From the wine side, this year we launched our brand new Fairview Wine Club. This was something that never existed at Fairview before, and in the space of a few short months, I was amazed to see the positive response and growth that we experienced. It is clear to me that there was a desire to be part of the greater Fairview family, and I am so happy we are finally able to offer this to all our members. For me, the key was the simplicity, as all it takes to join is to purchase 12 bottles. Thereafter, you get access to all the membership benefits for one year – not too shabby if you ask me!

Our wine and cellar team are always hard at work, and this year, I believe they really reaped the fruits of their labour, receiving a flurry of accolades and awards. Here is our awards honour roll and highlights from the year gone by:

Tim Atkin’s ‘Medal of Excellence’ South African Report 2017:

Fairview Bloemcool Vis & Tjips 2016 – 94
Fairview Bloemcool Di’Tjie 2016 – 93
Fairview Caldera 2015 – 90
Fairview Drie Papen Fontein 2016 – 90
Fairview Homtini 2015 – 90
Fairview Nurok 2016 – 90

Platters: 4.5 Stars

Fairview Caldera 2015
Fairview Drie Papen Fontein 2016
Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz 2015
Fairview Extraño 2014
Fairview Homtini 2015
Fairview Jakkalsfontein Shiraz
Fairview La Beryl Blanc 2016
Fairview Nurok 2016
Fairview Petite Sirah 2014
Fairview Stok-By-Paaltjie Grenache 2015
Fairview The Beacon Shiraz 2015

2017 National Wine Challenge Top 100: 

Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz 2014
Fairview Extraño 2013
Fairview La Beryl Blanc 2015

2017 Shiraz SA Wine Challenge Top 12:
Fairview Beacon 2014
Fairview Swartland 2014

Winemag Signature Red Blend Report Awards 2017:
Fairview Extrano 2013 – 90 points

Winemag Sauvignon Blanc/ Semillon Report:
Fairview Drie Papen Fontein – 92 points

Rosé Rocks:
Fairview’s Goats Do Roam Rosé 2017: Gold Medal

Paarl Wine Challenge 2017:
Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz 2014

MCC Challenge:
Fairview Brut – Bronze

2017 Wine Label Design Awards
Fairview Bloemcool Range – Silver
Fairview Extrano  – Bronze

Review on our Fairview Rose Quartz by Matthew Jukes, voted most influential wine writer in the UK by OLN in 2011
“Made by the massively talented Anthony de Jager, this is the finest rosé I have ever tasted from the Cape. Made from a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault, with a careful touch of old French oak barrels to add a creamy texture, this is a pink grapefruit and watermelon-kissed wine with serious appeal and a magical touch”

Speaking of awards, we handed out some rather shiny Goat Trophies in September, marking the start of Spring and the annual La Capra Goat Run. This year, the Goat Run added even more festivities to the agenda with the introduction of a lively festival. The festival offered a colourful array of fun activities and food stalls for both spectators and runners, including a range of delicious treats from the farm, such as freshly baked patisseries (think croissants and danishes), health smoothies made from Fairview’s full fat yoghurt and locally-made, artisanal ice cream. The event was very well attended, and marked the pilot run of one of our latest concepts – Goat Yoga!

Yes. You read that right! Goat Yoga is now a trend. After first gaining traction in the USA, the animal therapy-meets-exercise concept has been grabbing the attention of everyone, with videos going viral across social media and the key message being about having fun, getting out in nature, bonding with an animal and getting exercise. Due to the overwhelming response to the pilot session, we have decided to open the paddock to the public over the summer, and what a great success we enjoyed! It was an African first as well as a Fairview first, and we hope it allowed for all participants to relax. After all, the world is so serious all the time, that sometimes it’s necessary to take a deep breath, stretch and let a baby goat nibble on your hair.

Then onto the Goatshed, which hosted their annual Charity Dinner in October. The dinner is unique in its approach, in that the full ticket price goes to charity. Nothing is deducted, no remainders sent off. Instead, we’re proud to offer every cent earned to a well-deserving organization, with this year’s beneficiary being the The Athlone House for Abused Women and Children. On the night, we earned over R100 000. This would not have been possible if it wasn’t for our Goatshed Manager, Shannon, as well as Executive Chef SJ, Head Chef Heila and our incredibly kind and passionate Goatshed team, all of whom stayed behind to work on the night for free.

