As you should already know by now, Fairview and our winemakers, under the careful guidance of Charles Back, love to break with tradition. In fact, we’re all about doing things differently. This really came to the fore with our Fairview Brut Méthode Cap Classique (MCC), a re-imagined take on the classic bubbly. Traditionally, Champagne (in France) and MCC (in South Africa), is made using the grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. For our version, one of our talented winemakers Stephanie Wiid decided to break with tradition, and use a celebration of Mediterranean varieties – Viognier, Grenache Noir and Grenache Blanc – for her bubbly. Given Charles’s reputation as one of the SA wine industry mavericks, perhaps it’s not that surprising that he insisted on the first Fairview MCC rather being Rhône-like in its varietal mix.

For our pen-ultimate Goatshed Dinner for 2018, we will be sharing the delights of our Fairview Brut MCC and pairing it with Old World style food – meaning food from regions like France. Our chefs and winemakers thought it would be an interesting comparison to take our New World bubbly and pair it with Old World traditional fare. The combination will no doubt be delightful! Coming up on Friday 7th September 2018, come enjoy a warm environment, hearty food and a pop, clink, fizz with your friends!

In case you haven’t heard, this year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings, by complementing the Goatshed dinners to our most food-focused wine range, titled the Regional Revival Range.

The Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:
1. Fairview Homtini
2. Fairview Nurok
3. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
4. Fairview Caldera
5. Fairview Brut MCC
6. Fairview Extrano

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

Amuse Bouche
Blinis with smoked salmon & fish roe

First starter
Paprika chicken schnitzel with stuffed cabbage

Second starter
Mushroom and barley soup

Main course
Roast beef, potato dauphinois, roasted vegetables and rosemary jus
Goulash hot pot

Dessert
Apple pie, vanilla ice cream and custard

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

The post Brut MCC Old World Evening | Goatshed Dinner #7 appeared first on Fairview.

Off the coast of the Greek isle of Santorini lies a sea-drowned caldera, a vast crater left behind by one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in history. Once a cradle of heat and magma, today that energy is still channeled into the Mediterranean dishes cooked in cauldron-style pots by locals. To celebrate the warmth and richness of this culture, we’ve crafted our Caldera wine to masterfully match with any meal… and the Goatshed Caldera Evening is just the fit for this experience!

Our sixth Goatshed dinner is coming up on the 24th August 2018: The Caldera Greek Evening!

Caldera was so named after Charles Back’s travels to Santorini in Greece. During his stay, he enjoyed the view of the mostly submerged caldera, located in the southern Aegean Sea, 120 kilometers north of Crete. Upon his return from Greece, he was inspired to create a Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend that would complement Mediterranean style food, such as the Greek cuisine he has experienced. And so Caldera was born – the oldest member of our Regional Revival Range, and one of our best!

This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings, by complementing the Goatshed dinners to our most food-focused wine range, titled the Regional Revival Range.

The Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:
1. Fairview Brut MCC
2. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
3. Fairview Nurok
4. Fairview Homtini
5. Fairview Extrano
6. Fairview Caldera

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

Mezze
Greek style breads, olives and hummus
Homemade Dolmades
Spinach & feta tartlets
Haloumi & sundried tomato salsa

Starter
Prawn Saganaki & zucchini fritter

Main Course
Baked lamb meatballs with crushed potatoes, baby marrow, aubergine puree and rosemary jus

Dessert
Greek Style Fresh Cheese & Yoghurt tart, apricot compote

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

The post Caldera Greek Evening| Goatshed Dinner #6 appeared first on Fairview.

After re-imagining our annual Goatshed Dinners, the Regional Revival Range Chef’s Journey will most definitely be our flagship event of the season! Coming up on the 27th July 2018, the Regional Revival Range showcase will be a culmination of our chef’s finest culinary talent and our winemakers crafted bottlings. The goal is to deliver a true farm-to-fork philosophy, offering a real taste of our homegrown produce and beautifully paired wines.

In case you’ve missed it, the Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:
1. Fairview Brut MCC
2. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
3. Fairview Nurok
4. Fairview Homtini
5. Fairview Extrano
6. Fairview Caldera

This food-friendly showcase of unusual styles and cultivars gives our talented winemakers an exciting avenue to challenge traditional viticulture and winemaking and produce regionally-inspired, blended wines with a Cape twist. At Fairview, there is a tale to share behind everything, none more so than our wine. Our Regional Revival Range brings storytelling to the fore, blending together adventurous grape varieties with cutting-edge winemaking. Inspired by wines of the Old World, the range takes these traditional regional styles and brings them alive to local palates by integrating an unexpected Cape twist. Rising in popularity since its inception, our Regional Revival Range is beloved for each bottle’s characteristic label design and food pairing compatibility.

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

Bread
Bread & condiments

Full circle Pork
Pâté en Croûte

Beef
Shoulder ragout & Tortellini

Lamb
Lamb neck cottage pie, lamb jus and parsnips

Dairy
Yoghurt Panna Cotta

Cheese selection

***

R375 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

The post Regional Revival Range Chef’s Journey | Goatshed Dinner #5 appeared first on Fairview.

Our second Goatshed Dinner is coming up on the 8th June 2018: The Nurok Moroccan Evening!

This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings by complementing the Goatshed dinners to our most food-focused wine range, the Regional Revival Range.

The Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:
1. Fairview Brut MCC
2. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
3. Fairview Nurok
4. Fairview Homtini
5. Fairview Extrano
6. Fairview Caldera

Each wine from our Regional Revival range has an exciting story to tell, and a veritable feast to go with it, with a specific wine region in mind. Our second dinner is all about Nurok – a true labour of love. Charles Back tells the story:

“My wife, Diane, whose painting is depicted on the front label, is descended from the Nurok family, originally from Lithuania. At the end of the 17th century, Lithuanians were taking on the Catholic faith and built a cathedral in Siauliai in celebration. A heavy bell being transported to the cathedral fell into a frozen river, and the locals could not retrieve it. A young boy named Wulf dived into the river, attached a rope to the bell and, with some help, hauled it onto the riverbank. Refusing all reward, Wulf asked that the Jews be allowed to return to Siauliai. His wish was granted, and the citizens bestowed on him the name Nurok, meaning diver. From then on, he and his descendants were known by this name, and there was harmony between Christians and Jews. This admirable example of religious tolerance and mutual respect serves as one of the cornerstones of our philosophy at Fairview. This wine pays homage to the revered blends of the Old World.”

Nurok is one of our most acclaimed award-winning wines. In 2017, it won a 90 Tim Atkin score, 4.5 star Platter rating, and 92-points in the Winemag White Blend Award! Thanks to the oak on this beautiful white blend, it complements spicy and rich food incredibly well, so we’ve opted to pair it with Moroccan-inspired dishes.

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

Mrehba
Flat breads from the wood-fire oven, olive oil & rosemary
Khobz Kesra – Traditional Moroccan bread
Spiced carrot & chickpeas
Lemon & olive chicken drumsticks
Spicy Roast pepper dip
Eggplant salad

First Starter
Masala spiced line fish, lentil & chickpea cakes & Chermoula

Second Starter
Saffron and cumin potato curry, Poppadums & Labneh

Main Course
Lamb shoulder, apricot Cous Cous

Dessert
Almond cake,  date preserve & cinnamon custard

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

The post Nurok Moroccan Evening | Goatshed Dinner #2 appeared first on Fairview.

As mentioned in our previous post here, our Goatshed Dinners are back this year with a revived twist!
This year, we’ve decided to introduce a strong relationship between the food and wine pairings, by complementing the Goatshed Dinners to our most food-focused wine range, titled the Regional Revival Range.

The Regional Revival Range consists of the following 6 wines:
1. Fairview Brut MCC
2. Fairview Drie Papen Fontein
3. Fairview Nurok
4. Fairview Homtini
5. Fairview Extrano
6. Fairview Caldera

Each wine is brimming with a decorative label and enticing story to tell, as well as orientated with a specific wine region in mind. Take for example our first dinner coming up on the 25th May 2018: The Homtini Italian Dinner.

Homtini translates as a ‘difficult passage’ in the long-forgotten Khoi language. The Homtini pass, near Knysna, winds its way through indigenous forests. This was once the home of our winemaker, Anthony de Jager’s Italian ancestors, the Rabbolinis, who were silk farmers from Northern Italy. They immigrated to South Africa under the misconception that mulberry trees grew in abundance. On arrival they discovered that no mulberry trees existed, but through tenacity and hard work, they tamed the land and ultimately prospered in other trades, including wine-making.

The wine is a Tuscan-style blend of Italian variety Sangiovese, integrated with a touch of Cabernet Sauvingon and Merlot. The wine is crafted to go perfectly with Italian-style dishes, such as tomato-based sauces, breads and cheese. Here is a breakdown of the menu you can expect to savour on the evening:

Antipasti

Selection of cured meats [ Mortadella, Salami, Coppa, Pastrami ]
Freshly baked breads [ Ciabatta, Focaccia ]
Mozzarella, tomato & herb pesto salad
Goats’ cheese & caramelized onion Bruschetta
Fegato d’anatra (duck liver) paté
Pork, fennel & sage

Primi
Mushroom Casarecce

Secondi
“Bistecca alla Goatshed”
Roasted Sirloin, polenta & Mediterranean garnish

Dolce
Tiramisu

Try your hand as pizzaiolo in between courses at our wood fired pizza oven station

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

The post Homtini Italian Evening | Goatshed Dinner #1 appeared first on Fairview.

So gather around, fellow wine lovers! Our second session starts with an Italian stallion – Sangiovese!

The Basics:
Grape Variety: Sangiovese (sahn/djoh/VEH/zeh)
Origin: Italy
Style: Dry red wine
Colour: Ruby red
Aromas & Flavour: Savoury, maraschino cherries, cloves, tomato
Key Regions Planted: Italy, Corsica, Argentina, US
Food pairing: Think Italian foods – rich roasted meat, cured sausages and hard cheeses. Bellissimo!
Fairview Wines: La Capra Sangiovese and Homtini

Sangio-who? Outside of its native home of Italy, Sangiovese is actually quite scarse. So we’re proud to be able to grow and work with this champion red grape variety. Known as a more savoury grape, Sangiovese wines offer a wide range of tastes from very earthy to round and fruit-forward. Regardless of where it’s grown, it always exhibits cherry flavors with more delicate notes of tomato. We first spotted Sangiovese when we brought our Darling vineyard – and we liked what we found! Our Sangiovese works very well in the cooler Atlantic region of Darling, bringing forward a vibrant fruit and fresh acidity.

With our very own Italian descendant here on the farm, chief winemaker Anthony de Jager, it came as a natural evolution to release a Sangiovese-based blend called Homtini. Having quickly risen in popularity since its maiden 2014 vintage, the wine is now loved not only for its outstanding flavour but also for its wallpaper-inspiring label! If you’d like to try this grape variety as a single variety, our La Capra Sangiovese is the perfect opportunity to do so, and is absolutely perfecto with tomato-based sauces like marinara and pasta dishes.

La Capra Sangiovese is available for R50 a bottle, click here.
Fairview’s Homitni is available for R160 a bottle, click here.

The post Cellar Sessions #2: Sangiovese appeared first on Fairview.