How many corks can you pull in a minute? The Cape Times Waterfront Wine Festival, in association with 567mw Cape Talk Radio and WINE Magazine, challenges anyone to beat world record holder Herman Kirschbaum of Buitenverwachting. The winemaker’s record appears in the Guinness Book of Records for opening 20 bottles in a minute with a lever-type corkscrew (waiter’s friend). The Waterfront Wine Festival 2000 - to be held from 29^th August to 1^st September in the Market Square at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town - will offer over 300 wines from across the Cape’s winelands for tasting. The Cape Wine Academy will pit palate against palate in a blind-tasting competition. Lucky draws will be held every night. And on Saturday 2^nd September, a gala dinner will be held at the marquee venue where one of the country’s leading winemakers will present his or her wines alongside a four-course meal. The festival marquee will be open from 5pm to 9:30pm. Bookings opened on 1^st August: Tickets can be purchased through Computicket (in SA) or at the Waterfront Visitors’ Centre, the Waterfront Information Kiosks and Vaughan Johnson’s Wine Shop on the square. Entry to the festival costs R45 (£4.50) per person (including wine tastings, tasting glass and a programme); tickets to the gala dinner sell for R3,500 (£350) per table of 10. So, if any Wine Anoraks are winging their way to South Africa at the end of August, they have the perfect opportunity to treat themselves to some festival fanfare in the Fairest Cape. Enjoy!!