Sales of South African wine to wine-producing countries such as France, Italy and Spain increased so dramatically due to the poor European harvest, while sales to the UK, still the country’s biggest export destination accounting for just over one-fifth of total volumes exported last year, rose 21%.

With the festive season coming to an end; clearly evidenced by the pork stuffing bloated stomaches and Christmas lights being pulled down from the trees, I decided to turn the conditioned indulgence cravings into active baking experiments.

The combination of unusual tasting fillings, set amongst a milk chocolate casing and placed in a strikingly designed box; makes you think you just entered the golden door to the bespoke end of Willy Wonker’s Chocolate Factory.

After we have surpassed any normal human being’s intake of all things savoury, and finally filled our ‘fat pants’ to its maximum capacity, we can (finally) sit down for dessert.

After we have surpassed any normal human being’s intake of all things savoury, and finally filled our ‘fat pants’ to its maximum capacity, we can (finally) sit down for dessert.

There are few places in the world where vineyards melt into the scenery more majestically than in the Hemel-en-Aarde (‘Heaven and Earth’) Valley – home to the Tollman family-owned Bouchard Finlayson Vineyard and Winery. Located on South Africa’s Southern Cape coast, the area is defined by the backdrop of magnificent mountains and the roar of the wild oceans of the southern seas.

When it’s time for the main course, only the best meals will do on a South African’s Christmas table.

Once you have tickled your guests’ tastebuds with some tasty snacks you have to make sure your starter is a knock out.

Morgenster extra virgin olive oil comes from Morgenster Estate in Somerset West outside Cape Town in South Africa. On 1 December 2013, in Rome, it was awarded the top score of 98 points out of a possible 100 in the international Flos Olei competition, and it was also jointly awarded the accolade “Made with Love” by the editors. It is one of only 11 oils to be awarded this score. The other ten farms are in Spain (two), Italy (seven) and Chile (one).

Three specialist importers and distributors of boutique South African wines will be holding a tasting at the SA High Commission on 26 November.

The new John Platter Wine Guide for 2014 (‘aquamarine edition’) will be released on Friday 8 November with a couple of great additions to the already packed annual book on SA wines.

As the UK turns dark, cold, and wet, here are our top 10 tips to help you get through the winter months with a smile on your face, a tissue up your nose, and a stomach full of hearty British goodness.

UK-based South African chef Petrus Madutlela is hoping to take the ultimate prize in BBC TV series ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’.

South Africans take their biltong seriously and will argue about anything from who makes the best biltong, to the best cut of meat and the best way to make biltong. Now vegetarians have added a new dimension to the argument, with two companies producing biltong made mushroom and brinjal.

As the cold is starting to enter our lives once again, people tend to go for a lovely rich red wine to warm up with. But the cold is not necessarily a reason to stay away from white wines…..

I am the woman in all those jokes about women and wine. The ones with witty comments like ‘my doctor told me to watch my drinking so I’m off to find a bar with a mirror’.

Join Starfish and legendary South African wine writer Dave Hughes for wine tasting and canapés.

At the record-breaking 29th Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction in South Africa, the biggest foreign buyer was the United Kingdom.

Cape Grand Cafe and Restaurant in Beaconsfield will host two South African food evenings this autumn. The mouthwatering menu includes bobotie, smoked snoek samosas with homemade chutney, Cape Malay chicken curry, fish and rice potjie and lamb bredie.

Due to an age-old tradition, South African méthode cap classique is truly a champagne…in all but name.

A Cape Blend is a blended red wine from South Africa consisting of some Pinotage. The varieties that can be added to this blend vary greatly and this might be a hindrance in the promotion of this South African specific blend

We were lucky enough to be one of the first to taste South African wine estate Klein Constantia’s new 2008 Vin de Constance alongside the 2007 vintage ahead of its release in the UK today . Our verdict? ‘Simply wonderful’.

At an intimate tasting at the South African owned High Timber Restaurant in London, the components of Spice Route Winery’s iconic red blend Chakalaka were presented to provide a “deconstructed” perspective of the Swartland. We tasted samples of the five wines used in the Chakalaka 2012 blend (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Grenache, Petit Shirah) as well as the 2011 vintage, followed by a glass of Spice Route’s estate-brewed beer.

Contrary to English custom, a few pale pork sausages do not a braai make. Here are some ideas for injecting some proudly SA flavour into Heritage Day. Recipes courtesy of: Wines of South Africa’s Cape Wine Braaimasters book (www.wosa.co.za)

Fortified food e’Pap is a finalist for a global social innovation award, acknowledging the benefits that this remarkable, homegrown foodstuff has for nutrition.