This July, Fairview has teamed up with our long-time friend and favoured food blogger and chef, Nina Timm from My Easy Cooking, to bring our Fairview visitors two different cooking demos. Expect to enjoy delicious snacks and learn easy and fun recipes using Fairview’s homegrown ingredients. The concept of these events is for everyone – whether you don’t know how to boil an egg or can make a soufflé from scratch – with the main goal being to learn the value in using farm fresh, farm to fork ingredients and how to incorporate Fairview’s range of artisanal products into your everyday cooking. Check out the information below, and make sure to book your tickets!

EVENT 1:
7th July: Saturday morning Cheese Demo in our Fairview Deli

This demo is for any and all visitors to the Fairview Tasting Room!
There will be 2 sessions: 10am and 11.15pm, each 1 hour long.
4-6 recipes will be covered during each session

Recipes will include:

Mini Cheese fondues with tempura broccoli
Sushi stacks
Camembert poppers with tomato chilli jam
Greek salad with crumbed feta
Free range Boerewors
Fresh bread, olive oil and butter

Cost: Free! 
Limited Spacing: Just come early to secure a spot 

EVENT 2:
14th July: Cooking with Fairview & Nina Timm
Food demo followed by lunch at the Goatshed Restaurant 

Fairview and Nina Timm invite you to come join us in an exclusive, limited seating session aimed at showcasing various recipes using Fairview cheese, followed by a delicious Goatshed light-style harvest lunch that incorporates our freshest, wholesome ingredients. Guests will start at 11am in the Cheese Deli to learn from Nina as she creates her delicious, cheese-full creations and pairs them with our finest Fairview wines, before moving through to the Goatshed at 12pm, where tapas-style fare will be served alongside Fairview wine. This event is ideal for any foodie who is craving an informative and fun session, delicious food and wants to walk away with an inventory of ideas to make at home!

Kindly note: If you are interested in attending this event, please book tickets below. Space is limited.

Recipes will include:

Food Demonstration Menu – 11am

Tomato Tarte Tatin with goats cheese
Free range roast pork belly
Lemon posset with berry could and shortbread biscuits

Lunch Menu ( family style sharing plates ) – 12pm
Roast pork belly
Lamb shank pie
Free range Boerewors
Greek Salad
Green beans with Cheese Crumbs
Roasted vegetables with lemon, olive oil and garlic
Fresh bread

Dessert
Lemon posset with berry compote and shortbread biscuits.

Cost: R195 per person including the food demo and lunch
Limited Seating: Only twenty 20 tickets available
Tickets available via Quicket.

We look forward to seeing you there! Until then, For now, have a look at some of the tasty meals that Nina Timm has concocted using Fairview’s cheeses or check out her website here for more information:

Introducing Nina Timm

Easy Cheese Fondue with Tempura Broccoli

Spicy Lamb Goats cheese Pizza with fresh figs

Spinach Soup with Tempura Cheese

The post Cooking with Fairview & Nina Timm appeared first on Fairview.

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!

The post Winter Holidays | Kids Art Classes at Fairview! appeared first on Fairview.

In 2015, I met Diane de Villiers – a super smart and successful businesswoman with as much drive and passion for her business, that she reminded me of me! Her business – Daily Dish – was ingenious, offering delicious pre-packaged dinner boxes delivered straight to your door. After learning about her pioneering initiative that started in 2013, I knew I wanted to get involved and partner with her and her incredible team – and so that’s exactly what I did!

The reason I did this is because Daily Dish’s offering, just like Fairview, is centred around bringing you only the highest quality, fresh, seasonal, local, and sustainably produced food. If you’re a working mother or convenience junkie looking to find an easy way to put delicious, freshly prepared food on your table every day but simply don’t have the time to head to the grocery shops – then Daily Dish has you covered.

I’ve watched from the sidelines as Daily Dish has risen to success year-on-year, gathering a committed following of regular ‘subscribers’ that love having an answer to the sometimes dreaded question of ‘what’s for dinner?’ every night.

