Fairview’s maverick magnate
People are at the centre of Charles Back’s wine and tourism empire, writes Penny Haw
AT 58, Charles Back seems too young to receive a lifetime achiever award. Several of his colleagues in the international wine industry — including masters of wine (MW) Tim Atkin, Charles Metcalf and Sam Harrop, and wine writer Oz Clarke — however, believe otherwise. They nominated Back for the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Lifetime Achievement Award, which he became the first South African to win in London last month.
“I thought the same,” he laughs, back home at Fairview Wine & Cheese in Suider-Paarl. “I estimate the average age of previous recipients (including influential wine industry names like Sir George Fistonich, Hugh Johnson MW, Jean Marie Chardonnier, Michael Broadbent MW, Miguel Torres and Dr Richard Smart at around 75. Perhaps I look much older than I am?”
In fact, Back — who, having studied winemaking at Elsenburg Agricultural College, began farming with his father Cyril at Fairview in 1978 — has achieved a great deal in 36 years. Not only was he responsible for introducing new grape varietals like Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Tannat, Tempranillo and Viognier to the country, he also led the so-called Swartland Revolution in the mid-’90s. This resulted in the successful establishment of Mediterranean and Rhône Valley varietal vineyards in a region previously considered a rural backwater, and saw him launch the Spice Route Wine Company.
John Platter’s Wine Guide named him Winemaker of the Year in 1996. Then, in 2000, Back opened the door for South African wines in the US with his cheeky Goats Do Roam label. At the same time, the artisanal cheese-making business he had begun at Fairview in the early ’80s burgeoned into the country’s largest producer of speciality products like blue cheese and brie- and camembert-style cheeses.
As if that wasn’t enough to keep Back — who says he’s just “a farmer who adds value to agricultural products” — busy, he began to learn how to “add value to barley”, that is, brew beer. These days, CBC (Cape Brewing Company) — a partnership with Swedish brewer Henrik Dunge and located at Spice Route Destination (formerly Seidelberg Estate, the farm adjacent to Fairview that Back bought two years ago) — is the country’s largest microbrewery.
With the brewery offering tours and tastings, and a grappa distillery, several restaurants and coffee shops, a chocolatier, biltong bar and a glass-blowing studio, the Spice Route Destination looks set to rival Fairview as one of the most visited tourist destinations in the winelands. Fairview attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year.
In 2006, Wine Magazine voted Back “the second most influential person in the wine industry, after Nelson Mandela”. A year later, UK publication Harper’s named him one of its “most influential personalities in the wine industry”. That was also the year he co-founded the Citrusdal Wine Company, which, coincidentally, won the IWC Fairtrade Award for the 2013 Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Fairtrade Sauvignon Blanc, which it produces for the UK supermarket chain.
“That made the IWC awards evening doubly exciting to me,” quips Back.
The “Back effect”, however, extends beyond producing quality wine, cheese and beer, and operating popular tourist destinations; he was also among the first wine farmers in the country to take concrete steps to empower previously disadvantaged communities in the winelands.
In 1997 Back established the Fairvalley Workers Association, which provided land for Fairview workers and their families. Using his money and a government grant, he purchased 16ha alongside Fairview for the association. He then assisted members to develop their own Fairvalley wine brand. Money raised from the sale of Fairvalley wines was used to build eight houses for founding members of the association.
“As a white farmer in SA I recognise that I benefited unjustly in the past, and there is an obligation for all of us to try to redress the imbalances,” he says. “It must be done fairly and by taking a holistic approach. And, while I know employees want a slice of the action, I don’t believe land is the best solution for everyone.”
To this end Back not only had his entire business certified by Fairtrade (an organisation that aims to ensure hand-tomouth farmers get fair trade deals), he also devised a scheme whereby he transferred 10% ownership of the Fairview Wine Company to management, half of whom are from disadvantaged communities.
“I realised when I began farming that we didn’t have a lot going for us here in terms of natural resources. We are in an area that was considered something of a backwater, the vineyards weren’t great and the soil isn’t ideal,” he explains.
“So I decided early on that the best approach would be to make people the No 1 priority of the business. That way, I thought we could make the most of what we have.
“What’s more, I would rather own 70% of a business that runs at 100% of its potential than 100% of a business that only runs at 30% of its potential. People need to feel valued and involved, and they need to be rewarded.”
This — coupled with the lesson that “we’re all born equal and, as such, and to earn the respect of others, it’s essential to respect everyone”, which was instilled in him at a young age
The ‘Back effect’ extends beyond producing quality wine, cheese and beer … he was also among the first wine farmers in the country to take concrete steps to empower previously disadvantaged communities
by his mother, Beryl — is, says Back, fundamental to the success of the business.
“When I began farming we employed 16 people. Today there are more than 500. But my approach hasn’t changed. I am Charles to everyone and they all have my cellphone number, whether they’re working here in Paarl or on any of the other farms.” (Back also owns property near Darling, Malmesbury and Stellenbosch).
“Also, I make a point of visiting people at home to get to know their circumstances. To understand why people perform as they do at work, it’s essential to understand where they come from, what their challenges are and, where possible, to help.”
Back is working towards a scheme likely to see employees from Fairview cheese also get a stake in the company in exchange for “sweat equity”. It’s not an easy process and needs to be meticulously planned to ensure it is fair and sustainable.
“It’s a massive educational process. The key is to make sure everyone works together in a meaningful way and that all decisions are based on business realities,” he says. “I am, of course, also aware of what government is doing and that land ownership is a major issue. I don’t want what I’m doing to be seen as an alternative to what is decided on (by government), which makes things that much more complicated in terms of moving ahead.”
On accepting the award from the IWC, Back insisted it was the “collective endeavour (of the 500 people who work with him) that inspires me to do my best for them and the industry at large”. He’s willing to concede, though, that his success also has something to do with his heritage. “My grandfather came to SA as a penniless immigrant and developed a love for the land. My father makes me look like a pussycat when it comes to new ideas. But yes, I had a great schooling in innovation and grew up in an environment where farming and adding value were part of everyday discussions. I guess that set me up for life.”