Fairview Goat Tower: Where Wine Meets Cheese Meets Goats

How to Complete

4 steps curated by Wine Memories

1. ⛰️ 1

   Find the Goats on the Tower

   adventure Free

   Charles Back saw a goat tower on a family holiday in Portugal in 1981. He sketched it on the back of a serviette. Now 750+ Saanen goats climb the two-story brick spiral near the entrance on Suid-Agter Paarl Road, staring at visitors with that particular expression of mild contempt that only goats can deliver. This isn't a gimmick. It's one of the most photographed landmarks in the Cape Winelands. Just walk up. The goats are usually there, doing what goats do: climbing, resting, judging you from the upper level. If you're lucky, you'll witness baby goats learning to climb during spring kidding season (September-November). If the goats aren't visible on the tower, they'll be nearby in the paddocks. Ask the staff - they know where the herd is.

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2. 🍷 2

   Taste Goats Do Roam - The Wine That Made France Furious

   wine $

   In the late 1990s, Charles Back named a wine after his son's antics with the goats from the tower. He called it 'Goats do Roam' - a cheeky play on Côtes du Rhône. The French wine authorities went apoplectic. Back's response? He organized a protest march with his workers to the French Consulate in Cape Town to deliver a magnum of Goats Do Roam. The wine is a Rhône-style blend that proves the joke was backed by serious winemaking. Book the 'Farmer's Tasting' (R95) - six wines paired with four cheeses and two cured meats. Or the Standard tasting (R75) - six wines with six cheeses. Ask specifically for Goats do Roam and the story behind the name. Watch the tasting room staff light up when they tell you about the French lawsuit. Tasting room open Monday-Sunday 09h00-17h00. If Goats do Roam isn't in the current lineup, ask for any of the Rhône-variety wines. Fairview pioneered Rhône grapes in South Africa alongside its cheeses.

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   Discover Charles Back's Cheese Empire

   wine $

   In 1980, Charles Back's father Cyril bought a herd of Saanen milking goats when goat's milk cheese was utterly unknown in South Africa. They now run the largest commercial goat herd in Africa - 750+ does producing over 25 varieties of artisan cheese including excellent Brie and Camembert. Fairview is South Africa's leading producer of artisanal and specialty cheeses. The wine-cheese pairing experience here is what every other estate copied. Upgrade to the 'Master Tasting' (R150) - eight premium wines paired with eight cheeses plus bread and olive oil. Or just buy a cheese platter in the courtyard and bring your own bottle. The courtyard tasting with goats, cheese, wine, and mountain views is one of the most purely enjoyable afternoons in the Cape Winelands. The farm shop sells all the cheeses to take away. If you're there during a meal time, the restaurant serves lunch with cheese and wine pairings (same hours).

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4. 📜 4

   Walk the Connection to Spice Route

   Optional

   history Free

   Charles Back isn't just the goat tower guy. In 1997, he stumbled across an old tobacco farm called Klein Amoskuil on the slopes of Paarl Mountain. He called it Spice Route. Then he built something no other wine estate had attempted: a full artisanal destination - wine, craft beer, chocolate, charcuterie, gin, and tonic all under one roof. The Spice Route Destination is one of the best value experiences in the Winelands. It all started because of Fairview's success. Ask the staff about the Charles Back empire and the Spice Route connection. If you have time in your trip, add Spice Route Destination to your itinerary (R45 between Paarl and Franschhoek, 30 min from Stellenbosch). The 'Spice Route Passport' is a 2-hour journey through 6 wines, 6 charcuterie samples, 4 craft beers, gin and tonic, and chocolate. Even if you can't visit Spice Route itself, understanding that the man who built a goat tower also pioneered the multi-artisan wine estate model tells you everything about South African wine innovation.

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