Braille wine bottles

The world's first Braille wine bottles were launched in Worcester, outside Cape Town, recently. Ten area wine cellars were involved in the project. A limited commemorative edition of the wines, a 2004 Shiraz and a 2005 Sauvignon Blanc were specially blended for the launch. The dark bottles have raised dotted patterns that make up Braille print. A percentage of the proceeds generated from the sales will go directly to Pioneer Printers, the largest Braille resource centre in Africa. Worcester is home to many blind and deaf people. Consul Glass, the leading South African glass company, invested in new machinery costing R590 000 to produce the Braille bottles. The machinery allows for Braille text to be pressed into the glass.