Look for pomegranate molasses in specialty or health food groceries.

Source: www.sheknows.com

The wine:

Award-winning wine brand, Kumkani, will put a fashionable foot forward as it embodies African elegance when partnering with the Audi Joburg Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collections, which will start at the Sandton Convention Centre and will run until 23 January.

The company of wine people’s Brands and Business Development Manager, Corne Oosthuizen, said: “We are proud to be sponsoring our award-winning, premium wines for an event of this stature. It aligns perfectly with our uniquely South African brand, Kumkani, The King of South African wines and we are pleased to present our flagship wines to consumers.”

The fashion week features the crème de la crème of the local fashion industry, with renowned designers and provides a platform for fashion designers to build their brand; engage with buyers; the media; and speak to their consumers assisting them in creating a sustainable enterprise.

Guests attending Joburg Fashion Week will have the opportunity to sample African elegance at its best with varietals and award winning wines such as the Kumkani Infiniti Methode Cap Classique; Kumkani Lanner Hill Sauvignon Blanc; Kumkani Cradle Hill; Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc; Kumkani Shiraz; Kumkani Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon; and Kumkani Chardonnay Viognier on offer.

Source: publicityupdate.co.za

Funky wine brand Versus and the iconic, uniquely South African brand, Kumkani, will be exhibiting at the Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival this weekend.

Join us at the Versus and Kumkani stand in the Main Hall, Soweto Campus of UJ to taste some of our award-winning wines.

The Kumkani range maintains its proud winemaking tradition. Derived from the Xhosa word meaning ‘king’, Kumkani is an award-winning wine that celebrates South Africa’s rich heritage, eclectic mix of people and abundance of natural resources.

The Kumkani range comprises single varietals, dual varietals, the Reflections range and award-winning single vineyard wines.

Versus wine brand will wow the younger audience with its uncomplicated, easy-drinking wines, and consumers are also afforded the opportunity to sample the Versus new Naturally Sweet range.

Platter’s South African Wine Guide, has announced a record 41 five-star wines, defined as being ’superlative, a Cape Classic’.

This follows a blind tasting by the assembled Platter’s tasting team of potential five-star wines for the 2010 edition, nominated by individual members during their sampling of South Africa’s wines over the past two months.

For the 2010 book, nearly 6 000 individual wines are featured.

In the course of this year’s evaluations, a record 105 candidate five-stars were identified, across a variety of categories, including reds and whites, dessert wines and port styles. Only bottled wines, available during the currency of the guide, were considered.

The book launch of the 2010 Guide will be in November. The guide’s Winery of the Year award will also be announced in November, along with the name of the ‘Superquaffer’ of the Year – the wine judged to be the most drinkable and well-priced of all the entry-level bottlings tasted for the current edition.

Analysing the results of the 2010 five-star wines, publisher Andrew McDowall said: ‘The best-performing categories this year were that of Sauvignon Blanc and Bordeaux-style Red Blends, with five wines in each. Four categories offered up four five-star wines each – Bordeaux-Style White Blends, White Blends, Shiraz and Unfortified Dessert Wines – while the Port-Style category has three five-stars. Of the white categories, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay yielded one and three five-stars respectively, while Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Blends offered two apiece, and Grenache and Pinotage one each.’

Two wines were voted Wine of the Year by the judges: Palladius 2008 from Sadie Family Wines, White Wine of the Year, and the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005 from Le Riche Wines, the year’s top red.

A selection of the five-star wines will be shown to the European wine trade and consumers at the South African Mega Tasting in London during October.

The 2010 edition will be available from end November 2009 from selected book shops and retail outlets, as well as the website, www.platteronline.com. The recommended retail price is R149.95.

Source: winemag.co.za

Wine drinking may not be a competitive sport but the rivalry between countries to see who leads the world with the most influential palate, which wineries are leading their region, and which supermarket’s buying team is ruling the roost is just as intense.

