Mother block vineyards are just like what they sound – the first vines to be grown in a region that give rise to the rest of the same variety’s vines in that region. At Fairview, we are very fortunate and proud to have the original mother block of Viognier, planted in 1997 by Charles Back.

Charles desire to bring the aromatic white variety to the Cape stemmed from a visit to France’s Rhône region in 1989. During his trip, he tried Viognier for the first time, and explains how he was immediately struck by the unique nature of the wine, with its intriguing balance of fragrance, deep fruit and austere structure.

“I knew at once that the terroir of the Cape would be well-suited to Viognier, and as we tasted the wines I was thinking about the soils and sites that I was fortunate enough to have found come across over the years,” shares Charles.

When he returned to South Africa, Charles carefully started the process of sourcing the vines to bring to South Africa – a lengthy, complicated and often laborious process. It’s not easy bringing a foreign vine to local soils! But being determined, by the early 1990’s, Fairview was harvesting fruit from our Viognier vineyards.

Today, our trellised Viognier vines grow on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, on decomposed granite soils. Despite the beating summer sun, the resilient grape results in full, ripe and healthy grapes, and after maturation in bottle, shows its well-loved subtle perfumed fruit and great mouthfeel with every vintage.

In 2017, we celebrated 10 years of bottling this varietal. Our Fairview winemakers enjoy sculpting this variety into various styles, including as a single variety (try our Fairview Viognier), as well as being the frontrunner in our unique Brut MCC, and a leading component of our celebrated Nurok white blend. It’s even featured in our Goats Do Roam White Blend and Goat Roti!

Viognier is very flexible, working in a wide variety of seafood, roasted or grilled chicken, pork, spicy flavors and Asian cuisine. A Malay curry with delicate spice and dried fruits is particularly delicious when paired with Viognier. This Mother’s Day, our recommendation is to grab yourself a bottle (or two) of our very own mother block wine, Fairview Viognier, and celebrate!

The post Our Mother Block | Viognier appeared first on Fairview.

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

First starter
Onion bhajis, spiced aubergine dip
Butternut samoosa, sweet chilli yogurt
Bobotie springroll, turmeric aioli
Mango atchar chicken Roti
Curried and pickled fish pots

Second starter
Cauliflower and potato Tarkari, lentil cake & fried paneer

Main course
Mutton curry with tomatoes, garlic and garam masala with Basmati rice, sambals & poppadum

Dessert
Saffron sabayon with roasted fruit, cardamom cake and toasted almonds

***

R325 per person
Wine Pairings included

Click below to purchase your tickets.

The post Drie Papen Fontein Curry Evening | Goatshed Dinner #4 appeared first on Fairview.

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 

The post New Look for Goats Do Roam! appeared first on Fairview.

Fairview was the first to plant and bottle the varietal, and we are now looking back on 20 years of Viognier. Controversial at times, loved, hated or misunderstood; Viognier lends itself beautifully to food pairing, and its’ potential when blended with varietals such as Shiraz, Mourvèdre or certain white varietals, has been influential in the Rhône revolution in the Cape.

Owner of Fairview, Charles Back, reflects on the story:

“I first tasted Viognier in 1989, while travelling in the Rhône. I was immediately struck by the unique nature of the wine, with its intriguing balance of fragrance, deep fruit and austere structure. I knew at once that the terroir of the Cape would be well-suited to Viognier, and as we tasted the wines I was thinking about the soils and sites that I was fortunate enough to have found come across over the years. Upon my return to South Africa, we started the process of sourcing the vines and by the early 1990’s we were harvesting fruit from our Viognier vineyards. Some twenty years later, and looking back on 10 years of bottling this varietal, we are still discovering the grapes’ potential and I am confident that the wines that we are currently bottling are the best that we have made as yet. Viognier is a fantastic food wine, and pairs well with Cape style cooking as well as many of our Fairview handcrafted cheeses.”

