FAIRVIEW CHEESE COMPANY

is a South African producer of wines and cheeses based in the region of the province. It is owned and run by , who also owns The Goats do Roam Wine Company and The Spice Route Winery. The Fairview farm is on the south western slopes of the Paarl mountain range, approximately 60 km from. The farm comprises 320 , of which 120 hectares are planted to vineyard. The farm is located at 33°46'21″ south 18°55'25″ east. The current Fairview property was first designated as a farm by the then Governor of the Cape in 1693, with Steven Vervey the first official owner. Vervey is thought to be one of the who arrived in the Cape in 1688. The earliest recorded name for the property is Bloemkoolfontein (directly translated from as ) 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. Charles Back purchased the Fairview farm from a Mr Hugo in 1937 for the sum of 6500 pounds. Fairview has been in the Back family to the present day. 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 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. Charles Back had two sons, Sydney and Cyril, in whom Back instilled a love for the land, as well as a strong work ethic. When Charles died in 1955, he left Backsberg to Sydney and Fairview to Cyril. Cyril spent much of his first years at Fairview replanting and planning vineyards. 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. Fairview become one of the first farms to open cellar door sales to the public. The first recorded wine production on the property was in 1699 and wine grape cultivation has continued to this day. 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. 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. This auction pre-dated the now famous Nederburg Auction, which started the following year. Charles also introduced innovative winemaking practices. 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. In 1997 Charles Back appointed Anthony de Jager as head winemaker at Fairview. 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. Grapes for these wines are sourced from Charles Back's own vineyards as well as from contracted growers. In 1992, Louis Lourens was employed as head cheese maker. In 1995 milk was introduced and subsequently the range of cheeses produced expanded to include cow's milk cheeses as well as a range of products combining cow and goats' milk. In 2008, the Fairview goat herd is the largest commercial goat herd in Africa, numbering 750 does in the permanent milking herd. There are over twenty permanent lines in the Fairview cheese range, including blue mould, white mould and cream cheese products. These products are available at major retailers throughout South Africa. 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. With your agreement, we and use cookies or similar technologies to store, access, and process personal data like your visit on this website, IP addresses and cookie identifiers. Some partners do not ask for your consent to process your data and rely on their legitimate business interest. You can withdraw your consent or object to data processing based on legitimate interest at any time by clicking on “Learn More” or in our Privacy Policy on this website. Fairview Cheese Company is located in Paarl, South Africa, and is known for producing a variety of artisanal cheeses. Additionally, Fairview is known for integrating sustainable practices into its farming and production processes