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As of midnight tonight, we move to alert level 2, which means that we can once again buy and enjoy a glass of wine, both in restaurants and in the comfort of our homes.

If you didn’t stock up during that brief reprieve on the ban of alcohol sales under alert level 3, you can rest easy, as retail and online sales will be back in effect from tomorrow.

Take a deep breath and let that sink in.

We deserve a little good news, and a drink, after almost five months of harsh restrictions.

Some of those restrictions, such as those on international travel, remain in place, but we can still find other ways to enjoy foreign countries without leaving South Africa.

Anthonij Rupert Wyne has put together a tasty Italian Survival Gift Box, which is not only packed with delicious wines, but everything you need to take a taste trip to Italy from the comfort of your own kitchen.

In the box, you’ll find the following:

• A bottle of Terra del Capo Pinot Grigio
• A bottle of Terra del Capo Sangiovese
• A bottle of Terra del Capo extra virgin olive oil
• A branded pasta tin
• A packet of handmade Italian spinach tagliatelle
• A jar of estate-produced porcini salt
• A jar of estate-produced spaghetti spice
• A jar of estate-produced red wine salt
• Some estate-produced chocolate biscotti

If you’d like to order this superb collection of treats, it will set you back R495.

Just take a look at the average price you’ll pay for a bottle of decent olive oil, if you need further confirmation that this is an excellent deal. I bought one this weekend and cried a few tears at checkout.

For those who are only after wine, you can still snap up this case of red wines for every occasion for R736, including the ever-popular Optima:

Or just get both – red wine pairs perfectly with fine Italian food.

History tells us that liquor stores are going to be flooded tomorrow, so the savvy among you will be doing your shopping online.

If you want to stock up for a rainy day, all orders of 12 bottles or more placed through Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s online store will qualify for free delivery (until August 31, so get cracking).

And remember, if you put an order in prior to the announcement of the ban on alcohol sales on July 12, it has been stored under optimum conditions, and will be delivered to you as soon as possible.