Since the introduction of the stunning varietal to our vineyards, our winemaking team have had the fortune and pleasure of working with Viognier regularly, utilising it across a variety of our wines and ranges. We feature it as a single variety in our Fairview Viognier, but it is also used in blends such as the Fairview Nurok and our Fairview Brut MCC.

Anthony de Jager, our Chief Winemaker here at Fairview, shares his thoughts on the French grape:

“The Rhône valley has always intrigued me, and the great wines that the area produces have influenced the direction that my winemaking has taken through my career. Fairview has always embraced innovation and Charles’ perpetual search for new and interesting varietals led us, amongst others, to Viognier. Over the last fifteen years we have been engaging with the complexities of this varietal. While the similarities that the Rhône and the Cape winelands share have provided a successful launch pad, the differences have allowed us to seek out and develop a style that is unique to the Cape. I am proud of what we have achieved to date, and continue to be surprised, inspired and challenged by what emerges each vintage.”

Fairview Viognier is available at our Tasting Room and via our online shop for R100.

SPECIAL: To celebrate 20 years of Viognier, this week we are running a special for R50 a bottle. Click here to buy.

The post 20 Years of Viognier! | Our Heritage Grape appeared first on Fairview.

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/

The post 5 Places to Buy Fairview Wines Online appeared first on Fairview.

So gather around, fellow wine lovers! Our third session begins with one of greatest viticultural achievements, otherwise known as Viognier.

The Basics:

Grape Variety: Viognier (pronunciation: Vee-on-yee-ay)
Origin: Rhône Valley, Southern France
Style: Dry white wine
Colour Profile: Medium gold – straw yellow hue
Flavour Profile: Stone fruit (peach, apricot) and floral notes
Key Regions Planted: South Africa, France, Australia, USA, Italy, Argentina, Chile
Food pairing: As an aromatic wine, Viognier loves spice and aromatic foods. It is low on acid and can be quite a full-bodied wine, so think of more robust dishes such as Green Thai Curry or Moroccan tagine.

Our Story:

We are very proud owners of the mother block of Viognier locally, meaning we introduced the very first plantings to South Africa back in the 1990s. Our Fairview Viognier is overtly peachy, noticeably scented and less savoury than its Rhone namesake, reflecting our warmer climate here at Fairview. Our latest vintages have really reflected the cooler Darling area from which they stem, creating more refined wine that offers a subtle salty minerality at the core.

Over the years, our winemaker’s have worked carefully with this delicate French grape variety, producing single variety bottlings and blending it into some of our most special creations, such as our Old World style blend called Nurok and our Brut MCC, the first Methodé Cap Classique wine in the world made using Viognier, Grenache Noir and Grenache Blanc. Our latest range, Bloemcool. also has it’s very own version of Viognier, with the Vis n Tjips – a bold style Viognier, with great aging potential.

All available on our online shop.

The post Cellar Sessions #3 | Viognier appeared first on Fairview.

You could say there is a trend permeating among local winemakers, and it is a very positive one at that. After centuries of keeping close to traditionally classic, cooler climate grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, there is a quiet avant-garde movement happening that is turning the status quo on its heels.

In recent years, South African vineyards have seen a steady rise in Rhône-style varieties such as Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault being planted, and a more warm-hearted embrace to crafting wine out of our own indigenous grape varieties such as Pinotage and Chenin. The change is dynamic, and one solid reason for such a choice is that these Rhône-style and local varieties are better suited to the harsh, hot and now drought-ridden climate that seeps through our winelands, producing beautifully refined bottlings.

It is with this philosophy in mind that Charles Back went out and pioneered the plantings of such varieties on our farm over 30 years ago. And today, our winemakers are blown away by the results that our Paarl-based vines are showing, in particular the Paarl Chenin and Old Bush Vine Cinsault. Both these varieties are the traditional work horses of the South African wine industry, mainly because of their high yield and ability to blend well with other wines. But with extra care and attention to detail, both have broken the mould and the resulted wines are expressive, well-structured and great additions to the Fairview portfolio. It just goes to show what can happen when you give each grape its time to shine.

