12 Sep We’ve Earned Our Bragging Rights | Fairview Award Results
When it comes to awards within the wine world, there tend to be two schools of thought.
The one is that awards are fantastic for the industry, assisting in uplifting and commending winemaking teams and rewarding them for their hard efforts, as well as guiding consumers in the right direction for value-for-money bottlings.
The other is that awards conjure up a skewed reflection of the wine world, as after all, it is not a thorough and complete review of all the wines available, but rather an entry-specific selection. It of course also comes down to personal taste buds – perhaps one judge prefers big, bold wines with a mouthful of tannin, while another prefers aromatic light reds. At the end of the day, as objective as one endeavours to be about the entire process, it is very difficult.
So then: what does it mean when a wine is given a medal? Our team sat down to discuss this with Charles, and we decided the following:
For us, firstly it marks a certain level of quality. Whether you enter a competition or not, your wine needs to reach a certain quality level in order to even be accepted and considered And naturally, any winemaker worth their salt (or sulphur), needs to care about quality.
Secondly, it offers an opportunity to build trust with your customer. By achieving a consistent set of results, you can prove that your winemaking is of the highest, excellent standard. To us, this is of primary importance, as it gives us an avenue to allow our wines to speak for us on the shelf and stands, telling our fans that we aren’t just in it for a trend or for a hobby, but that high-quality, consistent winemaking is our goal.
Finally, all competitions (big or small) take the judging process incredibly seriously and maintain high professional standards. Experts come in from all around the country or world to taste the wines in panels and mostly blind. This rigorous process gives unknown wines an opportunity to shine – and so any gold medal winner can afford to feel pleased with itself.
For us, whether the result is a bronze, silver, or gold (or double gold, platinum, Top 10 … you get the picture), we are always, always proud. Ultimately, the reason we are proud is because we are a winemaking team who have crafted wines that win time and time again. We deliver on quality – consistently. And if you ask us, that’s given us enough to earn our bragging rights.
And so, with this year’s award season upon us, we are proud to announce the hat trick our wines and winemaking team have earned:
1) Tim Atkins Report 2018 | Fairview Bloemcool Groendruif Darling 2017 – 95 points
Perhaps of all the wine awards and ratings that are handed out throughout the calendar year, the most anticipated and respected is the Tim Atkin report. Tim Atkin has always been an advocate of South Africa wines, and a fan of Fairview. He presented our very own Charles Back with his IWC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
This year, Atkin’s wrote that he is extremely impressed with the quality of what he tasted, writing:
“The South African wine scene has never been more vibrant or diverse. In a comparatively short space of time, the top South African wines have garnered considerable praise and interest, both at home and overseas. Many challenges remain, not least the low price of many wines, but what’s happening in the Cape right now is incredibly exciting. Having tasted 1,980 South African wines this year, I am excited to share the news that 159 of them were awarded 95 points or more, the equivalent of a gold medal. These are my wines of the year – a collection that would, I believe, compare with the best of any other wine-producing country.”
We are very proud of our newly released Fairview Bloemcool Groendruif Darling 2017 to have received a 95 Tim Atkin score, as well as a total of 11 of our wines receiving 90 points and more for 2018!
Fairview Bloemcool Groendruif Darling 2017: 95 – Tim Atkin Wine of the Year
Fairview La Beryl Blanc Paarl 2017: 94
Fairview Bloemcool Bergbok Paarl 2017: 93
Fairview Primo Pinotage Paarl 2016: 93
Fairview Eenzaamheid Shiraz Paarl 2015: 93
Pre-order Fairview Nurok Coastal 2017: 92
Fairview Homtini Darling 2016: 92
Fairview Stok by Paaltjie Grenache Paarl 2015: 91
Fairview The Beacon Shiraz Swartland 2014: 91
Fairview Caldera Coastal 2016: 90
Fairview Drie Papen Fontein Darling Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017: 90
2) ABSA Top 10: Fairview Primo Pinotage 2016
Our solid results at the annual Rosé Rocks Competition was followed up by another great result for one of our wines. Our 2016 Fairview Primo Pinotage was awarded a spot in the Top 10 during this year’s #AbsaTop10Pinotage awards! An incredible achievement for the wine making team.
3) Rosé Rocks: Fairview Rose Quartz 2018 DOUBLE GOLD and Goats Do Roam Rosé 2018 GOLD
During this year’s Rosé Rocks, South Africa’s only rosé wine competition, our Fairview Rose Quartz 2018 and Goats Do Roam Rosé 2018 were awarded DOUBLE GOLD and GOLD respectively! We are overjoyed at the results. Huge thanks to Rosé Rocks for creating the platform for this wine style.
