Fairview in Paarl has The Ultimate Cheese and Wine Experience
Fairview is my 134th winery visit in South Africa. Fairview is absolutely famous for their fantastic cheese but have you tried their wine too?
The winery was founded in 1693 and was then called "bloemkoolfontein" roughly translating to "Cauliflower Fountain." The farm was changed to "Fairview" when an immigrant from Lithuania, Charles Back I, acquired the farm in 1902. In 1955, the current owner, Charles Back II took over and initiated the Capes first public wine auction. Most recently in 2014, Charles has achieved the International Wine Challenge lifetime achievement award and is currently the most awarded winemaker in South Africa.
So what's with the cheese?
Fairview started a dairy goat herd in the 1980s and today supplies top-quality cheeses all over the country. You can find their cheese in most retail outlets such as Pick 'n Pay, Checkers and Woolworths. You will always find one of these in my fridge!
The kids will absolutely love looking at the goats on the farm (no pun intended) :) and the iconic goat tower makes for some really cool photos. September is probably the best time to visit as they normally bring down the baby goats for the kids to feed/play with.
The Fairview deli allows you to not only buy their full range of cheese but to taste it too! Cheese tastings are R20 per person for a selection of 6 kinds of cheese and you will enjoy shopping the various preserves too.
Fairview Wine Tasting
This winery is geared up for large or small groups, bookings or walk-ins. They have a huge area to accommodate many people with their "bar concept". There are various tasting spots shaped like wine barrels, the host is in the middle and the guests can gather on the outside.
Booking for large groups is most definitely advised however the winery will accommodate you where ever they can.
I opted for the master tasting at only R80 per person. This is really great value for money and we were made to feel special by being taken to the special "master tasting" room which has windows overlooking the maturation cellar.
The master tasting offers a fantastic range of 8 wines each paired with a quality block of cheese which your friendly host will explain in detail. The staff are very knowledgeable and to top it all off, you get olive oil, bread and water to cleanse the palate in between. These are not the only wines available for tasting, the wine list is massive.
Goatshed Restaurant
If you're still hungry after all that cheese... luckily there is a restaurant on the estate. The restaurant is called The Goatshed and their philosphy is all around using as much locally sourced produce as possible with minimal waste. You can be rest assured that there is plenty of cheese, bread and comfort farm-style dishes.
Their menu is quite well priced and you can visit the Goatshed for breakfast or lunch. Expect to pay around R200 for a platter, R120 for a pizza, R30 for a coffee and R130 for a burger. Booking is a MUST!
In conclusion
Fairview has been a favourite of mine since I was a kid and would definitely rate this as a top South African winery. Children will love looking at the goats, tasting the cheese and even the Koi in the fish pond so if you bring your kids, do keep a close eye on them because there is a lot to see. This winery is best for summer or winter days, for groups of 4-12 people.
Contact the Goatshed:
- Monday to Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday & Thursday: 9AM ~ 3PM
- Friday to Sunday: 9AM ~ 5PM
- Kitchen Closes 30 minutes prior to closing time.
- goatshed@fairview.co.za
- +27 (0)21 863 3609
Contact the Winery:
- Monday ~ Sunday, 9am ~ 5pm
- +27 21 863 2450
- General Enquiries: info@fairview.co.za