Welcome to the Western Cape Wineries - a kiwi's opinion blog

I originally set up this blog to help foreigners have an enjoyable experience when visiting the western cape wineries in South Africa.

I realised that it is very difficult for a tourist to choose where to go and which wineries to visit, when you have 600+ wine producers to choose from.

When I first moved to SA December 2010, my palate struggled to adjust to SA wine, b
ut after living here for a while and after visiting over 100+ wine estates, I have found many wines which I really like and can highly recommend.

Admittingly, when you come from another country it is hard not to compare the wine in SA to what you are used to back home. However, once you realise they are not the same (they have their own characteristics due to the different soil, climate etc) and appreciate their wines for being SA wines, it will improve your opinion and experience of the wines immediately.

If you are staying in SA for a while, don't dispair, your palate will change, and you will soon find yourself liking SA wine over your home countries wine!!

I hope my blog will help wine lovers have an enjoyable wine experience while in SA.

Please note: I am not a wine connoisseur. The comments I write about the wine is mostly for my own benefit of having them on record.



Wednesday 30 March 2011

Fairview - Paarl

Fairview is a nice winery. They offer wine and cheese tasting and they have a restaurant which you can eat at.


The winery has a cute setting. There are goats at the front entrance with a ramp to walk up and down.



The wine tasting room is nicely set up and there is plenty of staff available to give you the attention you need while trying the wines. The wines were nice, but nothing exciting. Again, as this was one of the first wineries I visited in SA, my opinion of the wine may have been because at that time I was still comparing the wine to NZ wines. I should probably go back and try them again. Having said that, I have never seen their wine on a restaurant wine list and even though locals recommend visiting this winery, they don't rave about the wine, its more the cheese they insist you go and try.

The cheese tasting is great. I absolutely love the Fairview Brie. The cheese for tasting is also for sale at Fairview, and you can find some of their cheese at the supermarkets also. So if you don't get to this winery, be sure to buy some of their cheese when you visit a supermarket.

The lunch was also nice. I had a panini sandwich. There are many different fillings you can choose from.

The outdoor seating area is very nice. It is a relaxing place to enjoy a casual meal.


If time is limited, I would recommend just coming here for the wine and cheese.

These photos were taken in winter in 2010, hence why there are no grapes or leaves on the vines.



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