Diane and her team have become experts at selecting suitable recipes from their inventory of 3,500 dishes, matching and pairing them to your weekly box and ensuring that the fresh and dry produce are delivered straight to your door or office in a nifty, refrigerated box that keeps your food cold for up to 24 hours (I’ve tested it – it works!). Another reason I am proud to be collaborating with the Daily Dish team is that they endeavour to continually innovate and accommodate. For example, one can select from 6 different dinner box options depending on your dietary requirements. This includes everything from a Classic Box, to Family, Banting, Vegan, Goodie and Pork-Free Box (ideal for me!).

As Fairview works our way towards being more sustainable, we are able to offer the Daily Dish subscribers our wide variety of artisanal cheeses, olive oil, breads and deli products. Some of Fairview’s experimental wines which are not widely available to the general public will also occasionally be included in the boxes. In the coming months, we will be working with Diane and her team more closely. I recommend you head to their website – www.dailydish.co.za – and sign up to their newsletters to look out for some exciting specials, and naturally, keep up to date with our extended family.

For now – we look forward to helping you share amazing home-cooked dishes with people you care about.

– Charles Back

VISIT DISH DISH: www.dailydish.co.za

The post Our Friends at Daily Dish 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.

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.

The post Drink Wine, Eat Well and Merry! Goatshed’s Harvest Lunch Table 2018 appeared first on Fairview.

Let your kids get creative this Holiday at our Fairview Farm! We are excited to announce that we have Fern from Art4Kids presenting Kids Art Activities this holiday – EVERY DAY – up and till the 24 December (10.30 – 3pm). Find your way to the Barn Artist Gallery Studio for fun filled kids art entertainment!

To avoid any disappointments – Please make booking arrangements with  Fern@wishbone.co.za.
SMS your confirmation bookings to: 082 313 0712

Fern will be keeping the kids busy with the following art activities:

~ Stencil your own wooden art box to take home

~ Create a canvas Painting

~ Create 3 x  Art Spin Cards

Each art activity costs R100 & takes 40 to 60 minutes, age dependant.

Fern puts together her spin art speciality a fun art activity where you get to pour an array of paint onto a spinning card. After that you have the option to stencil a goat onto your art piece.

Fill up your holiday with some colourful art fun for the kids at Fairview. Enough time for kids to be creative & adults to grab a tasting.

Where to find ART4KIDS at Fairview:

Venture through the wine tasting room, turn left into the gallery showroom, venture through the Gallery glass doors, through the wine tasting garden & follow the granite garden stairs up to the Gallery studio.

Art4Kids with Fern where imagination meet the canvas.

The post Get Creative in our Kids Art Corner This December! appeared first on Fairview.

For family proprietors Charles and Raphael, Back is a not only their shared, historic surname but also the name of their newest venture together, a restaurant and deli called Back’s, opening this November along the bustling Main Street of Paarl.

The exciting new bistro-style eatery takes its cues from the art deco French background of Raphael, grounded by a traditional Cape twist from Paarl resident Charles, and is set to become the go-to day spot for locals and winelands visitors alike. Back’s promises to bring a carefully curated selection of options that cater with local flair to all visitors. The flavourful menu will include tapas-style platters made up of homemade pâtés, terrines and sauces to an array of delectable dishes including mouth-watering burgers, scrumptious salads and a range of nibbles such as triple-fried fries and South African classics such as slaphakskeentjies.

Once you’ve had your fill at the restaurant, there is a retail zone featuring a curated deli that offers a veritable cornucopia of delicatessen including Fairview and Spice Route wines available at cellar door prices, breads and cheeses and a selection of Spice Route Destination artisans such as DV Chocolates, CBC Beer and Wilderer Gin. Look out for the specially made Back’s products such as preserves, charcuteries, patisseries and free-range meat that’s all made within the area and not to be missed.

