Liberty Fairtrade Western Cape Fairtrade Chenin Blanc 2026

Liberty Fairtrade Western Cape Fairtrade Chenin Blanc

Region: Western Cape, South Africa

Vintage: 2026

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Chenin Blanc

ABV: 13%

This wine is pale lemon in colour with youthful hints. Delicate aromas of fresh apples are matched with notes of stone and tropical fruits such as peach and pineapple. On the palate, this wine is refreshing and vibrant with crisp acidity.

The grapes are sourced from 30 hectares of dry-farmed bush vines, which sit on a variety of different facing slopes with Koffieklip and sandy loam soils. Located in the warm and dry Piekenierskloof and Swartland regions, and on average 25 years old, these Chenin Blanc vines are very low yielding (roughly eight tonnes per hectare), resulting in excellent fruit intensity. The vineyards are certified Fairtrade.

The fruit was pressed and cold settled before fermentation took place at controlled temperatures of 12°C in stainless-steel tanks, with only the free-run juice used. A specific type of yeast was chosen to enhance the grapes’ natural fruity characters. The wine then remained in stainless-steel tanks until it was fined, filtered and bottled.

Charles Back, the owner of the acclaimed Fairview winery, was the original driving force in this consortium, which bought a failing Citrusdal co-operative, in the Olifants River Valley. Keen to access this fruit for his Goats do Roam wines, Charles realised the potential for the 50% of this co-op’s production that was certified Fairtrade. The use of the name Liberty was linked more to this aspect of Fairtrade than it was to Liberty Wines. In 2018 Piekenierskloof bought Charles’ share and remains the current owner. The social improvement engendered through the Fairtrade philosophy is, and will continue to be, liberating for the farmers who benefit from its impact.