Finally, on the 3rd November we officially opened our newest venture called Back’s. This has been a culmination of close work with my long-lost cousin Raphael Bak. Together, we envisioned providing fresh, local produce and value for money prices to our community. After a lot of brainstorming and effort, we acquired a central spot along Main Road in Paarl, and hope to welcome plenty of feet through our door in the season.

When all is said and done, 2017 has been an adventure – as all previous years before it – and I look forward to seeing what 2018 has to bring. Happy Festive season to all – and enjoy your New Year!

The post Looking Back on 2017 | By Charles Back appeared first on Fairview.

Undoubtably, his impact on the farm does not go unnoticed. Yesterday, Jessica Hector, one of our Fairtrade Premium Committee members and long-term vineyard team employees, felt so strongly about thanking Charles for all that he has done, that she wanted to send him her very own good luck message from everyone in the vineyard and cellar team. Congratulations Charles – to life!:

The post Our Farmer of the Year 2017! appeared first on Fairview.

Charles has built Fairview from a family farm to a brand internationally known for its wine, cheese and tourism. His series of wines, as well as his cheeses, are awarded the top local and international awards every year. However, what truly distinguishes Charles as a farmer is his personal involvement in all his farming operations, his drive and in particular his capacity to identify new trends before it becomes mainstream. Charles has the ability to farm with innovation – whether it involves sustainable farming management, empowering employees, brand development or ever-growing visitor experiences.

When talking about his farm life, Charles always shares his tales of growing up as a real farm boy, left to his own devices most of the time, which included running around and exploring the farm. Some say nothing has changed. After all, the Back’s have always been farming folk – Charles Back I came from Lithuania with a passion for farming, buying Fairview in 1937. Decades later, Charles Back II jokes saying “farming is part of my DNA”. Since joining his father, Cyril Back, at the Fairview Wine Company in 1978, Charles has set about doing things differently. His first port of call was introducing Mediterranean grapes to the farm, planting the mother blocks of Viognier, Tempranillo and Petite Sirah in the Cape. He also helped introduce and grow Africa’s first goats cheese company, the Fairview Cheese Company, which has gone on to become every bit as successful as the wine side of the business. The cheese factory also happens to be the first first goat milk factory in South Africa, and was recognized by Carbon Protocol of South Africa for being a carbon neutral factory. By owning all his own land and vineyards, Charles oversees every step in the value chain, allowing him to push the boundaries, be innovative, and most importantly, look after his people. He was one of the first producers to make land and company ownership a reality for farm workers.

Well done Charles – your team is proud! Watch our video about Charles Back and his Fairview story below:

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Tim Atkin is a well-respected British Master of Wine, and an award-winning wine journalist, broadcaster and commentator. He is also a judge of several international wine competitions and a photographer. Atkin has visited our Fairview farm on several occasions, including on his trip earlier this year, and has built a positive rapport with Charles Back and team. He even introduced Charles Back when he was awarded the IWC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. Click here to see the full video.

When reflecting on the wines he tasted, Tim writes:

“Overall, I am extremely impressed with the quality of what I tasted in 2017. The 2015 vintage, as we know was spectacular, but, in the right hands, the much more challenging 2016 harvest has yielded much better wines than I anticipated. The 2017 whites are crisp and very promising and I have included a number of these in the report. This year I was again delighted to discover some exciting new names alongside established performers. The South African wine scene has never been more exciting or more diverse. You all deserve enormous credit for that.”

Our roll of honour is as follows:

1. Bloemcool Vis & Tjips 2016 – 94
2. Bloemcool Di’Tjie 2016 – 93 (not available yet)
3. Fairview Caldera 2015 – 90
4. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein 2016 – 90
5. Fairview Homtini 2015 – 90
6. Fairview Nurok 2016 – 90

Honourable mentions go out to our Fairview Rose Quartz 2017 and Fairview Cinsault 2016 which both received an 89 score, and our Fairview Chenin Blanc 2017 which received an 87 score.

All our awarded wines are available on our Online Shop (click on the links above to purchase), except the Bloemcool Di’Tjie, which is not available yet. Congratulations to our hardworking wine and cellar team – here’s to you!

