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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On the 15^th August 2017, our Goats Do Roam Rosé received a gold in South Africa’s only rosé wine competition, ‘Rosé Rocks!’.  The competition seeks to recognise excellence in rosé winemaking and promote the SA Rosé category. This year, the judging panel was chaired by wine expert and industry legend, Allan Mullins, who was joined by a team of 5 other judges. The Rosé renaissance is currently gaining momentum as one of the fastest growing categories of wine in South Africa, and internationally. In South Africa alone, sales trebled between 2007 and 2014.

In response to the award, Anthony de Jager, Chief Winemaker at Fairview, shared that:

“Although rosé is often viewed as a fun and easy drinking wine, it can be one of the more rewarding wines to make. The most challenging part is knowing when to take the juice off the skins, as this determines the intensity and brightness of the colour, which also has a direct impact on the tannin structure and ultimately the drinkability of the wine. A well-balanced rosé is one of my favourite food wines, complementing the widest range of dishes. Best enjoyed young!”

Our Goats Do Roam Rosé 2016 is available on our online shop for R52. Just click here. To book a standard wine tasting or a Master Tasting at Fairview, call 021 863 2450. Follow @fairviewwineandcheese on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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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!

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With a name as enticing as its delicate rose petal hue, we are proud to introduce a more serious style of rosé wine, the Fairview Rose Quartz 2016!
South Africa’s vineyard landscape is striking, characterised by very old geological formations, such as Africa’s single biggest granite rock. Formed from ancient crystallised magma, granite is typically composed of minerals feldspar and quartz, which when mixed with soil creates an environment that is perfect for cultivating vines. Today, some vineyards are speckled with remnants of this decomposed quartz, which in the right afternoon light, shimmers pink in the sun’s rays. Offering delicate notes of rose petal and pomegranate, our Rose Quartz emerges, reflecting the very minerals in which it is grown.

Inspired by the rosé wines of Provence, Rose Quartz aims to be in line with a new wave of winemaking that sees the contemporary rosé as a more serious contender among South African palate choices.

Eager to take on the challenge of elevating the status of this often underappreciated style of wine, our team set out to craft a universally complimentary rosé by sourcing select grapes from three brilliant, stand-alone vineyards on our Fairview farm. These vineyards are all sites that already make exceptional red wines at Fairview.

With a trendsetting blend of 41% Grenache Noir, 39% Carignan and 20% Cinsault, these versatile and striking varieties have resulted in Fairview’s first premium rosé, Rose Quartz 2016. For the winemaking process, the grapes were handpicked and transferred to the cellar, where they underwent whole-bunch pressing, leaving the juice to settle overnight. Then, the juice was racked off the lees and 45% was fermented in older French oak barrels before it was meticulously blended and bottled.

The result is a wine that displays a beautiful rose petal hue, and offers stunning notes of fresh quince, cherries and pomegranate on the nose, ending off with a crisp mineral finish.

“Rosé wine is the perfect ‘in-between’ wine. Our pale, fresh Rose Quartz is a welcome addition to the range. It’s a great summer wine, packed with fruit and complexity,” says winemaker Anthony de Jager.

This very versatile wine is well balanced and delicious when paired with salads, creamy pasta dishes, sushi and other light fish dishes.

The Fairview Rose Quartz 2016 retails for R100 a bottle and for the moment, is exclusively available from Fairview’s online shop, Fairview Cellar Door (cellar.fairview.co.za) and the farm’s Tasting Room in Paarl.

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