Backsberg Estate

View Wines

The philosophy of Backsberg remains that of providing pleasure and enjoyment to a broad range of wine lovers by producing wines not only with structure and finesse, but also with a high level of "drinkability". As an Estate they are able to initiate and follow the whole process from the growing of the young vine till the bottling of the finished product.

The History of Backsberg dates back to the last century when Michael Back’s Grandfather arrived at the shores of Cape Town as a penniless political and religious refugee from Lithuania. Graduating from working as a dockhand on the reclamation program around what today is the Waterfront, to being a bicycle delivery “boy”, he finally bought a butcher shop at Paarl train station. History has it that upon a day, someone walked into his shop and asked if he would like to buy a farm. This question led to the commencement of the family farming business, known today as Backsberg Estate Cellars.

Farming activities in those days were mixed; some grain, some live stock, some fruit and eventually, some wine grapes. Once wine making started in the early 20’s the wine was sold either to the KWV or in bulk, to destinations like England.

Over the years Michael’s father focused more and more on the wine side of the family farming business, but with a large volume of low priced wines he was getting squeezed out of the wine business by the bigger players. Eventually in 1969 he was offered, and accepted, the opportunity to sell the brand name in use at that time, Back’s Wines. It was one of his better decisions as it freed him of much debt and gave him the ability to restart. The buyers went off with the name, the stock, the plant and equipment. And he proceeded to register the name Backsberg. The cellars were opened to the public for the first time in 1970.

Backsberg’s wine making style is very much based on the kiss principle. i.e. “keep it simple stupid”. In other words if they haven’t got it right in the vineyards they aren’t going to get it right in the cellar. Winemaking is done with as little intervention as possible, but with Alicia (winemaker) holding the reins of all the components of the cellar together with the sole aim of directing winemaking to produce wines with a high level of drinkability. Wines which are seamless, i.e. wines where all the components of flavour are in harmony: fruit sweetness, tannin, acid and where the wines have been wood matured, barrel characteristics. She has trained her staff well, and all quietly go about the business of winemaking in a diligent planned and organised manner.

Backsberg Estate P.O. Box 537, Paarl, 7624 , South Africa
Tel: +27 21 875-514
Fax: +27 21 875-5144
Web: www.backsberg.co.za