While Back’s offering is vast, their philosophy is very focused: keep it local. Everything in the restaurant and deli is sourced from either the Back’s farms or supports local artisans in the area, with the main goal being to be able to bring you free-range, organic produce that just tastes better. This trending offering of encouraging people to eat local or become “locavores” is the brainchild of dynamic owner and innovator, Charles Back, and his far-removed cousin and business partner, budding entrepreneur Raphael Back.

Charles explains:

 “The inspiration for Back’s came from my long lineage of farming history, with the fundamental basis of everything I do being integrity and quality. Together with my partner’s energy and international knowledge, we are focusing on making an entire range of high-quality products which deliver on both authenticity and value.”

Although the two come from different cultures – Charles was born and raised in the Cape Winelands and Raphael in the cultural hub of Paris – they share a combined passion for sustainable, healthy and wholesome produce and collaboration, which they wanted to express in the creation of Back’s.

After all, the Back family has a long lineage of farming in their family. When Charles Back I first landed on the shores of the Cape, his passion for farming and local produce led him to pursue various artisanal professions, from butcher to farmer. In 1937, he brought Fairview. As a third-generation family owner of Fairview, Charles Back II has continued this legacy, taking the learnings from his winemaking father Cyril to nurture the land. Adding ‘cheesemaker’ to the family repertoire, the Back family really are a collection of butchers, bakers, wine and cheesemakers!  In 2015, Raphael joined the clan, as a budding young entrepreneur, and soon directed the family offering online, creating ‘Maison Bak’, an online food delivery service that quickly flourished in the winelands region. Following the success of their partnership and promoting local produce, Charles and Raphael joined cohorts to create Back’s.

Raphael explains:

“We only sell the highest quality, natural and organic products. When you leave Back’s, we hope you leave feeling inspired to make even the smallest change towards a healthier, more harmonious existence with our land, our animals and our communities. If so, we know we’ve done our job.”

Back’s is scheduled to open on 3rd November 2017. Contact Back’s on hello@backs.co.za to make a dining reservation. If you would like more information about Back’s, please contact Raphael Back at 021 872 0697 or email at raphael@backs.co.za.

Opening Hours:
Mon – Fri: 7.30am – 10pm
Sat and Sun: 7.30am – 3pm

The post Back to Basics | New Back’s Restaurant & Deli appeared first on Fairview.

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.

As kidding season started on our farm this Spring, we had a light bulb moment. After a round table meeting with our goat herd, our baby goats agreed to hop on board. We are proud to introduce Africa’s very first Goat Yoga! We first tested the concept out at this year’s La Capra Goat Run. Due to the overwhelming response to the pilot session, we have decided to open the paddock to the public! Goat Yoga is all about relaxing – 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.

Our baby goats are completely untrained and we let them do what they want. So the only thing you can expect is for each class to be different. Maybe one time the baby goat will hop on your back, maybe another they will all huddle in a corner and sleep. At the end of the day, all that matters is to enjoy a simple and natural class and see things from a different perspective. After all, happy goats make happy people which make a happier world.

Check out our video to get excited! All details below:

From October until December 2017, Raine Dunn of Body Poetry will be leading Goat Yoga classes (featuring the baby goats, of course) every Saturday 9am to 10am at Fairview Wine and Cheese!

*SPECIAL OFFER*

Come enjoy a 1-hour Goat Yoga session followed by a delicious Goatshed breakfast consisting of our home-made granola, Fairview yoghurt, seasonal fruit and honey + your choice of hot beverage. Why not bring a bunch of friends and book an entire class for an end-of-year function or celebration? Spaces are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Special offer: R185 per person (including Goat Yoga + breakfast)

Space is limited to 30 people per class, so bookings are essential to reserve your spot!

You can pay your deposit into the following account:

Raine Dunn
Capitec
1413576360
Lonehill 470010

Use your full name as reference and sms proof of payment to 0837295858.

