In 2015, we released our now very popular Bloemcool range, which has been a best-seller via our Master Tasting Room and Wine Club ever since.

The concept of Bloemcool is relatively simple: Charles and the winemaking team wanted to introduce a new avenue to bottle smaller quantities of exceptional varieties and blends that would otherwise get ‘lost’ i.e. blended away into alternative ranges. The name Bloemcool was selected to honour the Fairview farm’s original name, Bloemkoolfontein, with Charles, in his typical fashion, updating the name from ‘kool’ to ‘cool’.

Yet perhaps what has been received just as well as the wine itself has been the packaging. And that is not that surprising, because Charles and the team put a lot of thought into this concept from the start.

“I wanted to ensure we make something that reflects the integrity of the brand, and encourages wine to become part of a more holistic approach to life. It is not just a glass of wine – one must put consideration into who made this wine, and what will happen to the components that make up the wine well after the bottle is finished.”

It is this sort of thinking that led to the creation of the award-winning Bloemcool labels, which have been embedded with cauliflower seeds. Why? Firstly, ‘Bloemkoolfontein’ means ‘cauliflower fountain’ in Afrikaans, and so the cauliflower seeds are a reference to the farm’s heritage. Secondly, the vision is to remove the label once you’ve finished enjoying your favourite bottle of Bloemcool, place it onto some moist cottonwool on a sunny, well-ventilated windowpane, and watch some natural magic happen. Over a few weeks, some of the sprouts in the label should bud, leaving you with the opportunity to harvest your very own ‘bloemcool’!

From the start, our labels have been designed by the cool folks at Growing Paper, located near Malmesbury. When we approached owners Roxanne and Nileta, they were very excited to make our concept come to life, and we have been collaborating ever since. The Bloemcool range won a Silver Award in the 2018 Wine Label Design Awards.

Here are some snapshots from the Bloemcool paper making process at the Growing Paper headquarters:

The post A Bloomin’ Cool Label | Bloemcool appeared first on Fairview.

Introducing Back’s Blend 2014!

Charles explains: “This red wine is a reflection of my winemaking philosophy. As you might know, I started wine-making in 1978, and have been fortunate enough to be able to travel through the Cape Winelands discovering new sites and unique blocks of vineyard. I have also been instrumental in bringing Mediterranean varieties to our shores, all of which has led to the creation of exciting and interesting wines. In the past much of this work has never reached the market.

I have now decided to bottle a range of these unique wines to share with you. Bear in mind, however, that due to their exploratory nature, these wines can change from vintage to vintage and this may be the last bottle of its kind. The first of my Back’s Blend private range is a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Tannat.

I’ve crafted this wine to thank my loyal club members and Fairview fans. Due to its limited quantities, Back’s Blend will be released to the Wine Club first, with a permanent allocation on reserve. Should there be any left, we will then open Back’s Blend up to our greater Fairview family.”

Charles Back | Back’s Blend 2014

Back’s Blend is crafted from Tannat, Merlot and Shiraz. It has a deep red colour with ripe plums, hints of black pepper and lavender on the nose. The palate shows fresh raspberries with well integrated tannins and a savoury finish.
Price: R100
Available online only.
Click here to purchase

The post Introducing Back’s Blend | A Fairview Exclusive appeared first on Fairview.

Vineyard Consistency Award: 2nd Place Overall (following last year’s 1st place) 

Top 100 & Double Platinum awards
Three Double Platinum/Top 100 winning wines, including: 

Fairview Nurok 2016
Fairview Beacon Shiraz 2014
Fairview La Beryl Blanc 2017

Grand Cru National Champion Best in Class
A Grand Cru First Place in category win

Fairview Nurok 2016

Double Gold awards

Six Double Gold Awards, including:

Fairview Paarl Chenin Blanc 2017
Fairview Rose Quartz 2017
Fairview Caldera 2016
Fairview Homtini 2015
Fairview Extrano 2015
Fairview Viognier 2016

Charles and the team were thrilled with the news, with Charles sharing his thoughts on the Top 100 winning wines below: 

“Much like last year, our three Top 100 winning wines are all so different – which reflects the talent I believe our winemaking team has, as they are capable of traversing various varieties and winemaking styles to produce consistently refined and award-winning wines.