Tim Atkin’s 2017 South Africa Special Report is available to download from Timatkin.com for £20 or R345.

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On the 15^th August 2017, our Goats Do Roam Rosé received a gold in South Africa’s only rosé wine competition, ‘Rosé Rocks!’.  The competition seeks to recognise excellence in rosé winemaking and promote the SA Rosé category. This year, the judging panel was chaired by wine expert and industry legend, Allan Mullins, who was joined by a team of 5 other judges. The Rosé renaissance is currently gaining momentum as one of the fastest growing categories of wine in South Africa, and internationally. In South Africa alone, sales trebled between 2007 and 2014.

In response to the award, Anthony de Jager, Chief Winemaker at Fairview, shared that:

“Although rosé is often viewed as a fun and easy drinking wine, it can be one of the more rewarding wines to make. The most challenging part is knowing when to take the juice off the skins, as this determines the intensity and brightness of the colour, which also has a direct impact on the tannin structure and ultimately the drinkability of the wine. A well-balanced rosé is one of my favourite food wines, complementing the widest range of dishes. Best enjoyed young!”

Our Goats Do Roam Rosé 2016 is available on our online shop for R52. Just click here. To book a standard wine tasting or a Master Tasting at Fairview, call 021 863 2450. Follow @fairviewwineandcheese on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Every September, here at Fairview we get ready for exciting changes. It is spring, and the time of year when the most important residents of the farm, the Fairview goats, welcome their newly born kids. This special period is referred to as kidding season (we’re not joking) and it brings a wealth of happiness to the farm.

During kidding season, visitors have the opportunity of interacting with the farm’s baby goats. Not only can you play with the new kids but you can also feed them by purchasing a bag of goat food for R10, with a R2 donation going to the Animal Welfare Society for every bag sold.

“During kidding season last year, we decided to bring the goat kids up next to the Tasting Room to give our visitors a chance to interact with our beloved farm mascots,” says Charles Back, owner of Fairview. “We received such an overwhelmingly positive response that we have since created a large paddock for the kids to take up permanent residence right next to our original Goat Tower.”

The new paddock boasts South Africa’s first-ever goat skywalk bridge which spans the main entrance. The bridge allows the goats to roam from the farm’s renowned Goat Tower across the path to the other side of the garden where the paddock is situated. A bigger and more exciting playground to explore, the paddock features surfboards, seesaws and other fun obstacles.

Goat kids love to play and they also love to interact with people. They are very used to humans because they are hand-reared and bottle-fed three times a day after spending their first week or so with their mother nanny goats.The goat kids grow up fast and each has its own adorable personality.

During kidding season, the nanny goats get to rest as they need to produce milk for their newly born kids. Producing milk requires energy and nutrients, which is why the herd’s diet is so important at this stage. When the nannies are pregnant all of their energy and nutrients go towards their growing kids. Fairview’s goat’s milk production slows down for a few weeks and the farm produces less goat’s milk cheese, which is why fewer of Fairview’s goat’s milk products will be on the shelf at the supermarket at this specific time. This is to ensure that the goat herd is healthy and strong.

Goat’s milk cheese continues to grow in popularity and as a result, demand has increased. Be sure to grab your goat’s milk Chevin cheeses before stock runs low over the next few weeks. Fairview offers a selection of Chevin cheeses in different flavours such as traditional, garlic and herb, and black pepper and paprika. The Chevin cheeses retail for about R42 per unit at supermarkets nationwide or at the Shop & Deli on the farm, where delicious preserves and freshly baked breads are also available.

Aside from all the fun interaction with the furry kids, adults can kick back and experience the wine tasting options at our Tasting Room, or indulge in the delicious country-style menu available at the Goatshed restaurant (which also has a kids menu).

Kicking off on the 9th September (at the La Capra Goat Run event), we invite you all to bring your own kids and come visit the most-loved members of Fairview as we welcome their new kids on the block!

For more information please call 021 863 2450.

Follow @fairviewwineandcheese on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Our Top 100 Winning Trio

Speaking of Fairview’s outstanding achievement, the CEO of The National Wine Challenge competition, Robin von Holdt comments:

“We don’t grant an overall award to a vineyard as best performer. But if we did, Fairview would probably crack that this year, too. Altogether this can only be described as a stunning set of results across the board!”

