Many of you have already noticed some wines sneaking up over the 15% ABV mark. We’ve been here before. Whether you enjoy high-alcohol wines or not, it is a fact that many more countries are struggling to keep alcohol levels down due to climate change.

The South African wine industry has most recently expressed concern, with some proposing for legislation to be passed that will allow producers to water down grape musts. The idea is to give winemakers more flexibility and control over alcohol levels. As it stands, grapes are left hanging on the vines to achieve ripeness, but longer hang-time leads to higher alcohol levels in the final product.

As Decanter reported only last week, the South Africans may run into trouble when it comes to Europe, as it claimed international regulations would prevent the sale of wine within the EU made using grape must which has been diluted with water.

Question 18 of our National Wine Drinkers Survey asked the Irish wine drinker if they had a certain preference for alcohol level.

Only 3% of respondents had a strong position on alcohol, with 2% actively seeking out low alcohol wines, and half that number actively looking for high alcohol.

Almost 6 in 10 people didn’t care what alcohol was in a wine, provided the taste was right.

Of the different age groups, only the Over 60s stood out as actively selecting a particular alcohol level, with almost 7 in 10 choosing wines in the 11-14% bracket.

If more consumers worldwide adopted the Irish attitude, perhaps winemakers wouldn’t be so concerned. Saying that, there could well be a cultural shift in Ireland over the next few decades with a more moderate approach to drinking alcohol, and alcoholic content will naturally play its part in that.

In tune with a hot summer of football and our 20% off South African wine for the month of May, here’s 10 or so random facts on the year’s most talked about nation and her fabulous wine, which is ready to take a surge in demand thanks to the FIFA World Cup.

1. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit and the world’s largest producer of macadamia nuts.

2. It is home to the world’s deepest pub. The pub is located on level 5 of a mine known as Shaft 14, which is six kilometres from Johannesburg’s city centre and is 226 metres from the surface.

3. Football is on the tip of everyone’s tongue in South Africa. It is the first country in Africa to host the FIFA World Cup.

4. The oldest remains of modern humans were found in Klasies River Cave in the Eastern Cape. They are well over 100,000 years old.

5. Dr. Christiaan Barnard, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, performed the first human heart transplant in the world in 1967.

6. South Africa has the longest wine route in the world, so it’s the perfect place for a spot of wine tasting.

7. South Africa has the oldest wine industry outside of Europe and the Mediterranean, with the white Chenin Blanc and the red Pinotage being the signature varietals.

8. Walt Disney serves South African wine exclusively at its 73-acre Animal Kingdom Lodge in the United States.

9. The most widely planted international grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, covering around 13% of the nation’s area under vine.

10. South Africa’s biggest single winery, the Vredendal Co-operative, vinifies more than 40,000 tons of grapes every year.

This month, in anticipation of a World Cup frenzy in June, we’re jumping the gun and celebrating the New World’s oft forgotten hero, South Africa. (Ok, ok, we know the South Africans have been producing wine there for around 350 years but we didn’t come up with the classifications!).

This month’s featured prize is the chance to brush up on your knowledge of the regions, the grapes and the winemakers of this astonishingly beautiful country, with The Essential Guide to South African wines: Terroir and Travel, by Elmari Swart and Izak Smit.

Updated in 2009, this stunning guide presents the wine-producing regions in the uncomplicated Wine Pockets system, highlighting a specific terroir unit along with local wine styles, providing insight into the unique qualities of each wine-producing area. Every pocket takes you on a meaningful journey, discovering the terroir, viticulture, winemaking techniques and flagship wines of some of the premium producers. More than 300 commissioned photographs and full-colour illustrations will have you itching to get out there and experience South Africa for yourself.

We’ve one copy of this beautiful book along with two bottles from the outstanding Elgin Vintners to give away in June’s prize draw.

How to Enter: All you have to do is become a fan (or as they say now, “like” us) on our Facebook page. We’ll draw a winner at random in June from all our fans and post it here and on Facebook.