With the drought on the tip of everyone’s tongue, I am grateful that our team has prepared accordingly and that our vineyards continue to yield fruit of excellent quality, giving the wines richer depth and character.  

As far as the Top 100 wines go, Nurok is from one of our more vibrant and most food-friendly ranges, the Regional Revival Range, which highlights the value of using Mediterranean style varieties.

Our Fairview Beacon Shiraz is a favourite from our Single Vineyard range, and I have a hunch that it’s striking new, award-winning label must have added an extra bonus point for its shining performance this year!

Finally, our La Beryl Blanc, a traditional straw-dried sweet wine made since 1998, has been a consistent accolade winner for years. Named after my mother, Beryl, I think this wine reflects her warm and nurturing character, and clearly hits a sweet spot with its dedicated following.”

Overall, the Fairview winemaking team is delighted with our wins, as they span the gamut of our winemaking capabilities. We are particularly humbled by the recognition for our Vineyard Consistency Award for a second year running. Over the decades, the goal has not only been to refine our craft, but to be able to continue on that deliverable year on year, as after all, consistency is only the starting point! 

Cheers to our vineyard, cellar and winemaking team – you are clearly all doing something right!

The post Consistently On Top | Our Top 100 Wins! appeared first on Fairview.

Mother block vineyards are just like what they sound – the first vines to be grown in a region that give rise to the rest of the same variety’s vines in that region. At Fairview, we are very fortunate and proud to have the original mother block of Viognier, planted in 1997 by Charles Back.

Charles desire to bring the aromatic white variety to the Cape stemmed from a visit to France’s Rhône region in 1989. During his trip, he tried Viognier for the first time, and explains how he was immediately struck by the unique nature of the wine, with its intriguing balance of fragrance, deep fruit and austere structure.

“I knew at once that the terroir of the Cape would be well-suited to Viognier, and as we tasted the wines I was thinking about the soils and sites that I was fortunate enough to have found come across over the years,” shares Charles.

When he returned to South Africa, Charles carefully started the process of sourcing the vines to bring to South Africa – a lengthy, complicated and often laborious process. It’s not easy bringing a foreign vine to local soils! But being determined, by the early 1990’s, Fairview was harvesting fruit from our Viognier vineyards.

Today, our trellised Viognier vines grow on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, on decomposed granite soils. Despite the beating summer sun, the resilient grape results in full, ripe and healthy grapes, and after maturation in bottle, shows its well-loved subtle perfumed fruit and great mouthfeel with every vintage.

In 2017, we celebrated 10 years of bottling this varietal. Our Fairview winemakers enjoy sculpting this variety into various styles, including as a single variety (try our Fairview Viognier), as well as being the frontrunner in our unique Brut MCC, and a leading component of our celebrated Nurok white blend. It’s even featured in our Goats Do Roam White Blend and Goat Roti!

Viognier is very flexible, working in a wide variety of seafood, roasted or grilled chicken, pork, spicy flavors and Asian cuisine. A Malay curry with delicate spice and dried fruits is particularly delicious when paired with Viognier. This Mother’s Day, our recommendation is to grab yourself a bottle (or two) of our very own mother block wine, Fairview Viognier, and celebrate!

The post Our Mother Block | Viognier appeared first on Fairview.

Our labels were designed by the talented graphic design team at Jane Says, headed up by creative Victoria Peter. Victoria has worked closely with Charles over the years, honing in on his vision and executing work across a variety of briefs and designs. The competition seeks to reward the best design and packaging for bottled wine made in South Africa and judging criteria include originality of concept, execution, shelf appeal and effectiveness as a piece of communication. A total of 44 entries were received, 28 of these emerging as finalists.

