As you may already know from our recent Wine for Dummies post, South African wines are increasingly winning high praise and recognition for their quality on the international stage, and being in the business myself, it’s obvious that Irish consumers are well aware of what this fascinating country has to offer.

Long Neck produces the sort of wine that has helped raise South Africa’s profile on the wine scene. The price point and smart packaging is obviously key, but it’s the level of quality inside the bottle that sustains the interest.

Long Neck is the brainchild of three friends, John Cullis, Archie Cameron, and Duncan McEuen with strong South African bonds and a love of good wine. Duncan is the Company’s top nose. A wine boffin of note, he was one time head of the wine department at the Christie’s auction house, in London, and continues to tutor in wine tastings around the world and serve on several international wine committees.

The name Long Neck was chosen because, like the giraffe, the partners found themselves in an extremely advantaged position. The giraffe’s height allows it to feed on the succulent leaves and fruit that other animals can’t reach. So the Company’s modus operandi and the inspiration for the brand’s exceptional packaging was chosen.

South-Western Cape is widely acclaimed to be one of the worlds most spectacular wine growing areas. The long hot summers tempered by cool ocean breezes, and cold, wet winters made it the perfect location for Long Neck to produce some cracking wines. Bandon’s very own Manic Mammy certainly thought so of the Sauvignon Blanc in this LouderVoice review.

For May and June, we have our Long Neck range at €7.99 per bottle when you buy two or more, with a case delivered to your door for €95. And no, we’re not having a Giraffe. So if you haven’t got on the South African wine trail yet, now’s the time. These wines are certainly worth reaching for.