Congratulations to Aisling Dearle, Facebook friend and winner of our May contest. Oz Clarke’s Bordeaux is on its way to you Aisling, along with two lovely bottles of Chateau Bauduc. Enjoy!

With a welcome burst of sunshine, longer days and summer just around the corner, it’s a trio of outstanding value wine deals we bring you in May.

With only 37 days to go to the greatest sporting event on the planet, we turn our focus to South Africa this month, with 20% off all our wines from the 2010 World Cup hosts. We’ve a fifth off every bottle from the sun-soaked Cape, and with everything from friendly giraffes to private cellars, South Africa is the HOT ticket this summer.

Our second focus in May is more of a reward to our loyal customers than a plug to try something new. Three-time Italian Winery of the Year Farnese has been a top-seller for us since we opened, so we’ve stocked to the warehouse roof on this one: normally the lowest price in the country at €9.69, its now €7.99 when you buy two or more on the regular range, and €6.99 on the entry-level Ortonese.

Last but not least, we head to the south of France and the Languedoc. Funky and accessible labelling, easy to approach styles and outstanding value for money, its no wonder some people call it France’s New World. We’ve already got some of the best value wines out there, but for the month of May it’s 6 for 5: buy 5 of any Languedoc wine, we’ll give you a sixth absolutely free!

We’ve even extended the offer to our house wines Cuvee Jean-Paul (not quite the Languedoc but close enough, and we figured who’s going to argue!), bringing the average price to our lowest ever €6.24 per bottle, or €74.90 for a case of 12.

Finally, our May Case of the Month is our recommended picks from the month’s specials. We’ve four South African, four from Farnese and four from the Languedoc for €110 delivered, saving you €21 and giving you a Curious mix to grace any patio or dining table.

As ever, free, free, FREE delivery on everything, all offers run until 31st May or while stocks last.

Winemakers have a tough enough job when it comes to preparing their crop for harvest, but when the local baboons start to acquire a taste for your Chardonnay grapes, things might just get out of hand.

Farmers in South Africa’s Franschhoek Valley have recently reported how groups of Chachma baboons have been wondering into their vineyards and munching on the tasty grapes when the sugar content begins to increase in the run up to harvest. Apparently they have a particular taste for Chardonnay.

A Franschhoek farmer, Mark Dendy-Young, claims that he lost up to 40% of his yield last month, which amounted to the equivalent of 1500 - 2000 bottles worth of wine. On a lighter note, the remaining grapes should benefit as the vine can concentrate on better nourishing the survivors. Who knows, as the babydoll sheep have replaced lawnmowers in some vineyards, perhaps baboons could replace humans and find themselves on the payroll of South Africa’s top wineries in the near future.

Seriously though, what’s the solution? Barriers have been used and guards have been deployed, but the baboons still manage to escape with their bellies full. This lot are notorious for getting up to no good in Cape Town, so don’t be surprised if you hear reports of the ringleaders finding themselves in police custody. There would be a few priceless mugshots, that’s for sure.

News Source: timeslive.co.za

Long Neck Wines have been with us from the beginning. The instantly recognisable packaging is only the start, as they are wines that genuinely live up to their price tag and help keep South Africa’s reputation as a trustworthy producer of quality wines firmly intact.

Credit must go to the purchasing expertise of head wine boffin Duncan McEuen, one of the ‘three amigos’ at Long Neck. Another man behind the giraffe, and another of the three amigos, is Archie Cameron. He tells us that while the USA remains an important market for Long Neck, the migration to other parts of the world have helped turn it into a truly successful global brand. They have even made it to the Antarctic!

1. What is the highlight of making your own wine and what part of the process do you most enjoy?

The highlight for me is walking into the winery and smelling that unique musky and heady combination of wood and grape. It is quite literally, intoxicating!

Not wishing to sound overly capitalistic but I do love watching a container depart for some far away place. That’s always exciting. Sending our wine to Australia, where they make their own very fine wines, is doubly so!

I got a real buzz when I was told that our wines were very popular in one of the Antarctic research stations. Can’t get much further away than that! Check out the photos.