Perhaps the most brutal way to examine the world of wine is by country.

The big news this year is that France is on the slide. The French were once the undisputed masters of the art, but their wine exports to the UK recently slid from second to third position, with the US in second and Italy in fourth.

For the nation that regards itself as the birthplace of wine, this is a royal spanking. France has amazing prestige in Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy, wondrous diversity in the Loire, awesomeness in the Rhine, aromatics in Alsace and some serious value emerging in the Vin de Pays category – look for brands such as La Difference. But the French system of labelling by place rather than grape still leaves a lot of UK wine fans bewildered.

Australia remains king of the UK export market, but my tips to watch out for over the coming season include New Zealand, Chile and South Africa.

Read more: dailymail.co.uk

Neil Pendock

Last year wine judges in South Africa came under scrutiny as wine writers (especially Neil Pendock) questioned the merit, objectivity and consistency of wine judging during competitions.  

US wine judges are now also being subjected to scrutiny. A recent study found that only 10%  the judges (in a respected and long-standing tasting competition) were able to consistently give the same rating, or something very close, to the same wine sampled multiple times in a large blind tasting

 Judges at the California State Fair wine competition scored poorly at giving the same wine an identical rating when they tasted it multiple times in a blind tasting.

That was the conclusion of a four-year study of judging decisions at the California State Fair Wine Competition by retired Humboldt State professor Robert Hodgson.

 “Consumers should have a healthy scepticism about the medals awarded to wines from the various competitions,” he said.

Hodgson’s findings have prompted state fair officials to consider making changes in the way they operate future wine competitions.

In a study published by the Journal of Wine Economics, Hodgson wrote that only 10% of the judges were able to consistently give the same rating, or something very close, to the identical wine sampled multiple times in a large blind tasting.

 At the opposite end, another 10% of the judges gave the same wine far different ratings, ranging from worthy of a gold medal to deserving of no medal at all on successive tastings. The remaining 80% of the judges also varied in their ratings, but by a narrower range.

Finding ways to evaluate the skills and consistency of judges is an important issue for wine competitions, which often draw from the same small pool of industry members and aficionados for their rating panels. It’s not unusual for judges to work as many as six different competitions annually.

“Consumers need to gain more self-confidence in their own opinions and tastes rather than listen to what other people think wine should be like,” Hodgson said.

Source: LA Times

It was in 1652 that Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape, tasked with establishing a garden to provision VOC ships. The first vines arrived in 1655 imported from France, the Rhineland and Spain. Naturally, these were planted in the Company’s Gardens, six acres of which survive as a botanical garden in central Cape Town to this day.

Jan van Riebeeck’s diary entry of February 2, 1659 reads: “today, praise be to God, wine was pressed for the first time from Cape grapes, and the new must was tested fresh from the vat.”

Van Riebeeck also planted 1,000 vines at his own farm, Boscheuvel, while his successor, Simon van der Stel, staked his personal claim on the lower slopes of the Steenbergen in Constantia. Once these Governors showed that successful large-scale grape cultivation was possible, other free farmers followed suit. Until then grapes had served primarily as adornments for verandahs and stables!

This was the origin of the famously historic sweet wines of Constantia. Constantia vintners placed a premium on quality rather than quantity, attending their vines with care, and thus differentiating them from the somewhat rough and rudimentary wines produced elsewhere.

Fans of Constantia wines include Frederic the Great of Prussia while Danish foreign Minister Johann Sigismund Schulin’s cellar records of 1744 indicate a considerable stock of Constantia. Famous French poet Baudelaire was a fan, as were Napoleon Bonaparte and British author Jane Austen, who wrote about them in Sense and Sensibility.

French Huguenot refugees in 1688 settled in the Drakenstein Valley, an area better suited to vines than grain cultivation, providing a much-needed boost as a few of their number knew about wine and viticulture. In the early 1700s wine farmers found themselves stuck with a surplus of pretty poor quality wine – but production grew apace because of uncontrolled planting of vineyards.

