As the cold winter days arrive in full force, there is one bright silver lining for most school children – the winter term break! While drinking hot chocolate and cosying up under blankets watching family favourite movies definitely sounds tempting, we also know that it might lead to some cabin fever after a few days!

That’s why Fairview invites you to bring the whole family to the Fairview farm on Sundays during the school holiday! Once again, we’ve enlisted the talents of Fern from Art4Kids who will be offering kids art activities in the afternoons at the Gallery Studio (just behind the Beryl Back Master Tasting Room).

Starting from this Sunday 17th June (just in time for Father’s Day) and every Sunday during the school holidays, we invite children to take part in a ceramics art afternoon event. Spend the day ceramic painting a unique art piece!

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There is a stranger (extraño in Spanish) in the Cape’s vineyards, named Tempranillo. Originally from Spain, Tempranillo now grows in local soils and produces grapes of exceptional quality. We’ve carefully integrated fellow Spaniards Grenache and Carignan – who add spice, fruit and freshness – to help temper this slightly rustic grape variety’s temperamental streak.

Since its release, this wine has been causing waves throughout our Tasting Room, becoming a firm best-seller thanks to its consistent taste, beautiful label and value-for-money. In fact, Extraño was one of our most awarded wines for 2017, receiving a 4.5 star Platter rating, a 2017 National Wine Challenge Top 100 award, and a 90 point score at the Winemag Signature Red Blend Report Awards 2017!

For our final Goatshed Dinner for 2018, we decided to pair a winning wine with a winning cuisine combination. Chef SJ Nel and the Goatshed team carefully curated a menu that will please all palates, while harking back to Catalan-inspired flavours. The event also marks the end of winter, and welcomes in a change of season for warmer weather and later sunsets. Come celebrate – and don’t forget your castanets!

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Tapas
Selection of breads, spicy dips & Salami
Paprika chicken Taco cups
Meatballs in Chorizo & tomato sauce
Mushroom Empanadas

Starter
Roasted Linefish & white bean soup

Main Course
Braised beef, potato cake & traditional Pisto

Dessert
Flan de Cafe

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

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Our second Goatshed Dinner is coming up on the 8th June 2018: The Nurok Moroccan Evening!

This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings by complementing the Goatshed dinners to our most food-focused wine range, the Regional Revival Range.

The Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:
1. Fairview Brut MCC
2. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
3. Fairview Nurok
4. Fairview Homtini
5. Fairview Extrano
6. Fairview Caldera

Each wine from our Regional Revival range has an exciting story to tell, and a veritable feast to go with it, with a specific wine region in mind. Our second dinner is all about Nurok – a true labour of love. Charles Back tells the story:

“My wife, Diane, whose painting is depicted on the front label, is descended from the Nurok family, originally from Lithuania. At the end of the 17th century, Lithuanians were taking on the Catholic faith and built a cathedral in Siauliai in celebration. A heavy bell being transported to the cathedral fell into a frozen river, and the locals could not retrieve it. A young boy named Wulf dived into the river, attached a rope to the bell and, with some help, hauled it onto the riverbank. Refusing all reward, Wulf asked that the Jews be allowed to return to Siauliai. His wish was granted, and the citizens bestowed on him the name Nurok, meaning diver. From then on, he and his descendants were known by this name, and there was harmony between Christians and Jews. This admirable example of religious tolerance and mutual respect serves as one of the cornerstones of our philosophy at Fairview. This wine pays homage to the revered blends of the Old World.”

Nurok is one of our most acclaimed award-winning wines. In 2017, it won a 90 Tim Atkin score, 4.5 star Platter rating, and 92-points in the Winemag White Blend Award! Thanks to the oak on this beautiful white blend, it complements spicy and rich food incredibly well, so we’ve opted to pair it with Moroccan-inspired dishes.

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Mrehba
Flat breads from the wood-fire oven, olive oil & rosemary
Khobz Kesra – Traditional Moroccan bread
Spiced carrot & chickpeas
Lemon & olive chicken drumsticks
Spicy Roast pepper dip
Eggplant salad

First Starter
Masala spiced line fish, lentil & chickpea cakes & Chermoula

Second Starter
Saffron and cumin potato curry, Poppadums & Labneh

Main Course
Lamb shoulder, apricot Cous Cous

Dessert
Almond cake,  date preserve & cinnamon custard

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

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As mentioned in our previous post here, our Goatshed Dinners are back this year with a revived twist!
This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings, by complementing the Goatshed Dinners to our most food-focused wine range, titled the Regional Revival Range.

The Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:
1. Fairview Brut MCC
2. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
3. Fairview Nurok
4. Fairview Homtini
5. Fairview Extrano
6. Fairview Caldera

Each wine is brimming with a decorative label and enticing story to tell, as well as orientated with a specific wine region in mind. Take for example our first dinner coming up on the 25th May 2018: The Homtini Italian Dinner.

Homtini translates as a ‘difficult passage’ in the long-forgotten Khoi language. The Homtini pass, near Knysna, winds its way through indigenous forests. This was once the home of our winemaker, Anthony de Jager’s Italian ancestors, the Rabbolinis, who were silk farmers from Northern Italy. They immigrated to South Africa under the misconception that mulberry trees grew in abundance. On arrival they discovered that no mulberry trees existed, but through tenacity and hard work, they tamed the land and ultimately prospered in other trades, including wine-making.

The wine is a Tuscan-style blend of Italian variety Sangiovese, integrated with a touch of Cabernet Sauvingon and Merlot. The wine is crafted to go perfectly with Italian-style dishes, such as tomato-based sauces, breads and cheese. Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to savour on the evening:

Antipasti

Selection of cured meats [ Mortadella, Salami, Coppa, Pastrami ]
Freshly baked breads [ Ciabatta, Focaccia ]
Mozzarella, tomato & herb pesto salad
Goats’ cheese & caramelized onion Bruschetta
Fegato d’anatra (duck liver) paté
Pork, fennel & sage

Primi
Mushroom Casarecce

Secondi
“Bistecca alla Goatshed”
Roasted Sirloin, polenta & Mediterranean garnish

Dolce
Tiramisu

Try your hand as pizzaiolo in between courses at our wood fired pizza oven station

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

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By Donald Mouton, our Farm Manager

Unfortunately, our annual rainfall in 2017 was again way below par at 292mm. Luckily, our Suid-Agter Paarl irrigation scheme was very fortunate to pump winter water that was just going to flow into the sea from the Berg river. This gave me the opportunity to irrigate our vineyards in the late winter and build up some reserve in the soil. We could also fill up our dams before all pumping from the river was stopped as the water restrictions tightened this summer.

We were thus able to irrigate our vineyards during the season and fortunate to have a crop that is looking good in quantity and quality. The bunch count per vine this season is much higher than the 2016/17 season.

Harvest started 12 days later than in 2017, we started by harvesting Red Muscadel on the 24^th of January and on the 25^th we hand selected the first Viognier for Stephanie’s Fairview Brut MCC bubbly.

Up to date, we have harvested all the white cultivars and even though the bunch counts were higher, the bunches are small and light and on average we are down on yield by about 25%.

The Pinotage is up in yield and Anthony is very much impressed with the first wine made from the Pinotage bush vines.

I’ll keep you posted on the harvest, hold thumbs that all the reds are up in yield!

The post How to Farm in a Drought appeared first on Fairview.

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.

“Harvest is an incredibly important time of the year for us and it is certainly a time to acknowledge the efforts that go into carefully crafting our wines with elegance and complexity. This year we celebrate the 21st harvest of our Viognier variety for which we have the mother block in South Africa. We ask those who have shared in Fairview’s journey and successes to join us at our new Harvest Table Lunches,” says Charles Back, owner of Fairview Wine and Cheese.

Fairview Wine and Cheese presents this exclusive feast as a chance to explore the Goatshed’s newest offering. Tickets cost R255 per person and can be purchased via Quicket. Tickets will include the lunch and Fairview’s newest harvest wine.

For more information on the Harvest Table Lunch, please contact the Goatshed restaurant on 021 863 3609 or at goatshed@fairview.co.za. For more on Fairview and its wine and cheese products, visit www.fairview.co.za.

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The unsung contributors to the wine industry were honoured with the iconic 1659 medal of honour last night at the annual Wine Harvest Commemorative Event at the historic Groot Constantia Estate, including our very own Cellar Master, Awie Adolf! Congratulations Awie! Thank you for all your fantastic leadership, loyalty and work ethic over 37 years! You’re always the one to shine a smile when we see you, and you are a light in the Fairview family!

The medal has been awarded to significant role-players in the industry since 1974. Last year, our very own Charles Back was awarded with this award, and during his speech, made mention of the ‘real heroes’ of Fairview and the wine industry at large (to read more, click here). It was thus truly special that this year, the Groot Constantia board decided to symbolically honour the voiceless and often faceless wine workers over the centuries by making them the collective recipient of the 1659 medal, as without them the wine industry could never have flourished.