The post Fairview Wins Gold at the 2018 Wine Label Design Awards! appeared first on Fairview.

The team started at the grape ‘drop off’ point, where our cellar team selects the best quality fruit to be de-stemmed and crushed. This all has to happen rather speedily after picking so that the grapes don’t rot or start fermenting in their skins. Someone asks: “How do wine growers decide when to pick the grapes?”.

Stephanie answers:  “In essence – it’s all about striking the right balance between science and intuition. While most harvests in a region tend to happen within the same general time frame, there will be differences depending on the particular grape varietal and how long it takes to ripen, as well as the kind of wine one wishes to create.”

Next, the team bumbles along to see the press, where we get to try freshly pressed Grenache juice. Still fresh, the Grenache juice is still quite frothy and sweet, as it still needs to undergo fermentation, during which time the sugar in the grapes will turn into alcohol.

Finally, we stop by the fermenting Pinotage in our large wooden fourdres. At this point, we are almost half way through the harvest and have finished most of the white grapes (Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blanc, Grenache blanc etc) as well as the Pinotage. Stephanie explains:

“It has been a very challenging harvest so far, the grapes have ripened 14 days later than ‘normal’ and we have done our best to manage uneven ripening by doing multiple pickings in some of the blocks. The drought has resulted in a much smaller crop, particularly in our dryland vineyards in Darling and the Swartland. But we are very positive about the quality – the first Pinotage which has been pressed has intense colour and flavour”.

Our team huddled around the open vat, smelt the freshly-fermenting grapes, and couldn’t agree more – 2018 looks to be another exceptional harvest.

The post Harvest 2018 | A Cellar Tour with our Team appeared first on Fairview.

Recently, Flight Network included our tasting room in their ‘fool-proof’ guide to spending 72 hours in Cape Town! We’re so excited to find our Fairview Tasting Room among those on the bucket list destinations! .

According to Flight Network, which is Canada’s leading online international travel agency, travel experts scoured Cape Town for only the best destinations to fill a 3 day getaway with imagination and excitement. The Mother City offers so many wonders to its guests, but Flight Network narrowed down the list to make every second count. According to them Fairview will “sweep you off your feet every second you’re there”.

The writer spoke of our delectable atmosphere, infusing our guests with the exquisite wines for an afternoon of splendour. Our variety of wines are also expertly matched with cheeses to wine and dine the senses. Flight Network’s writer remarked on the friendly environment Fairview offers, perfect for everyone to bond over a delicious array. All travelers and guests who visit us at Fairview know we do things differently. Ingrained in our mission, we hope to achieve a natural, holistic lifestyle which is present in how we create our wines.

With our recognition as a must in a 72 hour Cape Town adventure, we are so excited to welcome new guests to our home. Come visit us for an afternoon of wine tasting led by our knowledgeable hosts and see exactly why our guests with be making more stops here!

Click here to read the full Flight Network article.

The post Our Fairview Tasting Room Recognized as a “Cape Town Necessity” appeared first on Fairview.

2018 marks the 20th vintage of Goats Do Roam. Have you ever heard the tale of how the brand came to be?

The idea of Goats do Roam first came about in the late 1990′s during a casual conversation between Fairview owner Charles Back and his UK importer at the time. Charles was looking to launch a blended wine within the Fairview range comprising farm’s key varietal, Shiraz and others such as Grenache and Carignan. After regaling the tale of his son’s antics with the goats from the Fairview tower, and chatting about the herd that roams around the Fairview property (and a few glasses of wine no doubt) the name ‘Goats do Roam’ popped up and the rest is history.

