In the Media

Faber, a place of culinary magic in the winelands Nestled at the foot of the Klein Drakenstein mountains, in the south of Paarl, Faber restaurant at Avondale Estate delights the senses.

Top South African Wine Summer 2017 Summer in the Cape means spending a great deal more time outdoors and enjoying the glorious weather! In heat of the season fresher, lighter wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Rose, Chenin Blanc and MCC tend to replace their heavier,...

Food, wine and travel writer, Graham Howe survived over sixty food and wine tastings on the winelands circuit in 2016 - and picks his top ten favourite cellar-door restaurants of the year.

A FABER TALE A shared philosophy has seen the birth of Faber, a restaurant with an all-natural approach.

Our experts tasted through 95 latest-release premium bubblies from North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to bring you the best 25 available in the UK today. Andy Howard MW analyses the results.

A Shared philosophy of food has seen Johnathan Grieve of Avondale and Chef Eric Bulpitt join forces for FABER, an estate restaurant with an all-natural approach.

‘Organic’ might be a buzzword in winemaking but not at Avondale. Here it’s a way of life and a philosophy that permeates the winemaking, the viticulture and the people. The motto is Terra Est Vita (soil is life) and judging by Cyclus, life at Avondale is good.

Just as thrilling as it is to meet somebody you only heard of face-to-face, and realising they’re genuinely nice. it is equally wonderful to encounter a wine on the same basis.

The farm has been producing grapes since 1693, but Avondale Wines have only been around in its present guise since 1996 when the present owners acquired the farm. Avondale as a brand should be on one’s radar, but the lovely story and ethos behind the wine making on the farm might not be as well known.

Owner/viticulturist and all-rounds holistic living expert Johnathan Grieve regaled us at Fermier restaurant with tales about Avondale’s biodynamic approach to winemaking.

The winelands form a large part of property value in the Western Cape. And when it comes to the large risks involved in wine farming, it would make sense to ensure that you are getting the most out of your land. Jonathan Grieve of Avondale wine estate is not only making sure the land works at its prime for his business, but he’s also adding value to it while innovating in terms of farming techniques.

What was once regarded as a hippie aberration is slowly becoming a side of winemaking that’s no longer regarded merely as a fleeting trend or flavours of the month, but as the way forward for an industry that’s become worryingly dependent on heavy-handed farming practices.