So gather around, fellow wine lovers! Our third session begins with one of greatest viticultural achievements, otherwise known as Viognier.

The Basics:

Grape Variety: Viognier (pronunciation: Vee-on-yee-ay)
Origin: Rhône Valley, Southern France
Style: Dry white wine
Colour Profile: Medium gold – straw yellow hue
Flavour Profile: Stone fruit (peach, apricot) and floral notes
Key Regions Planted: South Africa, France, Australia, USA, Italy, Argentina, Chile
Food pairing: As an aromatic wine, Viognier loves spice and aromatic foods. It is low on acid and can be quite a full-bodied wine, so think of more robust dishes such as Green Thai Curry or Moroccan tagine.

Our Story:

We are very proud owners of the mother block of Viognier locally, meaning we introduced the very first plantings to South Africa back in the 1990s. Our Fairview Viognier is overtly peachy, noticeably scented and less savoury than its Rhone namesake, reflecting our warmer climate here at Fairview. Our latest vintages have really reflected the cooler Darling area from which they stem, creating more refined wine that offers a subtle salty minerality at the core.

Over the years, our winemaker’s have worked carefully with this delicate French grape variety, producing single variety bottlings and blending it into some of our most special creations, such as our Old World style blend called Nurok and our Brut MCC, the first Methodé Cap Classique wine in the world made using Viognier, Grenache Noir and Grenache Blanc. Our latest range, Bloemcool. also has it’s very own version of Viognier, with the Vis n Tjips – a bold style Viognier, with great aging potential.

All available on our online shop.

The post Cellar Sessions #3 | Viognier appeared first on Fairview.

So gather around, fellow wine lovers! Our first session begins with one of the most popular South African’s white wines, Sauvignon Blanc!

The Basics:

Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc (say: saw vee nyon blahnk)
Origin: Loire Valley, France
Style: Dry white wine
Colour Profile: Bright light green
Aroma & Flavour Profile: Traditionally, it is herbal, with green bell pepper and grass on the nose. Our wine is more tropical, with notes of green figs and nettle.
Key Regions Planted: France, Australia, Chile, Brazil, New Zealand, USA and South Africa
Food pairing: Sauvignon blanc with its more herbal flavours and zesty-like character make it a terrific wine to use with foods that use more green vegetables in their preparation and goes well with lighter vinegar-based sauces or green sauces. Great with our Crottin cheese!

Our Story:

Sauvignon Blanc is South Africa’s sweetheart, much beloved as a choice, refreshing drink in the summer. Traditionally, the grapes are grown out in cool climate regions, so we opted to plant our vines in the Darling region. Here, you can see the ocean from our vineyard, meaning that the cool Atlantic winds create a more refined wine that offers a subtle salty minerality at the core.

Over the years, our winemaker’s have worked carefully with this zesty French grape variety, producing single variety bottlings and blending it into some of our most special creations, such as our brand new Bordeaux-inspired blend called Drie Papen Fontein.

Our Darling Sauvignon Blanc is available on our online shop. Click here.

The post Cellar Sessions #1 | Darling Sauvignon Blanc appeared first on Fairview.