South Africa boasts a distinguished winemaking history that stretches back to the mid-seventeenth century. After many years of languishing during the apartheid era, South African wines have once again taken their place on the world stage. The country’s best wines combine old-world tradition with cutting-edge techniques and have caught the attention of oenophiles everywhere. One of the most interesting estates is Fairview Wine and Cheese.
Vineyard in Paarl, South Africa
The History of Fairview
The current Fairview property was first designated as a farm by the then Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel in 1693, with Steven Vervey the first official owner. Vervey is thought to be one of the French Huguenots who arrived in the Cape in 1688. The earliest recorded name for the property is Bloemkoolfontein (directly translated from Afrikaans as cauliflower fountain) and hints at the mixed agriculture that took place on the property over the centuries. Towards the end of the 19th century the name of the property was officially changed to Fairview. Although the first wine was made on this property in 1699, the fortunes of this producer (now called Fairview Wine & Cheese) really started to skyrocket when the Back family purchased the winery in 1937.
The Back Family Legacy
Charles Louis Back was a Lithuanian immigrant to the Cape, who arrived in South Africa in 1902. He settled in Paarl where he set up a butcher shop as well as selling farm produce from the local farmers. Through these dealings he was offered a piece of land on the farm Klein Babylonstoren in the Paarl winelands. In 1916 Charles Back purchased what would later become the Backsberg farm from David Louw and left the butchery behind to become a wine farmer. In 1926 he was awarded the General Smuts Trophy for South Africa's champion wine. After establishing himself and learning the trade, Charles Back purchased Fairview from Hugo in 1937, for the sum of 6500 pounds. Charles Back had two sons, Sydney and Cyril, in whom Back instilled a love for the land, as well as a strong work ethic.
The current owner, Charles Back, has been a pioneer in areas such as sustainability and fair trade. He has long been one of the most progressive owners in the business. Charles Back is not only a trailblazer in the wine and cheese industries and an agri-tourism pioneer; he is also a highly respected philanthropist.
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Cyril spent much of his first years at Fairview replanting and planning vineyards. In 1974, Cyril broke away from the KWV; as a result, the first wines under the Fairview Estate label were bottled in this year. In 1975, Cyril held South Africa's first public wine auction and, together with his wife, Beryl, began to recognise the farm's possibilities of public visitation. Cyril's son, Charles, joined Fairview in 1978, after completing his winemaking studies at Elsenburg agricultural college.
The first recorded wine production on the property was in 1699 and wine grape cultivation has continued to this day. When Cyril Back took over in 1955, following his father's death, he replanted most of the Fairview vineyards. He introduced Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinotage to the property. In 1974 Cyril Back was amongst the first producers to break away from the strictly regulated body controlling South African wine at the time, where grape growers supplied their grapes to the co-operative KWV. He established Fairview as an independent estate and the first wines were bottled under the Fairview label in 1974, from grapes grown exclusively on the Fairview property. The first wines bottled were a Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinotage.
With Charles Back joining his father in 1978, Fairview's range of wines began to diversify, with white wines being added to the portfolio and new varietals being planted. Charles also introduced innovative winemaking practices. Using the Gamay varietal, Fairview produced South Africa's first Beaujolais nouveau style wine in 1987 using the traditional carbonic maceration method. During the late 1980s Charles began watch the international wine trends more closely, making subtle adjustments to bring the quality of his wines in line with international standards. These markets had always been closed to South African wines due to Apartheid sanctions. Charle's proactive approach meant that when democracy came to South Africa and the markets opened, Fairview's wine style and quality was quickly recognised internationally. Cyril Back died in 1995 and Charles took full control of Fairview.
Fairview's Wine Production
Fairview Wine and Cheese farm is a South African producer of wines and cheeses based in the Paarl region of the Western Cape province. The Fairview farm is on the south western slopes of the Paarl mountain range, approximately 60 km from Cape Town. The farm comprises 320 hectares, of which 120 hectares are planted to vineyard. The farm ranges in altitude from 400 m above sea level on the slopes of the mountain to 180m on the valley floor.
Approximately 50 000 twelve bottle cases are produced under the Fairview label annually. Seventy percent of Fairview's production is exported, with the company's leading export markets being the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany. Fairview produces a wide range of varietals under its label and 70% of production is red wine.
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Here's a glimpse into the grape varietals and wines produced at Fairview:
- Shiraz
- Pinotage
- Petite Sirah
- Viognier
- Grenache
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Cabernet Franc
- Petit Verdot
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Semillon
- Chenin Blanc
- Riesling
- Carignan
- Tannat
- Mourvèdre
Eager to explore a wider range of wines using grapes grown in optimal conditions, Charles Back abandoned the estate wine concept in the 1980s, choosing rather to “go where the terroir is”. Today, we are one of the few farms that proudly own all our own vineyards, with land in Paarl, Darling, Swartland and Stellenbosch.
