Introducing Back’s Blend 2014!

Charles explains: “This red wine is a reflection of my winemaking philosophy. As you might know, I started wine-making in 1978, and have been fortunate enough to be able to travel through the Cape Winelands discovering new sites and unique blocks of vineyard. I have also been instrumental in bringing Mediterranean varieties to our shores, all of which has led to the creation of exciting and interesting wines. In the past much of this work has never reached the market.

I have now decided to bottle a range of these unique wines to share with you. Bear in mind, however, that due to their exploratory nature, these wines can change from vintage to vintage and this may be the last bottle of its kind. The first of my Back’s Blend private range is a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Tannat.

I’ve crafted this wine to thank my loyal club members and Fairview fans. Due to its limited quantities, Back’s Blend will be released to the Wine Club first, with a permanent allocation on reserve. Should there be any left, we will then open Back’s Blend up to our greater Fairview family.”

Charles Back | Back’s Blend 2014

Back’s Blend is crafted from Tannat, Merlot and Shiraz. It has a deep red colour with ripe plums, hints of black pepper and lavender on the nose. The palate shows fresh raspberries with well integrated tannins and a savoury finish.
Price: R100
Available online only.
Click here to purchase

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There is a stranger (extraño in Spanish) in the Cape’s vineyards, named Tempranillo. Originally from Spain, Tempranillo now grows in local soils and produces grapes of exceptional quality. We’ve carefully integrated fellow Spaniards Grenache and Carignan – who add spice, fruit and freshness – to help temper this slightly rustic grape variety’s temperamental streak.

Since its release, this wine has been causing waves throughout our Tasting Room, becoming a firm best-seller thanks to its consistent taste, beautiful label and value-for-money. In fact, Extraño was one of our most awarded wines for 2017, receiving a 4.5 star Platter rating, a 2017 National Wine Challenge Top 100 award, and a 90 point score at the Winemag Signature Red Blend Report Awards 2017!

For our final Goatshed Dinner for 2018, we decided to pair a winning wine with a winning cuisine combination. Chef SJ Nel and the Goatshed team carefully curated a menu that will please all palates, while harking back to Catalan-inspired flavours. The event also marks the end of winter, and welcomes in a change of season for warmer weather and later sunsets. Come celebrate – and don’t forget your castanets!

Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to enjoy on the evening:

Tapas
Selection of breads, spicy dips & Salami
Paprika chicken Taco cups
Meatballs in Chorizo & tomato sauce
Mushroom Empanadas

Starter
Roasted Linefish & white bean soup

Main Course
Braised beef, potato cake & traditional Pisto

Dessert
Flan de Cafe

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

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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!

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The first Goats Do Roam vintage was 1999. To call it an instant success could be an understatement – within the space of a few short years, our tongue-in-cheek range became the best-selling South African wine brand internationally. It holds a close place in my heart and was actually one of South Africa’s first ‘critter’ brands. But importantly, it has never been a joke wine. My winemaking team and I have always endeavoured to ensure that the quality of the wine is consistently high, and to this end, I think we continue to reach our goal, winning several awards over the decades and continuing to find a spot on the shelves.

But time flies, and my herd asked for a wardrobe change. 20 years later, I decided to update the look and feel of our labels. While the iconic mustard-yellow of the Red Blend lives on, you’ll find the White and Rosé blends look very different, with a delicate new colour palate to boot. Designed by the talents at Jane Says Design, the inspiration for the label was to reflect the delicate smoothness of the wine while adding a bit of shine with the gold foil. We’ve got the nod from our goats – I hope we have it from you too?

Goats do Roam Festive Case

– Charles Back 

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We introduced the maiden Bloemcool range in 2015, and have quickly seen it enjoy a more discerning level of appreciation. Named after Fairview’s original farm name of Bloemkoolfontein, the range gives an avenue for our winemakers to experiment with esoteric, unusual blends and varieties. François Hugo, vintner before the Back family, used everything off the land, including the chestnut trees for farmstead furniture and recycled wine bottles for new releases. Bloemcool embraces this heritage by repurposing past bottles and hand-making labels that are implanted with real cauliflower seeds, encouraging the new keeper of the wine to let the story of Bloemcool perpetually live on.

Dense, deep red in glass, our sun-baked vineyards of Paarl provide no lack of ripe fruit and spice – expect hints of vanilla, fresh dates and dried fig aromas. Dark and brooding in style, our Tempranillo shares a full-bodied palate mingling with flavours of cranberries and toasted oak. Fine grained tannins add a sense of precision to a very long and seamless finish. This will age beautifully.
Try with: braised lamb, venison or rich roast pork.