By 1800 around 5 million litres of wine was produced annually. Wine farmers found themselves in a situation which was to last for centuries: a surplus of less-than-ideal quality wine that was difficult to dispose of allied to the reliance upon a fickle foreign market. Only when crops failed or Europe was at war were South African wines in demand. The exception, of course, was Constantia and sweet wines such as muscadel and hanepoot.

In the 1800s, British occupation meant a strong military and naval presence – and a consequent good demand for South African wines in Britain post 1813. However, it was fleeting, with preferential tariffs abolished in 1861 – leading once again to surplus. Added to this was the phylloxera epidemic which devastated plantings. First encountered in a vineyard in Mowbray in January 1886, it spread rapidly. Vintners were compelled to destroy millions of vines by uprooting and burning. Only the introduction of phylloxera-resistant American rootstock saved the industry.

At the turn of the 20th century, South Africa was itself at war, with Boer and Brit pitted against each other. However, wine and brandy sold well during 1899 and 1902 – but, following the cessation of hostilities, surpluses built up and prices dropped dramatically.

Perhaps one of the most significant events was the creation of the KWV (Ko-operatiewe Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika, Beperkt) in 1918. It saved many wine farmers from ruin by uniting their producers’ interest under a single umbrella organisation, stabilising production and setting minimum prices.

The country’s change of government in 1948 ushered in the era of apartheid and many former trading partners applied economic sanctions in protest. Lieberstein bucked the trend. Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery launched the semi-sweet white and backed it with an aggressive marketing campaign. By 1965 it was the biggest selling natural wine of its kind – worldwide.

However, the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990 and the rapid – and peaceful – transition to democracy paved the way for sustained growth in the modern era. Along with the establishment of a dedicated export marketing body (Wines of South Africa), a new generation of young winemakers were able to work and travel abroad, returning with fresh skills, techniques and ideas.

International exposure and dramatic growth in sales led to a change in style of South African wine as well as a greater commitment to improving quality. This has been reflected in the slew of international awards claimed by South African wines since democratic elections were first held in 1994, a remarkable turnaround and achievement for an industry which is simultaneously 350 – and 15 – years old.

Go to www.southafricanwine350.co.za to view the array of wonderful events and promotions planned for the year to celebrate this commemorative day.

Article was written by Annareth Bolton, CEO Stellenbosch Wine Routes

Source: wine.co.za

Buying for a math geek or a collector? Experts offer tips on how to judge a person’s preferences

Picking out the right wine for someone during the holidays could prove as challenging as buying a present for the in-laws who have everything.

Which varietal? How much to spend? Go bold – or delicate? Is a bottle of Sherry the ultimate insult?

These questions become particularly difficult when you don’t know the recipient’s wine taste. Steer clear of giving wine to anyone who you’re not certain drinks alcohol.It could become awkward if the person is a recovering alcoholic or for religious reasons doesn’t drink.

But if they do, the trick is in the pairing. Our experts have a lot of tips, everything from matching personalities to wine to finding clues in the foods and beverages they drink.

Tim Hanni, a master of wine, has his own theories about people’s likes and dislikes based on how many taste buds they have on their tongue. While it might be a little presumptuous, and definitely strange, to ask your boss if you could get a look inside his or her mouth, Hanni says there are other hints to follow.

Coffee clues

“How they drink their coffee could be a telltale sign,” says the wine master. “If they prefer their coffee black and strong, their wine preference will more than likely lean toward intense wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, old-vine Zinfandels and many Meritage wines (usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes).”
Hanni says cream-and-sugar coffee drinkers are more likely to show a preference for moderately sweet wines, such as Muscat and Riesling. Sparkling wines are also an option. He says to look for labels that have 2 to 6 percent residual sugar levels.

