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Plans to host an arts festival will form part of Cornwall”s attempts to boost its cultural status.

The county, which is well-known for its warm climate and picturesque beaches, is looking to stage arts festival Manifesta in 2012, with its council cabinet recently agreeing to pledge the £500,000 required.

People looking to take holidays in Cornwall may already be aware that it is vying to become the first European Region of Culture in 2014 and it is now thought it may make a double bid, setting its sights on becoming a UK city of culture as well.

According to a report by Cornwall Council”s chief executive Kevin Lavery and creative services manager Julie Seyler, the five-year campaign would involve regional investment of £17 million.

Local paper the Cornishman quoted a spokesperson for the authority as saying: "The idea is that rural places like Cornwall should be given a platform to celebrate their cultures on a European stage, just as cities do."

Writing for the Daily Telegraph recently, Joanna Symons stated that the coast between Polzeath and Mawgan Porth in Cornwall is home to some of the UK”s best surfing spots.

A pottery near St Ives in west Cornwall is to begin selling Italian wines as part of a number of changes being made by its new owners.

The Old Forge pottery site at Lelant has been acquired by Jon and Sarah Keast, who plan to make a number of changes to the current building, the Falmouth Packet reports.

They were recently granted planning permission to convert part of the building into a cafe, install new doors and windows and make other internal changes, something that could turn it into an ideal attraction for wine lovers planning holidays in Cornwall.

Speaking to the news source, Mr Keast said that their company, Scarlet Wines, will be stocking a "great selection of wines that you won”t see on the supermarket shelves".

Cornwall is already home to a number of highly-regarded producers of alcoholic drinks, as the county was recently voted as having one of the country”s top ten real ale industries by the Campaign for Real Ale.

Cornwall is home to some of the best places to surf in the UK, it has been suggested.

Writing for the Daily Telegraph Joanna Symons stated that the coast between Polzeath and Mawgan Porth offers an excellent opportunity to ride the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

The she noted that now the school year has begun, crowds in the county will be a lot smaller, something those thinking of booking holiday cottages in Cornwall may wish to consider.

As well as this, the water is currently at its warmest, making it ideal for surfers wanting a late summer break.

Costal walks in Cornwall can also be enjoyed at this time of year, the Ms Symons remarked, as "views of white-sand bays in luminous Atlantic light" can be seen from the South-West Coast Path.

Last month, Natural England welcomed plans that will see hundreds of miles of the UK”s coastline opened up to visitors.

Cornwall is home to one of the country”s top ten real ale brewing industries, it has been found.

According to the new figures from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) there will be 21 breweries based located in Cornwall heading in to 2010.

Of these, four are new entries onto the real ale premier league and the figures mean the county has the ninth fastest-growing real ale industry in the UK, something that may interest those planning holidays in Cornwall.

Roger Protz of Camra said that Britain has regained its position as the "undisputed top brewing country in the world".

"While most other countries offer mainly mainstream lagers, Britain has enormous diversity," he remarked, adding that bitters, stouts, old ales, harvest ales and spring beers are just some of the beverages produced throughout the UK.

In related news, nine pubs in Cornwall have been included in Michelin”s Eating out in Pubs guide for 2010.