Wine with body at The Wine Show Joburg

Vernon Koekemoer will be at The Wine Show Joburg.

Some call him South Africa's Chuck Norris, his biceps put Rambo to shame, his sense of style has reached cult status - and he'll be at The Wine Show Joburg. Vernon Koekemoer will be one of several celebrities to attend the three-day wine extravaganza at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand. On Saturday, 30 May, Koekemoer will team up with Versus Wines to entertain the crowds. Visitors can taste wine, get Koekemoer's autograph, and personally experience what has made him a legend at the Versus stand from 2pm to 5pm.

Food and wine pairings

You can try and buy over 700 wines from some of South Africa's top producers as well as exclusive international vintages from Friday, 29 May to Sunday, 31 May. The Friends for Dinner theatre will feature top chefs demonstrating food and wine pairings, while winemakers will present free tutored tastings in the Wine Theatre.

Support a worthy cause by visiting the Helderberg wine route stand and sign up for SANCCOB's Adopt-a-Penguin project. The wineries Avontuur Estate, Bilton Wines, Hidden Valley, Grangehurst, Ridgemor, Waterkloof and Uva Mira have teamed up with SANCCOB to encourage wine lovers to become involved with this worthy cause, and each new adoptive parent will receive a bottle of Helderberg wine with a specially designed label for a keepsake.

Laid bare for cancer

There's also the exhibition of the finalists in the Wine Laid Bare competition, which was hosted in aid of breast cancer awareness. Top local photographers and models collaborated to create amazing photographic images to interpret the theme. The top-12 entries have been selected and will be published in a calendar, which goes on sale at the show. All proceeds will be donated to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Tickets are available at the door for R95 per person or from Computicket for R90 per person. Weekend passes are available at R140/person. Secure parking is available. For more information, go to www.wineshow.co.za. Show times: 5pm to 9pm on Friday, 12 noon to 9pm on Saturday and 12 noon to 6pm on Sunday.