Out of Africa, Tall Horse wines

Identifying wines that are long on taste and short on price can be a tall order. You can fill it with Tall Horse Wines, well-made, food-friendly varietals produced in the Cape wine country on the western tip of South Africa.

As you might guess from the vividly colored label, Tall Horse is South African for giraffe. (Trivia tidbit: giraffes have seven vertebrae in their very long necks, just as we humans do.)

Priced at a mere $7.99 a bottle, Tall Horse gives Yellow Tail, the popular, easy-on-the-wallet Aussie line, a run for its money. I sampled three unabashedly fruity offerings that are ideal matches for light foods -- and I'm putting my money on Tall Horse.

Sauvignon blanc is brisk and clean, pale in color but not in taste with hints of the African grasslands. It plays nicely with fish and salads. Chardonnay is youthful yet complex, with citrus notes and a lingering finish. Pair this one with chicken with lemon and rosemary or grilled fish.

I'll pour the Pinotage rose at our Labor Day picnic, teaming this deep pink libation with watermelon for optimal visual effect. The flavor -- crushed wild strawberries with aromas of raspberries and hints of spice -- is a cool compliment to any picnic.