Climbing goats, happy pigs and experimental wines are all part of a day at this family farm.
Fairview’s famous goat tower, with presiding billy goat gazing thoughtfully from the top, has been loved by generations of kids (pun intended). Their creamy chevin cheeses are a fixture on any discerning cheese board. Yet there’s so much more to discover on a visit to this picturesque third-generation family farm in the Paarl Winelands. Owner Charles Back takes the farm-to-fork (or glass) philosophy to heart in everything they produce, from wine and cheese to free-range meats (all available in the farm deli, as is their brand new plant-based dairy range), and encourages a free-spirited experimentation grounded in sustainable farm practices.
Fill your basket
Stepping into the farm deli is to behold a dizzying cornucopia of produce. Shelves of breads and croissants from the on-site bakery (they even grow their own wheat), lead to fridges of free-range lamb, boerie and Red Angus beef, all raised on the farm. Charcuterie from happy gourmet pigs (who feast on whey from the cheese-making, vegetable waste from the farm restaurant and spent grain and cocoa husks from sister farm, Spice Route, next door) is made for Fairview by charcutier extraordinaire, Neil Jewell. And the cheese fridge goes way beyond the retail range of cheeses that we know and love, with a limited-edition selection of pre-ripened speciality goats- and cows-milk cheeses only available here on the farm (and, new to the range, plant-based cheeses). Plus preserves, jams, olive oils, free-range eggs from the farm and more.
Not so cheesy
So in love with all things cheese are the Fairview team, that they couldn’t bear the thought of non-dairy eaters missing out… cue a brand-new range of plant-based cheeses that rival the originals in delicious creamy meltingness (don’t tell the goats). They include dairy-free mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, feta and cream cheese, and more.
Decadent plant-based ice creams
No need for creamy-dreamy dessert envy now that Fairview have dreamt up this range of luscious dairy-free ice cream. Prettily packaged, it comes in decadently enticing flavours such as coffee chocolate swirl, nut brittle, and strawberry cheesecake, and that’s just the tip of the ice-(cream)berg.
Pairing perfection
Charles’ love for the Mediterranean shows up in an affinity for Rhône varietals – from the popular, punny Goats do Roam range and the creamy Charles Back Fairview Brut MCC made with a Rhône twist of grenache and viognier, all the way through to the experimental small-batch Bloemcool wines, where winemaker Anthony de Jager is given free rein. Their Regional Revival Range is another winner – South Africa’s answer to Mediterranean classics – with the Super Tuscans represented in the sangiovese-based Homtini, and Extraño blending Spanish varieties tempranillo and grenache.
In the cool, rustic tasting room carved from the old farm buildings, four barrel-shaped, bar-counter-style pods host lively informal tastings of six wines paired with cheeses and charcuterie. Or book a table upstairs in the serene Master tasting room (with glass windows looking onto the cellars) for a leisurely tutored tasting, exploring a frequently changing Sommeliers selection of eight wines (including premium, experimental, single vineyard, and vintage wines from the collection) with cheese pairings.
Cost Farmers tasting: R70 (six wines, paired with four cheeses and two cured meats)
Standard tasting: R50 (six wines paired with six cheeses)
Master tasting: R100 (eight premium wines paired with eight cheeses + bread + olive oil)
Make sure you take a cool bag along next time you visit Fairview, and stock up on meat, some of the lush deli cheeses discovered during your wine tastings, and plant-based ice creams and cheeses.
Good to know A children’s tasting of cheeses and EGA rooibos or lemonade is also available.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 9am – 5pm
Contact 021 863 2450, info@fairview.co.za
Where to find it Fairview Wine Farm, Suid-Agter Paarl Road, Paarl
Book through DinePlan
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