The Tahona Society’s Collective Spirit Project competition kicked off last month at Living Room in Maboneng.

About 2 hours from Joburg, on a farm along the R70 between Henneman and Riebeeckstad in the Free State, I joined the guys at Whistler Rum Distillery for their end-of-the-month jol. With a local singer strumming away, a Free State Sand Storm cocktail in hand and a big red sun setting in front of us, I took a sip and realised I didn’t know much about rum at all.

A week later I went to the Pan-African Rum Festival and tasted as many South African rums and cocktails as possible. Now I’m plotting my own cocktail mixes! But before I get ahead of myself, let’s go back to the basics of rum 101.

Not to be confused by Merlot with Margherita – which involves pizza! This Merlot “Margarita” is for tequila and wine lovers.

It’s getting cold out there. I just got back from enjoying the mild May weather in Durban, and the Jozi cold is going straight through all my layers of clothing. I want to channel those mellow vibes with glass of Merlot and a fresh homemade pizza with this delicious recipe shared by the folks at Leopards Leap as we’re joining them in celebrating #MerlotforMay.

A Merlot back in 2005 had me asking more questions about wine than ever before. Suddenly I was interested in how it was made, why it tasted and smelled the way it did, and what food would go well with it. It was the perfect introduction to wine for me and for many others who discover an appreciation for wine with an eager palate.

What could possibly be better this summer than sipping on an ice-cold, book-inspired cocktail while admiring a panoramic view of Jozi’s leafy suburbs?

The story of Broad Valley wines could come straight out of a wine-lover’s fairy tale. With corporate careers spanning 30 years, the Kretzmars decided it was time for a country getaway for family and friends, but they ended up doing much more than that!

Leaving the house on a freezing winter’s night can be tough.

Stellenzicht recently released 3 new wines as part of the Speciality Range which includes the favourite Plum Pudding Hill Syrah to a make a flagship quartet of wines which jointly express the soils and terrain of Stellenzicht and the passion and skills of long-serving winemaker, Guy Webber.

Dry Days are national days and election days in India that are declared alcohol-free. Booze-loving Indians usually stock up on their favourite drinks a day or two before a Dry Day as alcohol shops close their doors on these important days in the national calendar.