Charles Back
Encyclopedia
Charles Louis Back is the third generation owner of South African wine
and cheese producer Fairview
, in Paarl
in the Western Cape
province.
and the lifting of economic sanctions
, Back initiated marketing and sales on the international market. Back is also the owner of The Goats do Roam Wine Company, which has been the highest selling South African wine brand in the United States since its introduction in 2000. He also owns The Spice Route Winery which is a wine cellar in the Swartland
region of the Western Cape.
Back has brought a number of new grape varietals to South Africa and is one of the country's original Rhône Rangers. He was the first producer to plant Viognier
vineyards in the country, and has the largest plantings of Mourvèdre
. Back also bottled South Africa's first single varietal Petite Sirah. He is of the opinion that the majority of South African vineyards should be planted to more Mediterranean and Rhône
style varietals, as opposed to the Bordeaux
ones that have typically been favoured.
Back is responsible for building The Goat Tower
at Fairview, which is now recognised around the world as a symbol for not only Fairview, but the Paarl and South African winelands. He incorporated the goat tower into his labels and the tale of the origin of The Goats do Roam Wine Company.
Back is also recognised for his commitment to social development within the previously disadvantaged communities affiliated to the South African wine industry. In 1997 he initiated the establishment of The Fairvalley Workers Association which seeks to provide land ownership to Fairview workers and their families. Back purchased a piece of land adjacent to his Fairview property, using his personal funds, as well as a grant from the South African government. This 16 hectare
piece of land was given to the association. He also assisted with the development of the Fairvalley wine brand which is owned by the workers association. This was one of the first such arrangements in South Africa and the funds raised through the sale of Fairvalley wines were used to build eight houses for founding members of the association. Plans are currently in progress to develop the land further through the establishment of the Fairvalley eco-village.
.
In 2007 Back was nominated as one of UK publication Harpers most influential personalities in the wine industry
The KWV
appointed Back onto their advisory winemaking committee in 2007, tasked with assisting the company with their quality and production strategy.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and cheese producer Fairview
Fairview Wine and Cheese
Fairview Wine and Cheese farm is a South African producer of wines and cheeses based in the Paarl region of the Western Cape province. It is owned and run by Charles Back, who also owns The Goats do Roam Wine Company and The Spice Route Winery.-Location:...
, in Paarl
Paarl
Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province.
Career and winemaking philosophy
Charles Back studied winemaking at Elsenburg Agricultural College in Stellenbosch. He officially joined his family's company in 1978 and took over full control in 1995 after his father, Cyril, died. Following the fall of Apartheid in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and the lifting of economic sanctions
Economic sanctions
Economic sanctions are domestic penalties applied by one country on another for a variety of reasons. Economic sanctions include, but are not limited to, tariffs, trade barriers, import duties, and import or export quotas...
, Back initiated marketing and sales on the international market. Back is also the owner of The Goats do Roam Wine Company, which has been the highest selling South African wine brand in the United States since its introduction in 2000. He also owns The Spice Route Winery which is a wine cellar in the Swartland
Swartland
The Swartland begins some 50 kilometres north of Cape Town and consists of the regions between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north and the Riebeek West and Riebeek Kasteel in the east...
region of the Western Cape.
Back has brought a number of new grape varietals to South Africa and is one of the country's original Rhône Rangers. He was the first producer to plant Viognier
Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
vineyards in the country, and has the largest plantings of Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....
. Back also bottled South Africa's first single varietal Petite Sirah. He is of the opinion that the majority of South African vineyards should be planted to more Mediterranean and Rhône
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
style varietals, as opposed to the Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
ones that have typically been favoured.
Back is responsible for building The Goat Tower
The Goat Tower
The Goat Tower at Fairview Wine and Cheese farm is a landmark in the Paarl winelands of South Africa. It is the first of four documented structures of this kind. The Goat Tower was built in 1981 by Fairview owner Charles Back and has become the farm's most identifiable symbol and aspect of their...
at Fairview, which is now recognised around the world as a symbol for not only Fairview, but the Paarl and South African winelands. He incorporated the goat tower into his labels and the tale of the origin of The Goats do Roam Wine Company.
Back is also recognised for his commitment to social development within the previously disadvantaged communities affiliated to the South African wine industry. In 1997 he initiated the establishment of The Fairvalley Workers Association which seeks to provide land ownership to Fairview workers and their families. Back purchased a piece of land adjacent to his Fairview property, using his personal funds, as well as a grant from the South African government. This 16 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
piece of land was given to the association. He also assisted with the development of the Fairvalley wine brand which is owned by the workers association. This was one of the first such arrangements in South Africa and the funds raised through the sale of Fairvalley wines were used to build eight houses for founding members of the association. Plans are currently in progress to develop the land further through the establishment of the Fairvalley eco-village.
Other achievements
In April 2006, South African WINE Magazine voted Back the second most influential person in the South African wine industry, after Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
In 2007 Back was nominated as one of UK publication Harpers most influential personalities in the wine industry
The KWV
KWV
The Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Bpkt was a winemaking co-operative founded on 8 January 1918 by wine makers from the Western Cape in South Africa. It was converted from its co-operative status into KWV Ltd on 2 December 2002...
appointed Back onto their advisory winemaking committee in 2007, tasked with assisting the company with their quality and production strategy.