1) The farm worker, spade in hand and holding a vine – the fruits of his labour. As far as we know, this is the first label in South Africa, possibly the world, which gives such clear recognition to the role of the vineyard workers. They spend long, hard hours caring for the vines that ultimately enable the winemaking team to make the quality of wine that our customers have come to expect. Vineyard workers have walked a long road alongside the South African wine industry – from being slave labourers, through the fall of Apartheid until today, where farm workers have become land owners and brand owners.

2) The goat stands proud, as an integral part of the history of Fairview. Our brand has a lot of the goat’s capricious nature in its DNA; always looking for new opportunities, not afraid of climbing, sure-footed and quite mischievous at times.

3) The sheaf of wheat not only makes reference to our farming heritage, my late great grandfather owned a flourmill in Lithuania. It also represents the bread which is baked daily in the Goatshed.

The four icons in the centre of the crest refer to the following:

1 ) The key unlocks knowledge and potential, opens doors to new opportunities. The basket press represents the artisanal nature that our winemaking, and cheese making, has retained through the years. The olive tree represents growth and the importance of family. We have recently started producing olive oil on the farm – another element of our ever-expanding business. The deep roots of the tree also represent Fairview as a well-established and trusted brand. And the scroll symbolises wisdom and values.

2) Three stars and a shell sit above the crest and were taken from the imagery on the gable of the Fairview Manor House, completed in 1722. The stars represent guidance and the shell fertility.

3) Collective effort has always been paramount to the philosophy of Fairview, and for this reason our winemaker, Anthony de Jager’s name has been incorporated in the front label. Furthermore, the vintage has been removed from the label itself and separately added on the neck, giving the label a more “classic” feel.

4) Not to entirely lose the reference to our iconic Goat Tower, it has been included in a stylised manner on the capsule of the bottle. It has also been added to the top of the capsule for easy identification in your cellar. We still include the date 1693 – when the first formal farming operations commenced on this property, 281 years before Charles Back I purchased the property.

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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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