People who salt their food heavily are also likely to go for the sweeter wines, according to Hanni. Same goes for folks who gravitate to sweet cocktails such as mojitos and pina coladas. He says Manhattan, martini and classic margarita drinkers would probably appreciate Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Merlot and Chardonnay. For the whisky, Cognac, Tequila and Scotch crowd, try big, bold reds and oaky, expensive Chardonnays.

Don’t have a clue about what kind of cocktails the person you’re buying for likes or how he or she takes coffee? Hanni suggests going with personality traits. A man with a strong personality who is good at math would probably prefer a wine that’s received a high rating from Robert Parker. If he’s more artistic and a little disorganised, go with Pinot Noir, dry Riesling and wines you would describe to your merchant as delicate and expressive.

For a strong woman, Hanni suggests Shiraz, Pinot Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay. For an artistic woman, go for something sweet, like a fruit wine, he says. “Of course these are all generalisations,” says Hanni. “But in my experience, they tend to work.”
If you don’t know someone well enough to judge their wine taste, get something festive that they can share with other people. Good choices are Champagne, sparkling wine, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc – it goes great with food.

Source: sfgate.com

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.com

Wine enhances the flavour of the food, makes the table look nice and can liven up a meal. But many people find it confusing. There are too many choices, it requires a special tool to open, and there’s the whole culture around wine supposedly dictating what goes with which food and what’s cool to drink.

Here’s a quick primer on how to incorporate wine into your holidays without hassles and embarrassment, and what basic items you need to present your drink perfectly.

The No. 1 rule is drink what you think tastes good, and have a couple of other offerings available that others might like. Your palate is about as individual as your fingerprints. What you like, someone else might avoid and vice versa, but that doesn’t mean the wine is bad. So serve a couple of wines and keep your bases covered.

Secondly, serve it in decent glasses. The shape of the glass really can affect the taste of a wine. It has to do with how the bowl of the glass channels the aroma – which is a big component of taste – to your nose. This is what wine lovers refer to when they are talking about the bouquet of a wine. Use a clear glass so you can see the wine. It’s worth the second or two to raise the stem toward light and just take a moment to appreciate the color.

Next, get a good corkscrew. A flimsy old corkscrew can be a hassle and an embarrassment. Corkscrews are really not expensive and, ideally, you should have more than one in your home.

Now all you need is wine. I recommend a Merlot or a Bordeaux blend like Kumkani Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot. This is a well-balanced wine with a blackcurrant and ripe berry fruit nose. This medium-bodied wine will be enjoyed by most red wine lovers as it has a soft tannin structure.

Source: LA Times Blogs

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

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.

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

Mike Fisher, a founding partner of US investment banking firm Global Wine Partners believes South Africa, with its excellent wine-growing conditions, the beauty of its winelands and competitive cost structures, is well placed to advance from its relative obscurity in the US to the point where it becomes better recognised for its quality offerings.

 In South Africa in November to attend the annual general meeting of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network, he was impressed by evidence of the ability to make high quality wines here and also by the local wine industry’s sustainability initiatives, which he considered to be ahead of most of those in California

However, in his view, South Africa was the least known of the major wine-producing regions amongst US consumers. “Go into any grocery store in the US and of the 300 wines on the shelves, you will be lucky to find more than one or two of South African origin.”

 While “not overwhelmed” by most Pinotage he tasted, although there were some notable exceptions, Fisher, who initially trained as a winemaker, found South Africa’s expression of the Bordeaux varietals to be very good. He was also impressed by local Sauvignon Blancs and Chenin Blancs. “South Africa’s reputation as a producer of Sauvignon Blanc is gaining ground. The same could happen with Chenin Blanc but because it is still very much a secondary variety in the US, it will be a harder sell.”

Given a general reluctance to invest during financially uncertain times, he predicted that there would be fewer investment transactions in the international wine industry over the next 12 to 18 months. “Moreover, the large companies have done their consolidating for now and it is not in the nature of the small specialist producers to amalgamate to achieve economies of scale.”