2. Is there a grape variety (perhaps more than one) that you believe is the worlds best when grown in South Africa?

We grow most of the various grape varietals here in South Africa, but to single out one and say it is the best in the world would be presumptuous. My personal favorite is Chardonnay, although our best seller is Shiraz.

3. If you couldn’t make wine in South Africa any more, where would you go?

I suspect South America. I have never visited Argentina or Chile but I think I could enjoy the ‘Hispanic’ way of life more so than say Oz or NZ. Europe is too crowded for me! Needless to say they are great countries for wine production.

4. What was the inspiration for the Long Neck brand?

When we came up with the idea of the label, we wanted to say ‘young, trendy, cool, hip and South African’ all in one go! I think we have succeeded.

5. What do you feel is the long-term outlook for the South African wine industry?

Excellent! More people will experience South African wines this year than ever before, because of the World Cup. I reckon that our wines will become regular items on everyday shopping lists.

Thanks to Archie Cameron and Lucy Godfrey at Long Neck Wines.

Our range from Long Neck.

When it comes to quality inexpensive wine, South Africa is hard to beat. The Long Neck range, starting with the Sauvignon Blanc, delivers just that. If you tasted a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at the same price against this, it may well struggle to hold its own.

To view product page and for more details, click on Long Neck Sauvignon Blanc.

Back in June of this year, Waitrose (Decanter’s Supermarket of the Year 2009) began to stock a new range of wines from Chile. The wine was shipped in 24,000 litre flexitanks and bottled in the UK, saving 32,000 bottles - or 16 tons of glass - that no longer needed to be shipped. As a result, there was a reduction in carbon emissions, shipping, distribution and production costs.

A green innovation that saves money for retailers and consumers is a win win. We have several lines of our own that use the same distribution method, helping us to retail good quality wine at low prices. The Paarl Heights and Sierra Grande range are good examples.

The winemakers firstly ensure that they are buying quality grapes at a good price, and they instruct the farmers on the methods required to grow the best fruit. The wines are made in their native country, shipped on lees, allowing the ageing time required, before being stabilised and bottled in Europe (France in the case of the above). So the wine has travelled half way around the world without the excess weight of their packaging.

The Last Stand is another good example. In the likes of Chile there is more control required by the winemaker in the vineyard, but in Australia it’s a buying process for inexpensive wines. These grapes are actually selected by buyers at Tim Burvill’s Rockbare winery, who make more expensive and superior drops in comparison, but help to produce a fabulous budget wine that may have been set at a slightly higher price had they been imported all the way from OZ in bottle.

For higher priced wine, the saving obviously won’t make as much of a difference on the retail price, and the process as a whole is not going to stop global warming by itself, but it is a step in the right direction and if it helps keep the price vs quality ratio favourable, then who’s complaining?

You may have noticed the rather long-necked star of our homepage promotional banners for May, licking a bottle of the Western Cape’s finest. This is Leila, the adopted giraffe and mascot of Long Neck Wines, from South Africa.

Leila has been hand-raised by zoo staff in the modern East London Zoo on South Africa’s east coast. An infant of a few days old on arrival, she stood a mere 1.6m tall. Today she is nearly seven years old and stands almost 4.5m in height. Leila is very gentle, affectionate and approachable and particularly enjoys being scratched behind her ears.

Now we’re offering you the chance to adopt your own giraffe in our June contest! This is Leila’s little brother Curious and we’re desperately seeking a good home for him. He comes complete with adoption certificate and a few bottles of Long Neck to celebrate the new arrival.

How to Enter: All you have to do to enter the contest is join (or already be a member of) our monthly newsletter. We’ll draw a winner at random on the 3rd of June when our next newsletter goes out, and deliver Curious the adopted giraffe and three of his Long Neck friends to you the day after (or whenever you’d like) free of charge. You are of course completely welcome to un-join the minute after the draw is done, but we like giving discounts and free stuff to our members, so we hope you’ll stick around!

PS: Congrats to the winner of the May contest, Dolores Casey, who was drawn this morning!

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.