South African wine doesn’t feature on this page all that often for the simple reason that there is not that much imported here compared to other countries, and a lot of what I have tasted is either not worth writing about, or is too expensive for the quality.

THESE are not good days to be a wine lover, but spare a thought for anyone foolish enough to turn their love of wine into a career.

THE local-and-in-season theme reflected in food foraging is an entirely different philosophy to that behind organics. But the two outlooks can be good companions, not least as much of the organic approach to food and drink is dedicated to minimising human intervention and emphasising the direct line between field and fork.

AS the Christmas countdown enters its final week, let’s combine properly festive jollity with sensible shopping: you don’t have to spend crazy money.