When Charles Back and his team first decided to go ahead with the Goats do Roam wines he was adamant about one thing – he did not want to sell wine based purely on the name and the label. He wanted people to buy the Goats do Roam wines again after they tasted them for the first time and to do that he needed to make sure that what was in the bottle got the consumers’ attention as much as what was on it. In fact, he really needed to (and continues to need to) over-deliver, as many viewed the ‘Goats’ as trying to sell wine based on the attention that the labels received. There are many wines with better looking labels that have come and gone in the time that ‘Goats’ has been around…

Charles Back says:

“When we had the idea to produce this wine we were in a little bit of a rush to get the label finalised. We had spoken to our UK importer and they were very keen to have the wine on their shelves. Anthony Lane designed the label but when it came back from the printer the colour was nothing like what was planned. But time was pressing so we had to send the order and the rather garish yellow has become characteristic!”

Goats do Roam was launched before the critter craze really hit the market and may be seen as one of the brands that pioneered this trend, but Back doesn’t really view the Goats as critter labels.  A lot of thought goes into the labels and there is a story attached to each.  They are more than just quirky illustrations.

The Goats do Roam wines first hit the UK scene in late 1999, selling in retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Somerfield, Majestic and many others, for a number of years. However, as the supermarket wine retail environment changed, Charles Back felt that this was no longer the appropriate channel for the Goats do Roam brand and he made the bold decision to pull his wines from the UK supermarket shelves. At the same time he had been focusing energy on the ‘emerging’ US market, after launching the ’99 vintage Goats do Roam Red there in 2001. The brand was well received in the USA, quickly becoming the top selling South African wine brand in the country, which Back flippantly writes off to “a big piece of a small pie” (South African wine accounts for around 2% of wine sold in the USA). This achievement has also assisted in attracting attention to the South African wines category.

The Goats were given a shot in the arm in August 2003 when the brand received coverage on CNN and BBC following a demonstration at the French embassy in Cape Town. The French had objected to the registration of ‘Goats do Roam’ in the US, saying that it was a direct play on the French appellation Côtes du Rhône. This was dismissed by Charles at the time as pure coincidence, alluding to the farm’s roaming herd of some 700 goats. A large group of placard-waving employees demonstrated in Cape Town, culminating in the presentation of a magnum of Goats do Roam Red and a rather symbolic bag of goat manure, labelled ‘Goats do Poo’! The exposure kick-started the brand in the USA and the threats of litigation fell silent.

Over the last twenty years, our vineyard plantings have matured to an extent that allows us to constantly improve the quality of fruit that is used in our Goats do Roam wines, and we look forward to continue to do so.

The post 20 Years of Goats Do Roam! appeared first on Fairview.

Recently, we sat down with our Chief Winemaker, Anthony de Jager, to ask him a few questions. Anthony joined Fairview as winemaker in December 1996. He has since partaken in many of Fairview’s pioneering endeavours. He was involved in the making of La Beryl straw wine, the first genuine straw wine in the country; in the first South African plantings of varieties like Mourvèdre, Tannat and Petite Sirah; in the rediscovery of old vine Grenache and Carignan; and in the evolution of the ‘red blend’, which saw trends shift from Cabernet and Merlot-lead blends to warm climate Shiraz-based Rhône style blends. Anthony is a passionate outdoorsman, which makes winemaking the perfect fit for him. In his free time he enjoys surfing and cycling.

• How has South Africa winemaking approach, especially at Fairview, changed in the last 5-10 years?

We (SA as a whole) are starting to benefit from an extensive replanting programme. We used to plant anything anywhere, but over the last 20 years the planting has been much more specific, with cultivar suited to terroir. These vines are now starting to reach middle age and the wines from them are more focussed and expressive.

We are also now seeing more fruit forward wines, as most of the old virus infected vines have been replaced. These new virus free plantings are also now more mature. Especially on our native grape – Pinotage.

• What is most exciting development today in the industry?

We are a mostly warm climate viticulture region. Some of the most exiting wines in our portfolio are the Mediterranean style wines (varietal or blended).

As these wines improve and the volume increases, SA (and FV) is ideally positioned to make these wines. The exciting red wines made from Shiraz/Grenache/Carignan/Cinsaut/Mourvedre and Tempranillo is growing. Also Viognier/Roussanne/Grenache Blanc on the whites. I feel this is the right way forward, suited to our climate. Our Rose Quartz is beautiful Rose made from Grenache/Caringnan/Cinsaut.

