South African Wineries | Fairview Wine & Cheese Review

Hey there, I’m Jess ✨. On The Signature, I share reflections on beauty, routines, travel, wellness, culture, and everyday life. For those drawn to a calmer, more intentional way of living, I send a free newsletter each month on the 7th. You're welcome to join.

I love writing about wineries in the Western Cape in South Africa and I am surprised I have never written a word about the one winery where I have been three times in the span of a decade: Fairview Wine & Cheese.

I went for the first time for a guided tour in 2014 and went back several times since. I am clearly a long time fan. I have seen what has evolved, what has stayed the same, and what keeps making me recommend it to everybody who gets the chance to visit the Southern African winelands.

Established in 1693, the Fairview Estate has been owned and passed on to the members of the Back family for almost four centuries. It is located in Paarl, and the perfect pit stop between Mont Rochelle where we stayed in Franschhoek and The Table Bay Hotel where we stayed during our last trip to Cape Town.

As soon as you park your car at the Fairview Estate, you feel a sense of home and farm life, with their iconic goats roaming freely.

Aside from their wine, Fairview is also known for their cheese production thanks to its goat farm and their bakery, where you can grab the most delicious puff pastry croissants, French-style. They also opened a Mediterranean-style restaurant called the Goatshed, which I have not tried. Yet.

But let's get back to the whole experience in order and start with the wine side of Fairview. When you get inside the main building, you are welcomed by the most gorgeous set of fresh flowers, wine bottles and books.

This is where you can choose your wine tasting experience, from classic wine tastings (either white or red or a mix) to cheese and cured meats pairings. Kid-friendly options and cheese tastings are also available for those who do not want the wine, which is great. We opted for the Farmer's Tasting, which is a selection of 6 wines, 4 cheeses and 2 cured meats.

If I have to drink wine, I am more of a white, rosé and bubbles girl, whilst my husband enjoys them all but is more of a red wine lover. Fairview has something for everyone so we both had a vast array of their wine range.

What we tasted:

• 2022 Fairview Sauvignon Blanc
• 2024 Fairview Chenin Blanc
• 2022 Fairview Verdelho
• 2023 Fairview Vintage Goats do Roam Dry Rosé
• 2021 Fairview Shiraz
• 2022 Fairview Pinotage
• 2022 Fairview Tannat
• 2023 Fairview Vintage Goats do Roam Red Blend
• Fairview Broken Barrel TnT - Tempranillo & Tannat Blend
• 2022 Fairview Homtini

We bought most of the bottles to bring back home. Funny enough, we encountered Fairview wines again at this hotel in Victoria Falls where we stayed during our first trip to Zimbabwe. It's nice seeing African wines being properly showcased around the world and especially across our continent.

Do not sleep on the cheese tasting bit of the experience at Fairview: they are exquisite. They produce their cheeses the French way with a local twist such as brie, camembert, feta, goat cheese (of course) and the most flavourful cream cheeses and spreads. Not only did we have some with the tasting but we also bought some at the deli store.

Speaking of the deli store... it was our last stop before leaving the premises and... you can enter and do your shopping with your wine glass in hand. That never happened in my life, sipping wine while grocery shopping! It was quite the moment. Naturally, we bought all the croissants and had them later on.

Heading to Fairview, perfectly located between Cape Town and Franschhoek, is an amazing experience I totally recommend when visiting the Western Cape winelands in South Africa. I would not be against going back a fourth time...

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