Available for R450 per bottle
Total Amount Bottled: 470 bottles
Exclusively available for purchase from this week via the Fairview Online Shop – or at our cellar doors in Paarl.

We hope you fall in love with this variety as much as we have!

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Undoubtably, his impact on the farm does not go unnoticed. Yesterday, Jessica Hector, one of our Fairtrade Premium Committee members and long-term vineyard team employees, felt so strongly about thanking Charles for all that he has done, that she wanted to send him her very own good luck message from everyone in the vineyard and cellar team. Congratulations Charles – to life!:

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Saturday, 9th November this year marks International Tempranillo Day – a day we are most definitely celebrating! As big advocates of the Spanish variety, we’ve used it in a range of our wines, most recently the Fairview Extrano and Fairview Broken Barrel.

When reflecting on bringing Tempranillo to Fairview, Charles shares the story:

“I was eager to introduce Tempranillo to our vineyards, and so in 2003, I planted vines in Darling. 3 years later, the fruit the vines were bearing looked a bit odd, and upon further investigation, we discovered the nursery had accidently given us Tinta Amarela – a variety used to make port! We eventually replanted vines in Paarl, and now have one of  the Tempranillo mother blocks in South Africa” 

Whether you are a new or long-standing fan of the robust grape variety, here are a few things you need to know:

Grape Variety: Tempranillo 
Origin: Spain
Style: Dry red wine
Colour Profile: Ruby red
Flavour Profile: Red fruit (cherry), cinnamon spice; firm tannin structure
Key Regions: Rioja – Spain, Portugal, USA
Food pairing: Tapas, cured meats. Tempranillo is one of the most food friendly wines!

Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, and Tinta del Pais in Spain, Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain

Traditionally, Tempranillo is best known as the dominant grape of red Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine. It is popular for providing the framework and ageing ability to many blends, and the flavour of Tempranillo is essentially savoury rather than sweet. For this reason, it pairs with a wide diversity of food.

We love it here at Fairview because it fares particularly well in the heat thanks to its Spanish heritage, and while it is still a stranger of sorts to most, keep an eye on this variety – we’re certain it will be popping up on more and more trendy wine lists in the years to come! Happy International Tempranillo Day!

Fairview Extrano and Broken Barrel are both available on our online shop. Click here.

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Fairview Online Shop

Naturally, first stop is our home base of Fairview.co.za. Fairview is the only website that sells all of the Fairview Wines (all 60+ of them, yes!) from classics like Fairview Shiraz to our flagship Fairview Cyril Back. We also have a few limited wines, such as Broken Barrel (exclusive to the Tasting Room and online shop), as well as our Bloemcool range – a small batch selection that allows our winemakers to experiment with unusual varieties and blends. Of course, the site wouldn’t be complete without our old faithful’s like our lifestyle offering of La Capra wines, and our beloved blended Goats Do Roam range. (Hint: Sign up to our newsletter to hear our regular and unbeatable specials – many of which included once-off batches that are high value for money!)

Visit https://www.fairview.co.za/shop/

Winefolk

We like the folk and Winefolk, and are happy to say that almost the entire Fairview Wine range is available on their site – making it one of best selections outside our online shop and tasting room. Winefolk was established by a few passionate wine personalities to supply wines directly to consumers, door to door in South Africa. If you love a bargain, this is your bag! Winefolk specializes in deals (especially in export overruns and such), with regular wine specials ranging between R25 – R45. Sign up to their newsletter – their wine sells fast!

Visit https://winefolk.co.za/

Yuppiechef

As one of South Africa’s premier online kitchen & homeware store, Yuppiechef has a formidable wine selection, and we’re proud to be part of their cellar selection. The site is user friendly and it’s all too easy to spend way too much time on it (trust us!) – after all, if you’re going to buy some fine Fairview wine, why not upgrade your glassware while you’re at it? Yuppiechef offers our wine in 6 bottle cases, securing really get value for money.

Visit https://www.yuppiechef.com/fairview.htm

Norman Goodfellows

Norman Goodfellows relentless focus on service and attention to detail has earned them a reputation as one of South Africa’s finest wine and spirit merchants. They have also won Best of Joburg 2014 – Best Bottle Store Award. Now online, they offer many of the same wines they stock in their retail stores – including, naturally, our Fairview selection. Check them out:

Visit: https://www.ngf.co.za/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=fairview

Wine.co.za

Wine.co.za is a content hub of electronically stored information of lip-smacking South African wines and the remarkable people and magical places behind these wines. The Wine.co.za site is best known for finding places and wines in South Africa. It also offers a range of other options like news, a diary, shop and tour routes. If you want to get a better idea of Fairview’s vast range or learn more about the brand, this is a one-stop shop:

Visit http://shop.wine.co.za/

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If you’ve ever tried some of our Single Vineyard wines, you might have come across the term ‘old vines’. But what exactly do we mean by that?

