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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Hi. I am Lyn, one of the longest ‘surviving’ staff members at Fairview. While attending Charles Back’s mother’s funeral in May 1998, I met Fairview’s then Marketing Manager, Jeremy Borg. He asked if I was still convening concerts at the Grande Roche in aid of Drakenstein Hospice. I replied in the affirmative but that I needed to start earning some pocket money to aid my volunteering efforts. He then mentioned Fairview was hiring. I applied and 2 weeks later was happily employed.

Tasting Room | Then

Tasting Room Team | Now

A month later, I mentioned to Jeremy that I felt guilty getting my job at a funeral! He brushed it aside saying, “Oh no Lyn, don’t be – the mafia do it all the time!”. Fast forward 19 years and I am still here and seem to be maturing like a good bottle of red – not yet having reached my expiry date.

Radical changes have occurred here at Fairview over the last 2 decades. When Charles lost his father in 1996, Fairview was the only farm that he owned. We now have several farms in all the major viticultural destinations and specific vines are planted in the terroir that serve them best. For example, our Sauvignon Blanc enjoys the cool breeze blowing off the Atlantic Ocean near Darling on the West Coast. Meanwhile, the Bordeaux classics like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are grown on Houmoed farm in the Firgrove area nearer False Bay and are therefore cooler than Paarl.

Changes in the Tasting Room have also been remarkable. The biggest change to my mind, excluding structural changes in the Tasting Room, have been the new varietals I can offer our guests. In 1998, I poured “the usual suspects” Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Weiser Riesling (now called Riesling) and the then new kid on the block, Viognier.

Wine Tasting | Then

Wine Tasting | NOW

Charles has since uprooted many vines and planted more Mediterranean grapes that can withstand the heat and dry conditions in Paarl and Malmesbury. We now pour Spanish wines such as Carignan, Grenache Noir and Tempranillo, as well as Portuguese varieties such as Souzão and Verdelho. We’ve also updated a lot of our label design, with exciting blends such as Broken Barrel and Extraño.

From a small wine counter in a tiny room serving about 8 people at a time, we now have 5 dedicated serving pods which can accommodate 150 people. Where we were once a staff of 6, we are now a bustling team of 35 members handling over 1000 people a day in season. Our cheese tasting counter once held mounds of cheese samples that guests helped themselves to while ignoring Charles’s sign which read: “Bear in mind this is a cheese tasting, not brunch”. We have now updated our offering to include a curated cheese and wine pairing with 6 cheeses to match 6 wines, providing a more integrated and interactive experience.

Cheese Tasting | Then

Cheese Tasting | Now

At the entrance to the Tasting Room, a traditional garden has been built in memory of Beryl and Cyril Back. Trimmed hedges, a profusion of clivias, white roses and a pond full of Koi fish delight the eye. The trees are 20 years old now and provide shade and homes for many garden birds including the pin-tailed whydah, Cape sparrow, house sparrow, olive thrush and common fiscal to name a few. I watch the arrivals and departures of our migrating sparrows and swifts who leave for warmer climates in autumn and I marvel when they return back to their old nests in summer!

We forget to observe. We are often too busy on our mobiles taking group photos and selfies to see nature play out her amazing adventure. The drama continues high in the sky above Fairview where magnificent harrier-hawks, kites, goshawks, fish eagles and black eagles use thermals to elevate themselves while Lyn muddles along below. Here’s to looking up!

Tasting Room | Then

Tasting Room | Now

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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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Fairview wine and cheese in Paarl produces several tantalising Shiraz wines that feature in almost all of the estate’s ranges. These Shiraz wines have earned numerous accolades, confirming Fairview’s position as a Shiraz-producing jewel in the Cape Winelands.

The 2014 Beacon Shiraz is dark ruby red in colour, with aromas of ripe plum, violet and cinnamon on the nose. The Shiraz resembles a French Syrah from the Northern Rhône. The palate is rich and full-bodied with firm structure and complex flavours of fruit and spice. The wine has the potential to mature for 5 to 8 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 SA Shiraz Wine Challenge 2017 announced their results recently, of which the Fairview Beacon Shiraz 2014 was honoured with a spot in the overall Top 12 Shiraz wines in South Africa.

Richly flavoured and ideally served at 15 °C – 18°C, Shiraz wines are perfect for the winter season. They pair particularly well with hot meat dishes, such as beef stew, roast lamb, venison, oxtail, and roast or braaied chicken.

If you’re not the biggest cook and looking for something more casual, invite friends over and serve up the 2014 Beacon Shiraz with the perfectly suited Fairview Blue Tower. A full fat blue veined Gorgonzola style cheese with a mild flavour and rich creamy texture. Blue Tower is made with more cream than our famous Blue Rock, resulting in a rich texture. It also has a slightly higher moisture content, making it a bit softer and more decadent.

The Beacon Shiraz 2014 retails for about R285 per bottle and is available nationwide at selected liquor outlets or via Fairview’s online shop.

The Roydon Camembert retails for about R69 per unit and is available nationwide at selected supermarkets or at the Fairview Shop & Deli.

To book a standard wine tasting or a Master Tasting at Fairview, visit www.fairview.co.za or call 021 863 2450.

Follow @fairviewwineandcheese on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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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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