Vineyard Locations and Terroir
- Paarl: The vineyards at the home of Fairview are planted on well-drained decomposed granite soils on the southwestern slopes of Paarl mountain, below Paarl Rock. Starting in 2006, a replanting programme was undertaken to introduce new varieties and vineyard practices. With the area’s average summer temperature of 24℃, warmer climate varieties were preferred. These include Shiraz, Pinotage, Petite Sirah, Viognier and Grenache.
- Darling: Known for its maritime influence from the Atlantic Ocean, Darling is situated on the western hills of the coast. With deep red oakleaf soils and summer temperatures averaging in the low twenties, Darling is perfectly suited to premium dryland Sauvignon Blanc production. While Sauvignon Blanc accounts for 60 hectares of our vineyards, Semillon, Chenin Blanc and Riesling are also planted, and show real promise.
- Swartland: Always one to take a risk with new projects, Charles Back was also the man who pioneered what has subsequently become known as the Swartland Revolution, rediscovering an area that is now one of the hippest and most exciting in the Cape. Today, Fairview’s 155 hectares of Swartland bushvine vineyards have unique pockets of soil, and care has been taken in selecting the best suited varieties for the sites. Varietals planted at the Swartland farm include the red varietals Shiraz, Carignan, Grenache, Tannat, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah, as well as the white grapes Viognier and Chenin Blanc.
- Stellenbosch: The home of Bordeaux varietals in the Cape, Fairview’s trellised Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vineyards are on the western side of the Helderberg Mountains. The farm is called Houmoed, and the soils are predominantly Koffieklip (literally translated as ‘coffee stone’, descriptive of their appearance).
Fairview Goats do Roam
Perhaps best known in the United States for the whimsical Goats Do Roam label, which represents exceptional value at a reasonable price, Back is a stellar producer of Chenin Blanc (known in South Africa as Steen) and Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. Fairview Wines has been producing award-winning wines since 1999.
The brand name also speaks to Charles’ belief that you don’t need to be bound by conventions and strict rules when creating good quality wine; instead, he believed in experimenting with different grapes and techniques until something delicious came out of it.
Tasting the wines of Fairview Wines is something akin to a voyage of discovery. Goats do Roam has been recognized by several international bodies as one of South Africa’s best wines, winning gold medals at numerous events across Europe and beyond.
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Fairview Wine Estate near Paarl in Western Cape Province of South Africa
Fairview Cheese Production
Cheese production at Fairview started in 1980, when Cyril Back purchased a herd of Saanen milking goats and brought them to the farm. At the time, goats milk cheese was an unknown product in South Africa. Cyril employed the assistance of Michele Agostinelli to begin the Fairview Vineyard Cheesery, producing a small range of goats' milk cheeses for sale from the farm. In 1992, Louis Lourens was employed as head cheese maker.
Fairview is South Africa's leading producer of artisanal and speciality cheeses. In 2008, the Fairview goat herd is the largest commercial goat herd in Africa, numbering 750 does in the permanent milking herd. The milk from these goats, along with the milk from an exclusive single Jersey cow herd are brought to the Vineyard Cheesery daily. There are over twenty permanent lines in the Fairview cheese range, including blue mould, white mould and cream cheese products.
Goats in South Africa
Visiting Fairview
Fairview Wine and Cheese estate is one of the most visited attractions in the Cape winelands. The farm offers tasting of its full range of wines and cheeses in their tasting room, seven days a week. There is also an eatery on the farm, which is housed in a converted wine cellar.
Situated on the slopes of the Paarl Mountain offering ever-growing visitor experiences and eponymous vistas over fields and vines to Table Mountain in the distance, Fairview is one of the most popular destinations in the Cape Winelands.
Key Attractions
- Tasting Room: Fairview’s world-renowned tasting room consists of four unique custom-designed ‘pods’, offering a variety of wine tasting options expertly paired with selections of Fairview cow and goat’s milk cheeses, with dedicated hosts to guide and assist guests.
- Deli: The continually growing offering at the ever-popular Fairview Deli, located alongside the tasting room, brims with a diverse selection of homemade local products and sustainably farmed foods. The Fairview cheese is undoubtably the biggest drawcard, but there are layers of deliciousness to browse through including condiments, preserves and old-fashioned jams, free-range farm eggs, charcuterie, olive oils, yoghurt, freshly baked artisanal breads, buttery croissants and more.
- Goatshed Restaurant: The popular Goatshed, a country-style eatery where fresh and homemade is always better, aims to bring the paddock and the farm close to the table. As far as possible, the food served in the restaurant is grown, collected or made on the farm - from the artisanal baked bread, cheeses, eggs, jams and preserves to the lamb, beef and pork reared on Fairview’s pastures.
- Goat Tower: Rising above the Goatshed Restaurant stands the Fairview Goat Tower, a Cape Winelands icon.
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