The National Wine Challenge is in its seventh successful year and each year the judges’ task gets more and more difficult. The selection process is thorough and rigorous as greater numbers of fine wine entries intensify pressure for the limited victory spots. Each and every wine is objectively and independently assessed with great care and professional diligence.

Three Fairview wines each achieved a double acknowledgement, winning both Top 100 and Double Platinum awards. These three wines, each completely different in style, are the Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz, Fairview Extraño and Fairview La Beryl Blanc.

Not only did these particular wines stand out, but Fairview also excelled in other categories of the challenge. Double Gold was awarded to the Fairview Nurok 2016, the new release Fairview Rose Quartz 2016 and Fairview Old Bushvine Cinsault 2016. The four Fairview wines that took Double Silver titles this year were: Fairview Viognier 2015, Fairview Caldera 2013, Fairview Homtini 2015 and Fairview Beacon Shiraz 2013.

The maiden release of the Fairview Rose Quartz

The limited release Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz 2014 is one in a range of premium Single Vineyard wines that are all beautifully different and completely crafted. The Single Vineyard range encompasses both traditional strengths and current fascinations within every bottle. Using only selected hand-picked and pressed grapes, the wines in the Single Vineyard range are terroir driven and the grapes come from older vineyards. The Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz reflects a well-rounded Shiraz with expressive spice and lovely fruit content.

“It is an honour to see the consistency in one of our premium Single Vineyard wines, the Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz, and that this Shiraz comes through again and again as an award winner,” says our Head Winemaker, Anthony de Jager.

The Fairview Extraño is the “stranger” in the vineyards – this Spanish-driven blend consists of Tempranillo, Grenache and Carignan. Tempranillo is a relatively unknown variety in South Africa, and one, which the winemakers at Fairview believe is a fantastic variety in our warmer viticultural areas. The Extraño sits within the Fairview Regional Revival Range, a range that speaks about ingenuity and adventure, different regions of the world, exciting styles and cultivars. Each wine in the Regional Revival Range tells its own story. This one allows for a pleasing fruited palate and lingering savoury finish. The Extraño is definitely one of the most food-friendly wines in the Regional Revival Range.

Cheers to our new stranger in town, Extrano!

“For me, the most exciting wine to receive Top 100 status is the Extraño. As a relatively unknown variety for South Africa, it is great to see Tempranillo being recognised by the judges. It is also great to see how Grenache is enjoying the appreciation it deserves and the Carignan, which is from a 47-year-old Swartland vineyard, adds beautiful depth and complexity to the wine,” De Jager adds.

The third Top 100 and Double Platinum wine is the Fairview La Beryl Blanc. Also part of the Regional Revival Range, the wine honours Fairview owner Charles Back’s late mother, Beryl.

“La Beryl Blanc, a traditional straw-dried sweet wine, is a wine we’ve been crafting since 1998. This wine consistently performs well, with a very good history and dedicated, passionate following,” says De Jager.

La Beryl Blanc is a blend of Chenin Blanc from 33-year-old bush vines and young Muscat grapes grown on decomposed granite soils. It reflects a sumptuous dessert wine of balanced finesse with tropical fruit and litchi blossoming upon every sip. It’s ideal to end off a fine meal.

The grapes for our La Beryl Blanc being carefully dried on the straw mats

The National Wine Challenge judges have been astute in identifying the excellence of Fairview’s red wines. These form the core of the Fairview wine range, offering superlative quality, matching value and well-balanced drinkability. Every year, Fairview wines receive top awards both locally and internationally in a variety of competitions. Of note, Fairview is a previous recipient of the prestigious Dave Hughes Trophy for the best South African red wine in The International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC).

Charles Back, the man behind Fairview, comments: “We are very honoured that the National Wine Challenge has recognised the dedication of our winemaking team, and we’d like to thank the judges for acknowledging our work and commitment to artisanal winemaking. Their appreciation – and that of our public – is what inspires us to keep making better and better wines!

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Easter is around the corner, and we have great news – our roads are finally open, meaning no more roadworks! To celebrate this and this special family time, we’re making farm-fresh hot cross buns as a welcome to visitors on the farm. We’ll be open every day across the long weekend, and rest assured, we’ll have plenty to keep you entertained!

