Paula Goddard

Biodynamics is the new buzz-word in wine making, as I explain in my weekly Drink Up column on livingit.com, and French wine producer Nicolas Joly of Coulée de Serrant vineyard is one of the strongest advocates of this super-organic growing system. In his new book What Is Biodynamic Wine?: The Quality, the Taste, the Terroir, Joly explains that only by putting back into the soil everything nature produces, and I mean everything, can vines can grow and wine be made in harmony with the earth’s rhythms.

Enter my competition to win one of 5 mixed half-cases of Jacob's Creek wine and bring a touch of Australian sunshine into your life this Christmas. Answer 3 multiple-choice questions correctly and you could be sipping Jacob's Creek Three Vines Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Viognier with your roast dinner; listening to The Queen's broadcast with a glass of sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir and saving a bottle of Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz for a Boxing Day treat.

STOP PRESS: THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED - WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Reclaimed wastewater - domestic wastewater that has been filtered, treated and disinfected - is healthier for vines than fresh mains water according to a new study by The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). They found that soil irrigated with reclaimed water had fewer harmful pathogens and higher microbial activity than soil watered with mains water in a McLaren Vale vineyard.

The clocks still say it's British Summer Time but already I've seen my first Christmas-related TV advert and the wine, whisky and liqueur producers are inundating me with news of their products hoping I'll mention them in my livingit.com column. But there are some who won't succumb to the early Christmas frenzy. Good on you whoever you are.

Thanks to all all paulagoddard.com readers who entered the Win tickets to The Wine Show competition. This competition has now closed. Take a look to see if your name is among the 10 winners of pairs of tickets for The Wine Show on Sunday 28 October. If your name isn't listed, don't despair - why not enter my new competition to win Black Magic's new range of dark chocolates.

Want to taste the complete range of Black Magic's new deliciously indulgent dark chocolates? And let your palate explore the mellow, creamier taste of Black Magic Dark Chocolate Collection with its almost bitter-free dark chocolate coating and mocha truffle, amaretto crunch and orange zest fillings? Then enter my competition and win one of 10 sets of Black Magic's complete new range of chocolates.

STOP PRESS: THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED - WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Have you got what it takes to be an official chocolate taster? Black Magic needs eight new chocolate tasters from across the country. They are looking for someone who likes dark chocolate but who doesn’t necessarily have to be a huge dark chocolate fan. The chosen eight will be the first people to try out Black Magic's new chocolate products and their opinions will help develop further flavours and taste sensations. To apply to be an Official Black Magic Chocolate Taster explain in no more than 50 words why you think you should be given the role. Closing date 23rd November 2007.

If you've just started an evening class in wine appreciation at your local adult education centre and don't know what to say when the course tutor asks the inevitable “so what do think this wine smells of?”, then have a read of my column on livingit.com. Hopefully you will be taught by a knowledgeable wine tutor like Pamela Brown, a tutor with the Kent Adult Education Service, who took over the teaching of my existing wine courses when I was moving to Warwickshire in 2006.