• What are the challenges?

Our biggest challenge currently, is the severe drought we are in and how to manage that..

Secondly, it is a huge job converting our consumer base to break the mould from going safety first with varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, to a bit more adventurous varieties (as previously mentioned) and wine styles.

• Fairview planted the first Viognier in South Africa, and you worked on the first vintages. How does this variety express itself in South Africa?

The FV style of Viognier is the more fruit forward style, with subtle oak and lovely freshness. The variety can often be flat and alcoholic (especially in a warmer climate), but we do multiple picking to capture some fruit early for freshness, some later for barrel and lees contact, with more mouthfeel. The original Viognier, planted in 1994, is now at its prime.

• What are the challenges and benefits of dryland viticulture?

Dryland viticulture is great when the soil has sufficient winter rain and has a good moisture retention to last the vines through the months of no rain and take the grapes to perfect ripeness. It gets rather tricky in a drought situation, as the grower needs to firstly protect the vines and crop is secondary. We therefore have to drastically reduce crop level to balance the vine with its environment. The wines are often super focussed, but in tiny quantity. As producer you don’t necessary see the price improvement that these low producing, super concentrated wines should realize!

• Fairview’s goats are world-famous and make some delicious cheese. What’s your go-to Fairview wine to match with goats’ cheese?

FV Goats milk cheese and Viognier or blends with Viognier – our Nurok white blend is a Chenin/Viognier/Roussanne/Grenache Blanc.

• What’s the next step for South African wine?

SA next step is to take our high quality wines and UP the price. We are seen as cheap and cheerful . This desperately needs to change for our industry to survive and thrive.

The post Q & A with our Chief Winemaker, Anthony de Jager appeared first on Fairview.

1) The farm worker, spade in hand and holding a vine – the fruits of his labour. As far as we know, this is the first label in South Africa, possibly the world, which gives such clear recognition to the role of the vineyard workers. They spend long, hard hours caring for the vines that ultimately enable the winemaking team to make the quality of wine that our customers have come to expect. Vineyard workers have walked a long road alongside the South African wine industry – from being slave labourers, through the fall of Apartheid until today, where farm workers have become land owners and brand owners.

2) The goat stands proud, as an integral part of the history of Fairview. Our brand has a lot of the goat’s capricious nature in its DNA; always looking for new opportunities, not afraid of climbing, sure-footed and quite mischievous at times.

3) The sheaf of wheat not only makes reference to our farming heritage, my late great grandfather owned a flourmill in Lithuania. It also represents the bread which is baked daily in the Goatshed.

The four icons in the centre of the crest refer to the following:

1 ) The key unlocks knowledge and potential, opens doors to new opportunities. The basket press represents the artisanal nature that our winemaking, and cheese making, has retained through the years. The olive tree represents growth and the importance of family. We have recently started producing olive oil on the farm – another element of our ever-expanding business. The deep roots of the tree also represent Fairview as a well-established and trusted brand. And the scroll symbolises wisdom and values.

2) Three stars and a shell sit above the crest and were taken from the imagery on the gable of the Fairview Manor House, completed in 1722. The stars represent guidance and the shell fertility.

3) Collective effort has always been paramount to the philosophy of Fairview, and for this reason our winemaker, Anthony de Jager’s name has been incorporated in the front label. Furthermore, the vintage has been removed from the label itself and separately added on the neck, giving the label a more “classic” feel.

4) Not to entirely lose the reference to our iconic Goat Tower, it has been included in a stylised manner on the capsule of the bottle. It has also been added to the top of the capsule for easy identification in your cellar. We still include the date 1693 – when the first formal farming operations commenced on this property, 281 years before Charles Back I purchased the property.

The post The Story of Our Fairview Crest appeared first on Fairview.