Source: wine.co.za

In an article published on the Destiny magazine website ( destinyconnect.com ), some well-known South African celebrities share their ‘party tricks’ used to entertain guests.

UYANDA MBULI
MD of Agenda Communications, co-owner of Diamond Face Couture, deputy chairperson of Gauteng Films and TV presenter of African Giants, Uyanda Mbuli is a skilled businesswoman and hostess. She loves organising high tea-style get-togethers and suggests you:

-Greet guests with good French Champagne, strawberries and cream.
-Look good, be warm, welcoming, energetic and full of smiles.
-Make your guests feel at home. “My guests are truly welcome throughout my house, from the kitchen to the lounge, although I usually entertain on one of my poolside patios,” she says.

VANESSA CARREIRA-COUTROULIS
Former Miss South Africa, TV presenter, restaurateur and club owner, Vanessa Carreira-Coutroulis is used to entertaining the masses. When entertaining at home, she suggests you:
-Prepare food well in advance so you don’t spend all your time in the kitchen.
-Make sure there’s enough food and drink, and the rest will take care of itself.
-Use loads of flowers but keep things simple to create the right ambience.

EDITH VENTER
Socialite Edith Venter is MD of Edith Venter Promotions. The quintessential party hostess gives these tips for delighting guests:
-Serve delicious food that’s easy to prepare – don’t try to make complicated sauces that go wrong at the last minute.
-Have an interesting guest list that includes good friends, as well as a balance between serious individuals and really “off-the-wall” personalities to encourgae a lot of talk around the table
-To create the ideal ambience, light candles inside and outside your home. The colours and décor should be warm and inviting, and these – together with lovely background music and great cocktails – set the perfect tone.

Source: Destiny Connect

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 recent Platter tasting method debate has resulted in the Platter guide to set up an open discussion forum about their tasting method .

Wine.co.za reports that against a backdrop of increased interest in its method of sighted wine assessments (ie with the label exposed and the name of the producer known), Platter’s Wine Guide invites the book’s readers, wine producers, retailers, media and other interested parties to attend an Open Discussion Forum on blind versus sighted tasting, and the way forward for Platter’s, to be held in early February 2009.

Sighted tasting has been a feature of Platter’s Guide since its inception in 1980, initially because wineries were visited for tasting (and blind assessments obviously were out of the question) but also after visits were replaced in the early 2000s by “off-site” tasting. (For practical reasons, two very large portfolios continue to be reviewed at their producer’s premises.)

The guide’s publisher, Andrew McDowall, says sighted tasting serves two main purposes: firstly, it promotes more informed and nuanced assessments, resulting in (hopefully) a more readable and informative book. Secondly, sighted tasting supports a unique (in South Africa) aspect of the guide, namely the monitoring of the quality and style of a wine over successive vintages, thereby enabling the guide to offer an opinion on not only current performance but also track record and pedigree.

“Sighted tasting is a valid and internationally accepted approach,” McDowall continues. “Many of the world’s leading wine critics use it, either exclusively or on occasion, in the course of their reviews. However, while sighted tasting historically is Platter’s preferred method, it is not a dogma to which we blindly cling. If change is needed, our track record speaks of our willingness to listen to advice and constructive criticism and introduce improvements as needed.”

A complication, though, is that the local wine industry is far from unanimous in its opinion on the way forward for Platter. In conversation and via the media, many different alternative methodologies are mooted, ranging from competition-style blind tastings through to fully sighted assessments in the presence of the winemaker.

“The lack of industry accord on the one hand, and the need to canvass the views of consumers on the other, suggest that an Open Discussion Forum, which will encourage input from all interested parties, is the best first step in mapping out the way forward,” McDowall says. “The objective is for the Platter team to listen and to learn, but equally for those who call for drastic change to carefully consider the ramifications.”

Source: wine.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