Paarl with Charles Back

In South Africa I only know the wine lands which means just The Western Cape. Not a vast wine area compared to other countries. The vineyards are tightly hemmed in between the steep mountains and the sea. They only thrive where there is rain or water for irrigation.

Originally on the valley floors, the vineyards have lately grown up the valley walls for better soils and cooler, cleaner air. There's an onshore wind called 'The Cape Doctor' that has always kept people healthy. It does the same for vines. The best wines are grown high … that's where we look. And believe me its certainly cool.

Today Charles Back took us to a new Grenache vineyard high above his winery, shop, tasting room restaurants, glassworks, chocolate factory, distillery, olive oil mill, bakery etc.etc. Up there we found fifteen of his keenest young winemakers, viticulturalists, one goat manager, three goats, lots and lots of jagged rocks he calls 'soil', bright sun, stunning views and a fierce wind.

The goats were eating any vine they could reach but Charles didn't seem to mind.

Yves had asked for all the elements to make a powerful cover shot; 'Charles Back's South African Dream'. Hence the goats, a bunch of delightful, happy young people, tables laden with wonderful wines, cheeses, breads and bunches of the herbs he encourages between his vines as a corridor home for all the hard-working little bugs who keep down the aphids and such. Vineyards used to be such sterile places. People like Charles are leading us away from that mistake.

I had to give a talk up there in the vineyard to the young people, about starting out in wine. From the look of them they will do very well!

Charles Back impresses the hell out of me. Funny, irreverent, throwing himself into wild new ventures with an energy that is exhausting just to observe. Other people can do that. But thing with Charles is … his ventures work!

From the family farm he is now up to 500 hectares of vineyards. Spread across the Cape. More important is he employs 500 people. He has given jobs to everyone in his district and people from the city too. When he needs more jobs he just starts a new venture, often a joint venture that will give people nice employment skills to be proud of.

Wine is the basis of everything but he's also now the outstanding cheese maker of South Africa. That started with his goats which have sort of become his symbol. He's had a crest done for the Company, features a goat and a vineyard worker. His helter-skelter style goat tower is known around the world.

If you are in The Cape you must go to his place. Enjoy the wines, food and meet the goats.

We met also the Fair Trade people from another new venture. The wine is called Six Hats. The stories of how a little extra money is completely changing people’s lives and prospects is very heart-warming.

Tonight back to Cape Town for v early start tomorrow.

PS Charles, I was glad to learn, has given up on supermarkets and now only supplies firms like us and restaurants … lots of restaurants all round the world. More and more producers are doing this. Makes me very happy.