As we love doing things differently, we encourage our fans to do the same, and join us as we toast to the comeback kids Chenin & Cinsault – trust us, they’ll be the words (and taste) on the tip of your tongue very soon.

Both of these special wines are available from our online shop.
Paarl Chenin Blanc: R100 – click here to buy now
Cinsault: R115 – – click here to buy now

Paarl Chenin Blanc grapes on the left, and Paarl Cinsault grapes on the right, captured by our winemakers last week

The post Paarl Chenin & Cinsault | The Comeback Kids appeared first on Fairview.

This week we’re calling all Sauvingon Blanc lovers – time to say hello to Verdelho, a fresh and crisp white wine that should be on your wine bucket list!

The Basics:

Grape Variety: Verdelho
Origin: Portugal and the Portuguese archipelago Madeira
Style: Dry white wine
Colour Profile: Bright light lime colour
Aroma & Flavour Profile: Our Verdelho has aromas of pear drop, papaya, mango and white blossoms. The palate is light to medium bodied with lingering citrus and fruit flavours.
Key Regions Planted: Madeira, Portugal, Spain, Australia, South Africa
Food pairing: Quite drinkable without food, or delightful with tapas or appetisers. The tropical fruitiness of Verdelho can also be matched with the spiciness of Asian cuisine, especially Vietnamese food. Beautiful with our Fairview Feta with Dried Olives.

Our Story:

Straight-forward and easy-drinking, we love Verdelho at Fairview, and are one of the few wine farms in the country that grow this unusual variety. A well-made Verdelho will be fresh, soft, and quite fruity when young, and it can be a great bargain. At this point, our winemakers believe that Verdelho is a perfect alternative to Sauvignon Blanc and even an unwooded Chardonnay. Verdelho is just the ticket for informal lunches, late summer afternoons or just to share with casual visitors.

Our Fairview Verdelho is available on our online shop for R70. Click here.

The post Oh Hello, Verdelho! | Cellar Session #2 appeared first on Fairview.

With everything we do here on the farm – whether it’s rearing our beloved goats to provide us with the creamiest milk to make our range of Chevin rolls, or kneading out dough at 4am on rainy mornings for our artisanal breads – everything – is made with intention. And that rings particularly true for our range of wines.

Philip Pullman writes that ‘After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.’ I’d argue that wine should be in there too, but stories certainly make life richer. This is why, once a month, I’d like to tell you a tale about some of our wines, to share my intentions behind every bottling. We’ll start with a wine that is very dear to me, called Nurok.

In Lithuanian, ‘Nurok’ means diver. It is also my wife Diane’s maiden surname. Of course, this is no coincidence. As we are both descendants from Lithuanian families, we were once equally curious to go unearth our roots, and so we headed to Eastern Europe for a trip to discover more. What we learnt was an inspiring tale of Di’s ancestors in adversity …

At the end of the 17th century, Lithuanians were taking on the Catholic faith and built a cathedral in Siauliai in celebration. It was the middle of winter, and a heavy bell that was being transported to the cathedral fell into a frozen river. The locals could not retrieve it. Seeing the situation and wanting to help, a brave young boy named Wulf dived into the river, attached a rope to the bell and, with help from the villagers, 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. From then on, he and his descendants were known by this name, and there was harmony between Christians and Jews within their village town.

Upon returning home and inspired by Old World blends, we released Nurok, a blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne Di created a beautiful painting, which I used for the front label which you will see today both on the label and hanging in the Tasting Room. As a consistent accolade winner, having received 5 stars in Platter’s Wine Guide two years running (2011 and 2012 vintages) , I invite you to share in on a wine that I believe to be complete, wholesome and complex, invigorating, and totally versatile.

The post A True Labour of Love appeared first on Fairview.