Fairview Wine Tasting (with goats!)
Fairview Wine Tasting is a unique experience. With kid-friendly tasting and cheese tastings, visiting the Fairview Winery is an experience for all, mostly because of the goats. YES. Fairview is a cheese and wine farm famed for its iconic goat tower that has housed the magnificent billy goat mascots of the farm since 1981. The winery is located in Paarl (which means “pearl” in Afrikaans), about a 40-minute drive from Cape Town.
I absolutely love everything about goats. They are such fun creatures!
The Basics
- Cost: R50/pp
- Cheese only and kids tasting available!
- 40 minutes drive outside Cape Town
- Hours: 9am-5pm
- Closed on Christmas & New Year’s and closed at 16:00 on the 24th and 31st of December
A little history of Fairview
The Fairview estate dates back to 1693. The first wine was made on the farm in 1699 (!) and in 1937, the current owner’s family took over. Today they have 88 hectares of vineyards planted with Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Viognier, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon among others.
Wine, Cheese, and More
Fairview wines are sold all over South Africa, in normal grocery stores like Spar and Woolworths. How did I find out about the winery? By picking out a bottle of Fairview wine just becuase of the label (the goat on the bottle was the selling point for me)… I usually purchase Fairview wine for ourselves.
Fairview cheese is available in the tasting room and at the farm shop, which also has bread, meats, and other cooking products.
There is also a small gallery that you should visit. Go to the end of the tasting room, go outside, and up the steps to another small house. The gallery has lovely paintings and some cool postcards. We bought several postcards for my sister to mail when she went back to the US.
The Goats at Fairview
You can’t miss Fairview’s famous “Goat Tower,” which is exactly what it sounds like.
When you visit Fairview, you’ll be able to feed and pet goats on-site. They are just adorable.
Fairview Wine and Cheese Tasting
Wine and cheese are a match made in heaven. The best Fairview wine tasting option is the R50 wine tasting for a daily selection of six wines paired with six kinds of cheese. This is what my sister and I chose to do when we were here. It showcases the best wines and cheese that Fairview has to offer. For the tasting, my sister and I decided to choose the option of two whites, one rose, and three reds. I really enjoyed all the wines and my favorite cheese was a cow cheese with onion and herbs.
Note that there are no reservations for tasting, so you may have to wait around 15 or 20 minutes for availability. Visit the garden in the meantime.
You can also do kids tasting and a cheese-only tasting. There is a Farmer Tasting for R70 that includes 6 wines paired with 4 kinds of cheese and 2 cured types of meat.
Check out all the tasting options here.
Garden scenes at Fairview
With greenery and flowers, the small yet beautiful garden is perfect for lounging and some pictures. It’s great for relaxing as you wait for your tasting slot to open. You can also take a step into the beginnings of the Fairview vineyard.
Get lunch at Fairview
If you want to spend more time at Fairview, get lunch at their restaurant, Goatshed. They make farm-to-table dishes. The Goatshed is open Monday to Sunday from 9am-5pm. Make a reservation to dine here.
Looking for another winery? Check out Babylonstoren around Cape Town, though I’d suggest a full day of adventuring to fully experience it. And, for my Joburgers, visit Gerakaris Winery in Delta Park for a perfect afternoon.
Stop at the Alpaca Loom before or after your Fairview tasting. It’s such a cute place to see some alpacas and feed them.