There are mats available to rent if you don’t have your own, at an extra cost of R10. Please inform Raine if you need a mat, and add R10 per mat to the EFT total. Please be there 20 min before 9am so that you can fill in the indemnity, get set up and enjoy some extra goatie time!

To book, please call Raine at 083 729 5858, or drop her an email at raine@bodypoetry.co.za.

Raine has been passionate about health and fitness since a young age, and always dove into all sports with enthusiasm, with a particular love for horseriding and ballet. She has been practicing yoga for 13 years and Pilates for 6 years, and has been teaching full time for the last 2 years in Joburg. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge of the body, and helping people to heal themselves both physically and emotionally through these two powerful practices. She is also enthusiastic about healthy eating (having attended chef school after matric and later ran a wholefoods blog) and encourages people to take an holistic approach to their health.

In 2016 she opened Joburg’s first Barre Body studio – a high intensity cardio fusion of ballet barre and Pilates. In 2017, having had enough of the big city, she decided to make the move to Paarl, where she will be able to fuse her love of nature with her passion for helping people.

Raine is forever on a quest to expand her knowledge about health, the body and the mind in order to help her clients become the happiest version of themselves.

Check out our gallery to see what you can expect:

The post An African First – Goat Yoga at Fairview! appeared first on Fairview.

The story of Fairview cheeses starts three decades ago, when Cyril Back purchased his first Saanen dairy goats, setting Fairview on the path to becoming one of South Africa’s leading artisanal cheese producers.

Cyril Back proudly holding some of the first Fairview goats

Cyril and his wife Beryl had been on a trip to France and fell in love with the richly flavoured goats’ milk cheeses produced on a number of the wine farms that they visited. Upon returning to Paarl, they began investigating the possibility of starting South Africa’s first goats’ milk cheesery. After much investigation and a few fortunate coincidences, the first Saanen goats arrived at the farm in 1980. Cyril was farming with pigs at the time, and his understanding of livestock was not in question. However the skill of producing delicious goats cheese was not one that was easily learned, as his son Charles recounts:

“My father and I had an excellent book on cheese production, however it was all in French which neither of us understood! We tried many recipes and methods with very mixed results. Our greatest achievement in those first months was that we managed to tick off every cheese fault that the book specified. These included a hideous looking contamination called ‘hair of the cat’, which resulted in long grey hairs growing out of our cheeses.”

Cyril Back presenting the latest Fairview Wine and Cheese offering

Fairview enlisted the assistance of Michel Agostinelli, a passionate Italian who had settled in South Africa after arriving as a POW during World War Two. Together with Charles (to whom Cyril had kindly passed the responsibility of the cheesery), Agostinelli began to develop the cheesery and the processes and disciplines involved. Cyril was soon satisfied that the quality of the Fairview cheeses was good enough to serve and they were offered along with wine tastings in the tasting room. The arrival of a large group of French engineers in Cape Town to work on a new power plant, added impetus to the cheesery as they quickly became fans and returned regularly during their stay. Goats’ milk cheese was a tough sell in South Africa in the 1980s as it was not a product that consumers were familiar with at all. But as time passed, both the size of the herd and the range of cheeses grew, with expansion to the cheesery taking place.

In 1995 the Vineyard Cheesery took a significant step forward thanks to two key events. Louis Lourens joined Fairview as head cheesemaker and Jersey cows’ milk cheese production was introduced.

Charles, Beryl and Cyril Back proudly presenting their latest range of Fairview Wine and Cheese in front of the Tasting Room

Louis’ knowledge, passion and dedication quickly took the production to new levels of quality and his professional approach began to show in the systems and styles of cheese produced. Traditional recipe cream cheeses, Brie, Camembert and blue mould cheeses were added to the range and Fairview’s products began to garner accolades and awards. Roydon Camembert, the flagship product in the range, was awarded the Gold Medal at the World Cheese Awards no less than 5  times in 7 years, a performance that did not go down well with the French no doubt!

