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.

In order to be eligible for the White Blend Report, wines had to contain a Chenin Blanc component of more than 15% and less than 85%. 38 entries from 31 producers were received and these were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by the three-person panel, scoring done according to the 100-point quality scale. Ratings over 90-points were awarded a certificate at the ceremony. We were very happy to host some of South Africa’s most esteemed winemakers and wine opinion formers in our Beryl Back Master Tasting Room, treating all to a veritable cornucopia of our Fairview Brut for starters, followed by a flavourful Fairview Cheese selection and delicious canapés served by the Goatshed Restaurant team! Fairview Nurok is from our Regional Revival Range, made to honour Diane Back’s lineage and inspired by Old World winemaking. It has always been a particular labour of love for the team, read more here. With the label depicting one of Diane’s own paintings, we dare say the beauty of the outside matches the elegance of the inside. A perfect Christmas gift for someone you treasure!

Photos courtesy of: Danie Nel

The post Nurok Scores 92 Points at the Cape White Blend Report 2017 appeared first on Fairview.

This year, the word on the tip of everyone’s tongue within the Western Cape is no doubt ‘drought’. With approximately 23% water remaining in our dams, harvest 2017 is sure to take a knock. Says Anthony, Chief Winemaker at Fairview:

“As far as the drought is concerned, Darling and Swartland are the most affected, although we are seeing marginally better crop levels from last year. We’re short on our Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes. But the positive news is that the quality coming in looks good – it’s still early days though, but the fermenting grapes that we already have are expressive and looking good.”

Meanwhile, Stephanie comments on the fact that the white grape harvest is almost complete, with Riesling the only variety remaining to be picked. “I’m happy to report that our white grapes have a fresh, high acidity which we don’t always expect with such warm weather, so this is a welcoming ray of hope with all the challenges facing us. We’ve seen smaller berry sizes, much like 2016, which give lower juice yield on white wine but have a higher skin-to-flesh ratio on the reds”.

With about 3 weeks left to go of harvest on the farm, Annette says she is looking forward to seeing how the Roussanne will show, as the vines have reached their maturity and the grapes looked very promising. “My focus is shifting to the reds now, and I’m particularly excited to work with the Cinsault and Grenache – two aromatic red varieties that are growing beautifully in our vineyards.”

Here’s wishing the best of luck (and energy) to our tireless winemakers and cellar staff team during this period, as they work effortlessly from dusk till dawn to bring us our beloved Fairview wines!

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