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.

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.

The post Awie Adolf honoured with prestigious 1659 Medal of Honour! appeared first on Fairview.

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.

From early in the morning until late at night, tractors roll into the cellar carrying tons of freshly-picked grapes from our vineyards, and our viticultural, winemaking and cellar team work like a finely-tuned machine to ensure all the grapes are handled with care and crafted to perfection. This window period of harvest normally starts anywhere from January and ends latest in April, depending on the climate conditions, grape varieties and wine styles. At Fairview, we started harvest in mid-January, and are almost finished now, with the last few Bordeaux-varieties coming in.

As harvest is all about reaping the fruits of the vines and connecting with the hands around you, the Goatshed decided to celebrate this magical time, by hosting a harvest table. This wonderful paddock-to-plate experience is all about bringing the farm’s bountiful produce and fruits of the harvest directly to the table for guests to experience and enjoy in a relaxed al fresco setting.

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.

We invite you to join the next event on the 25^th March 2017 from 11.30 – 3.30pm at the Fairview farm.
Tickets are R325.
A few more spots are remaining – click here to book now!

The post Harvest Celebrations in Full Swing! appeared first on Fairview.

This year, the word on the tip of everyone’s tongue within the Western Cape is no doubt ‘drought’. With approximately 23% water remaining in our dams, harvest 2017 is sure to take a knock. Says Anthony, Chief Winemaker at Fairview:

“As far as the drought is concerned, Darling and Swartland are the most affected, although we are seeing marginally better crop levels from last year. We’re short on our Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes. But the positive news is that the quality coming in looks good – it’s still early days though, but the fermenting grapes that we already have are expressive and looking good.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie comments on the fact that the white grape harvest is almost complete, with Riesling the only variety remaining to be picked. “I’m happy to report that our white grapes have a fresh, high acidity which we don’t always expect with such warm weather, so this is a welcoming ray of hope with all the challenges facing us. We’ve seen smaller berry sizes, much like 2016, which give lower juice yield on white wine but have a higher skin-to-flesh ratio on the reds”.

With about 3 weeks left to go of harvest on the farm, Annette says she is looking forward to seeing how the Roussanne will show, as the vines have reached their maturity and the grapes looked very promising. “My focus is shifting to the reds now, and I’m particularly excited to work with the Cinsault and Grenache – two aromatic red varieties that are growing beautifully in our vineyards.”

Here’s wishing the best of luck (and energy) to our tireless winemakers and cellar staff team during this period, as they work effortlessly from dusk till dawn to bring us our beloved Fairview wines!

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