The Fairview Vineyard Cheesery is based in Paarl in the Western Cape and produces a range of over 20 cows’ milk and goat’s milk artisanal cheeses that are sold in all major centres in South Africa. Fairview products are sold both in the catering market and major retailers.

Our award-winning goats

Fairview offers a range of locally and internationally awarded artisanal cheeses including white mould, blue mould, feta and cream cheese styles. The cheesery sources the bulk of its cows’ milk from a leading Jersey milk dairy. The Saanen goats’ milk used for production is supplied by the resident herd of over 1000 goats. The factory is fully audited and complies with international hygiene and safety regulations. The Fairview range of cheeses is certified Halaal and Kosher.

The Fairview Vineyard Cheesery’s team is lead by cheese maker Louis Lourens, who has been with the company since 1990. His extensive experience and insight into the industry is vital in maintaining Fairview’s position as an industry leader and innovator. Lourens is assisted by cheese maker Bruce Rowbotham, who joined the company in 2005. In addition, Fairview has assembled a team of experienced staff and food technologists who assist in all aspects of new product development and quality control. Fairview’s sales and administration department deals with South Africa’s leading retailers, ensuring that the company’s mark of quality extends from its products through to its client and customer service.

Louis Lourens, working his magic, in the cheese factory

The production facility has been built and expanded so as to facilitate the efficient production of a range of products utilising differing cultures and moulds, while maintaining the hygiene and control standards required of a world class facility. Access is strictly controlled and the cheesery is not open to the public. The production facility processes over 16 000 litres of Jersey cows’ milk and 2 000 litres of Saanen goats’ milk daily, with production running seven days a week. This translates into a production of approximately 900 tons of cheese per annum. The Fairview Vineyard Cheesery is fully HACCP accredited, with audits taking place annually. The factory also has Kosher and Halaal certification.

 

Our Fairview Cheese offering today

 

 

The post Our History of Fairview Cheese appeared first on Fairview.

Fairview was the first to plant and bottle the varietal, and we are now looking back on 20 years of Viognier. Controversial at times, loved, hated or misunderstood; Viognier lends itself beautifully to food pairing, and its’ potential when blended with varietals such as Shiraz, Mourvèdre or certain white varietals, has been influential in the Rhône revolution in the Cape.

Owner of Fairview, Charles Back, reflects on the story:

“I first tasted Viognier in 1989, while travelling in the Rhône. I 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. Upon my return to South Africa, we started the process of sourcing the vines and by the early 1990’s we were harvesting fruit from our Viognier vineyards. Some twenty years later, and looking back on 10 years of bottling this varietal, we are still discovering the grapes’ potential and I am confident that the wines that we are currently bottling are the best that we have made as yet. Viognier is a fantastic food wine, and pairs well with Cape style cooking as well as many of our Fairview handcrafted cheeses.”

Since the introduction of the stunning varietal to our vineyards, our winemaking team have had the fortune and pleasure of working with Viognier regularly, utilising it across a variety of our wines and ranges. We feature it as a single variety in our Fairview Viognier, but it is also used in blends such as the Fairview Nurok and our Fairview Brut MCC.

Anthony de Jager, our Chief Winemaker here at Fairview, shares his thoughts on the French grape:

“The Rhône valley has always intrigued me, and the great wines that the area produces have influenced the direction that my winemaking has taken through my career. Fairview has always embraced innovation and Charles’ perpetual search for new and interesting varietals led us, amongst others, to Viognier. Over the last fifteen years we have been engaging with the complexities of this varietal. While the similarities that the Rhône and the Cape winelands share have provided a successful launch pad, the differences have allowed us to seek out and develop a style that is unique to the Cape. I am proud of what we have achieved to date, and continue to be surprised, inspired and challenged by what emerges each vintage.”

Fairview Viognier is available at our Tasting Room and via our online shop for R100.

SPECIAL: To celebrate 20 years of Viognier, this week we are running a special for R50 a bottle. Click here to buy.

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