It’s quite simple really. We mean vines that are old. And why is this worth writing about? Well, every vineyard is special. But there’s something truly magical about an old vine vineyard. When it comes to old vineyards, a winemaking team starts tending to not only the vines, but the heritage too. And even though the yield may be going down (i.e. less wine) year on year, the fruit of the vine produces wine of great structure, concentrated flavours and aromas worthy of conservation. A further added benefit includes a deep root system, meaning these vines are hardier in extreme weather conditions, such as the current draught we are experiencing. Much like a fully grown adult versus a young teen, the older vines are more self-sufficient, cutting down on vineyard maintenance and costs.

So what counts as old vines? In South Africa, ‘old’ vines are generally accepted as being 35 years or more. In Old World wine producing countries such as France and Italy, that number drastically increases to up to 120 years. The reason our vines are relatively youthful is due to a number of factors, including past viruses and planting more economical crops. Plus, our history of winemaking is way younger than our Old World counterparts (hence South Africa forming part of the ‘New World’ grouping of winemaking countries).

Well-respected old vine specialist, Rosa Kruger, estimates that South Africa has approximately 2,162 hectares that qualify as ‘old vines’. At Fairview, we are fortunate to have a handful of legitimate ‘old vine’ vineyards. For example, we pick our Carignan grapes from the Bassons’ bushvine vineyards in the Swartland side of the Perdeberg Mountain. It is the oldest Carignan vineyard in the country, planted in 1972, and now reaching the ripe age of 45 years. The vines grow on Malmesbury shale soils, which provide elegance and sheer complexity to the final wine. We make our Pegleg Carignan from these grapes, a Single Vineyard wine that has a unique story to tell.

The Basson family, who have farmed at Die Slot for three generations, were one of the first families to plant Carignan in South Africa. At 17 years of age, Cobus Basson was helping his father plant vines when a tractor overturned and rolled onto him, causing the loss of a leg. Being a man of great humour and spirit, he is affectionately known amongst local farmers as “Houtbeen” (Pegleg) Basson. Our Single Vineyard Carignan is named Pegleg as an homage to a man and wine which are both bold and spirited with enormous character and depth.

We invite you to come and taste the difference. Our Pegleg Carignan is available here.

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This year marks the fifth annual Shiraz SA Wine Challenge with about 220 entries received. The results were announced at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate in Paarl. The competition has maintained great prestige and popularity since its inception, no doubt a testament to the popularity of this specific cultivar amongst South African wine lovers.

In addition to our Top 12 achievement, the Fairview Jakkalsfontein 2014 and Fairview Cape Granite Red Blend 2014 were also finalists in the competition. The Fairview Jakkalsfontein is a 100% Shiraz, while the Cape Granite Red Blend is crafted from Shiraz, Grenache and Tempranillo. We were also recognized for our vineyard consistency, having maintained a spot in the Top 12 for the last five years.

“Shiraz has always been a flagship variety for our farm, carrying with it a special heritage and significance,” says winemaker Anthony de Jager.

The Fairview Beacon Shiraz 2014 is dark ruby red in colour, with aromas of white pepper, mixed spice and black cherries. The Shiraz resembles a French Syrah from the Northern Rhone.

Meanwhile, the Swartland Shiraz 2014 has a rich concentrated palate, with flavours of ripe fruits, savoury spices and silky tannins on the finish. Perfumed aromas of cinnamon, dark berries and liquorice can be picked up on the nose. Both wines go really well with red meats, such as lamb and beef, cooked either on the braai or in stews.

“There is so much diversity within the styles of Shiraz – it’s definitely one of the aspects that excites us most. We’re really proud to have so many wines in the running this year, and for two of our wines to be in the Top 12,” says winemaker Stephanie Wiid.

We pride ourselves on our abundance of Shiraz wines that feature in almost all of our ranges. These include a number of exceptional wines namely, the Fairview Cyril Back, our flagship wine named after owner Charles Back’s father, as well as three different Shiraz wines in our premium Single Vineyard range – the Beacon, Jakkalsfontein and Eenzaameheid, a recent Top 100 2017 winner. These wines were created to showcase the powerful difference terroir can make in the ultimate result of a wine. We invite you to come visit all these wines, available from our tasting room.

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