Firstly, the soil is cleared and plowed. After that, careful measurements are made in order to ensure that the rows of vines are as perfectly straight as can be. This allows for easier harvesting later on. As you can see, measuring out an entire block is quite a process in itself!

Donald Mouton, our farm manager, gave the Cinsault planting team a short lesson on the effect that differently dug holes have on grapevine root systems.

In some heavier soils, unless one digs a hole in just the right way, the roots can become constrained and aren’t able to grow in the way that they should. This impacts the ability of the plant to absorb nutrients from the soil, which in turn affects the health of the vines, and ultimately the taste and quality of the wine.

Finally, the new Cinsault vines are planted! After all of the digging and measuring, seeing a field full of the final product is a sight to behold. These vines are destined to become bush vines, and will only be able to be harvested in 2020.

We’re already looking forward to it!

The post Planting a New Vineyard | Cinsault appeared first on Fairview.

Rosé is like the under-celebrated middle-child of the wine world- she really does have her work cut out for her when it comes to proving herself. So, fellow wine starter-uppers and equally vino-curious: let’s chat wine basics about rosé. With August already upon us, South African’s are starting to peak their heads out from under the covers and quite literally, defrosting at the first rays of warm sunshine. And with this glorious change in seasons, comes a change of wine. Goodbye to the dark winter reds, and hello rosé. Traditionally, this is a wine that France does right – especially the South of France – with areas such as Provence being kings of the drink. At Fairview, we just released our latest vintage of Fairview Rose Quartz 2017, made using the finest selection of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan and showcasing the subtlest shade of pink. If you’ve never been into rosé before, here are our top three reasons about why we think it’s time to re-think pink:

#1: Rosé is found right in the middle between the ranges of red and white wine, making it the perfect ‘inbetween’ of wine styles. In fact, it’s often said to be a warm weather drink, because it has a generally low acidity (no tarty feeling in your mouth) and low alcohol (no heat left in your throat once you’ve swallowed), making it an easy-drinking beverage.

#2: One of our favourite things about rosé is the delicate Pantone colour palette of pink it offers – after all, rosé is just the French word for pink you know. Just imagine your picnic basket, stuffed to the brim with juicy grapefruit segments, cuts of salmon laced across thin melba toast and ruby pink slices of strawberry – that’ll give you an idea of the colour range this wine is capable of.

#3: If you’re ever tempted to buy a rosé, don’t fear that they will all be like that candied sweet drink your great aunt stores in her cupboard for unexpected house guests like you. Rosé can be found as both Dry Rosé Wine and as Sweet Rosé Wine, but this is mostly reserved for bulk production (that doesn’t mean bad either). Basically, just know that rosé can, like any wine, also be available in varying levels of sweetness, so you’re bound to find something you like. At Fairview, we have our slightly more juicier Goats Do Roam Rosé, brimming with strawberry and sweet melon, and then our more serious, dry Rose Quartz.

So there you have it. To us, rosé is the perfect blend of affordable, delicate and easy on the eyes and mouth. Go on, try some – get some rosé in them cheeks this Spring!

The post Women’s Day with Rose Quartz Rosé appeared first on Fairview.

One of the key philosophical traits Fairview has orientated itself around is to always push the boundaries of traditional winemaking. For decades, our team has done this by planting varieties that are best suited to their surroundings. One of our latest releases is one such variety, which is ideally suited for the hot, windy conditions of Paarl. Now, while it may not be new to local soils, it is definitely enjoying a new wave of appreciation among locals – hello Cinsault!

If Cinsault rings a bell, it may be because it is the proud parent of South Africa’s specialty grape, Pinotage, which was created from a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault (called Hermitage in France, making ‘Pinot’ + ‘age’ = Pinotage). For our Cinsault in particular, we’ve used old Paarl vines that have been manicured for over thirty years to produce the most profound expression of this elegant wine.

Also, don’t despair if you’re a white wine drinker! Cinsault is a wonderful starting point for wary red wine drinkers, as it is light in style, low on tannins, softly perfumed and very easy drinking. We can think of nothing better than sitting down with a glass of Cinsault and some escargot in creamy garlic sauce. Perfection!

Fairview Cinsault is available in our Tasting Room and through our online shop, Fairview Online Shop for R115. Click here to buy now.

Our Chief Winemaker, Anthony de Jager, taking a walk through one of the most beautiful Cinsault vineyards located along Paarl mountain

Our Cinsault is grown as unirrigated bushvine, making it a hardy vine to survive the hot Paarl summers

The post Catapulting Cinsault onto the Scene! appeared first on Fairview.

You could say there is a trend permeating among local winemakers, and it is a very positive one at that. After centuries of keeping close to traditionally classic, cooler climate grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, there is a quiet avant-garde movement happening that is turning the status quo on its heels.

In recent years, South African vineyards have seen a steady rise in Rhône-style varieties such as Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault being planted, and a more warm-hearted embrace to crafting wine out of our own indigenous grape varieties such as Pinotage and Chenin. The change is dynamic, and one solid reason for such a choice is that these Rhône-style and local varieties are better suited to the harsh, hot and now drought-ridden climate that seeps through our winelands, producing beautifully refined bottlings.

It is with this philosophy in mind that Charles Back went out and pioneered the plantings of such varieties on our farm over 30 years ago. And today, our winemakers are blown away by the results that our Paarl-based vines are showing, in particular the Paarl Chenin and Old Bush Vine Cinsault. Both these varieties are the traditional work horses of the South African wine industry, mainly because of their high yield and ability to blend well with other wines. But with extra care and attention to detail, both have broken the mould and the resulted wines are expressive, well-structured and great additions to the Fairview portfolio. It just goes to show what can happen when you give each grape its time to shine.

As we love doing things differently, we encourage our fans to do the same, and join us as we toast to the comeback kids Chenin & Cinsault – trust us, they’ll be the words (and taste) on the tip of your tongue very soon.

Both of these special wines are available from our online shop.
Paarl Chenin Blanc: R100 – click here to buy now
Cinsault: R115 – – click here to buy now

Paarl Chenin Blanc grapes on the left, and Paarl Cinsault grapes on the right, captured by our winemakers last week

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