Dr Ernest Messina, Chairperson of Groot Constantia, said this year’s award heralds a shift in emphasis of what was the practice until now: “Our purpose is to give a voice to all contributors, to bring to light new perceptions of historical facts and to confirm greater appreciation and respect for everyone’s contributions.”

Dr Messina said he trusts this will usher in a tipping point for the industry – especially in changing attitudes, giving recognition and achieving unity. He emphasised that everyone’s stories must be told to create a more representative picture of the role-players.

“Described in wine language – the blend is more complete and thus better. In this way we achieve justice. This industry is owned by all of us as we are co-creators of the industry historically and presently. We must continue to build in harmony on the solid foundation laid by Simon van der Stel and so many others who will sadly remain anonymous.”

Representatives from the industry received the 1659 medal of honour on behalf of the wine workers, including our very own Awie Adolf. The award will rotate between different venues in the wine industry and will ultimately reside at Groot Constantia.

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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.

“Goats Do Roam has always been our playful, witty brand, and we wanted to offer something a little different to challenge perceptions about bag-in-box wine”, says Fairview owner Charles Back.

The new Goats Do Roam offering is unlike anything you would have seen on wine shelves. Inspired by a handbag, the design is aimed to be both practical, stylish and easy to carry. Keeping to the classic mustard yellow tone, the first Goats Do Roam handbag is a red blend offering.

Now admittedly, bag-in-box hasn’t always had the best reputation. Dismissively nicknamed ‘Chateau cardboard’ in Australia, the general perception is that the drink inside is plonk. Another arguement is why would you go for the bag-in-box option when there are shelves of traditionally bottled wines in every shop?

“For one, you get more wine for less—about four bottles worth in one box. This isn’t because the wine is of lower quality, but rather because boxed wines don’t have the same overhead when it comes to packaging, materials and shipping. The traditional bottling process is costly, and requires glass, corks, and foils. Those materials are heavy, making bottles more costly to ship. Plus, boxes are easy to carry, easy to stack, and take up less space when shipping,” says Goats Do Roam winemaker Anthony de Jager.

There are many more sensible reasons to buy bag-in-box, especially if you’re off on holiday, or to a festival, by car or train. This, along with the increased quality on offer, is presumably one of the causes for the recent 200% rise in sales reported by Amazon in August 2017. On our side, here are 5 reasons we believe bag-in-box is best:

5 Reasons Why Bag-in-Box is Better than Bottle: 

High Quality: Great value, with more affordable packaging – after all, why pay for more packaging when you can pay for more wine?

Environmental Impact: Wine in alternative, lighter packaging reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during transportation. Also, cardboard requires a lot less energy to produce than glass, and both the cardboard and the plastic bags the wine is stored in are recyclable. If you’re a environmentally conscious drinker, boxed wine is the way to go!

Convenience: Sturdy, no rattle packaging that is easy to open and store

No Wastage: Thanks to no air or light accessing the packaging after opening, the wine stays wonderfully fresh for a minimum of 2 weeks, allowing you more time to enjoy the product and no wastage until the last drop. Think about it – boxed wine can last up to 2 weeks after opening, and will last even longer if refrigerated. An open bottle of wine lasts about a week tops before it goes sour!

Camping Buddy: The box makes a great fire starter and the bag a surprisingly comfy pillow

If you’re still not convinced, take Charles’s word:

“Boxed wine has a bad reptuation. While boxed wines have long been associated with poor quality, they’re just like traditional cork and bottled wines—there are good ones and there are bad ones. People just look down on it because it doesn’t come in a fancy bottle, and assume the contents are cheap. But a winemaker’s secret that few know is that, on occasion, we’ll sneak into the cellar to pick our favourite wines and if it is still in the tank or barrel, we’ll use a foil bag to collect some before we head off for the weekend. There’s nothing ‘bad’ about this, and in fact, its just as good or better than some bottled wine. Plus, it’s easy to transport, stays fresh longer, costs less, and is better for the environment!“

So this festive season, we encourage you all to think out of the box!

COMPETITION:
WIN with our NEW Goats Do Roam Handbag!

Think out of the box and get creative with Goats Do Roam! Re-think wine in a bag, and enjoy high-quality wine at an affordable price. Every month, we’ll be giving away a Goats Do Roam wine hamper, with a grand prize worth R5000!

TO ENTER:

1: Head to the most adventurous place you can think of

2: Once you’ve finished enjoying your wine, blow up the empty foil bag

3: Take a photo with our Goats Do Roam mascot located on the foil bag

4: Upload your photo to Instagram and tag @fairviewwineandcheese, or share it on your Facebook using the hashtag #playthegoat!

5: Go on, let your imagination roam far and wide!

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