For the little ones, our Goat Paddock and Goat Sky Bridge have been a happy hit, and all are welcome to purchase a bag of goat food for R10 to give to Billy and his goat kids as they hop, skip and jump between the Goat Tower and paddock. Meanwhile, for the older members of the family, why not book a tutored 1-hour Master tasting to experience some of Fairview’s finest wines, or head to our country-style eatery, the Goatshed, where you can savour a bottle or two of our lovely Fairview wine paired with the hearty fare? There’s a kiddies menu of course, for when your kids tire of petting our own baby goat kids.

Throughout the Easter weekend, Friday, 14 April – Monday, 17 April 2017, the Farmshop & Deli will be open, selling our artisanal cheeses, farm-reared meat and other treats to enjoy at home.

See you soon!

Bookings essential.
Master Tasting: 021 863 2450
Goatshed Restaurant: 021 863 3609 or book online – https://www.fairview.co.za/goatshed/

The post Easter with Fairview appeared first on Fairview.

We are so proud to announce our winning labels from this year’s 2017 Wine Label Design Awards! Our Fairview Extraño came in with a Bronze medal, while our new Bloemcool Range shined with a Silver award. Both labels were designed by the very talented team at Jane Says Design, headed up by Victoria Peter.

According the Winemag.co.za, the Wine Label Design 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”. The news came on Wednesday, 29th March, and the results were warmly received at the Fairview farm.

Fairview’s Extraño received a face lift late last year, drawing on inspiration from the Spanish varieties of used for this powerful red blend. The label is a carefully executed melange of Spanish-styled typography, using a vibrant colour palate of gold and red. The main icon is a peacock fanning its tail feathers on the label, which harks back to the tale of when we spotted a ‘stranger’ floating through the jumble of our old Tempranillo vines. Inspired by this monarchical peacock – who has now made a home among our vineyard – our winemakers have carefully tamed Tempranillo’s temperamental streak by integrating fellow Hispanic varieties Grenache and Carignan.

In quite sharp contrast, the Bloemcool labels – our newest range also released last year April – is a very clean and minimal design. The range takes its name from Bloemcoolfontein (meaning ‘cauliflower fountain’ directly translated from Dutch), which was the original name of the Fairview farm before the Back family took ownership. Drawing on our heritage, the diamond shaped label is made out of handmade, recycled paper with cauliflower seeds embedded into it. The idea is to plant the label once the bottle of wine is finished, and to grow your very own bloemkool (cauliflower) at home, encouraging a sustainable approach to the range, which uses recycled bottles and minimizes printing by not including back labels.

The Extraño and the Bloemcool range are both available on our online store: https://www.fairview.co.za/shop/

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From early in the morning until late at night, tractors roll into the cellar carrying tons of freshly-picked grapes from our vineyards, and our viticultural, winemaking and cellar team work like a finely-tuned machine to ensure all the grapes are handled with care and crafted to perfection. This window period of harvest normally starts anywhere from January and ends latest in April, depending on the climate conditions, grape varieties and wine styles. At Fairview, we started harvest in mid-January, and are almost finished now, with the last few Bordeaux-varieties coming in.

As harvest is all about reaping the fruits of the vines and connecting with the hands around you, the Goatshed decided to celebrate this magical time, by hosting a harvest table. This wonderful paddock-to-plate experience is all about bringing the farm’s bountiful produce and fruits of the harvest directly to the table for guests to experience and enjoy in a relaxed al fresco setting.

Guests will be seated at a long table set under a vine canopy where they are encouraged to mingle with those around them over trendy sharing platters prepared and conceptualised by the Goatshed restaurant head chef, SJ Nel. The menu will feature some of Fairview’s finest artisanal produce, including generous servings of its renowned cheeses, breads, olives, charcuterie and homemade preserves. In the spirit of the bounty of the harvest, guests will be able to help themselves to a bottomless supply of Fairview’s new young wines, which they can tap straight from the vat in true farm style.

We invite you to join the next event on the 25^th March 2017 from 11.30 – 3.30pm at the Fairview farm.
Tickets are R325.
A few more spots are remaining – click here to book now!

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