Whether it’s wine or people, FAT BARREL is all about “the good stuff.” We refuse to take ourselves too seriously and don’t believe in wine snobbery.
We believe in creating relationships and friendships rather than wine lists and reviews. Don’t get us wrong – we love wine lists and great reviews – but fun, good friends, good wine and great smiles are “the Barrelman’s bounty.” Our friends often describe their secret wine stash, their best wines, as the fat barrels, aka the good stuff. This is where the name of our company comes from. Plus, it’s hard to say FAT BARREL five times without smiling – and that is good stuff.
Founded in 2007, the story of Fat Barrel began in 1992 when the company’s founder first traveled to South Africa to sell US products. He fell in love with a land and people uplifted by truth and reconciliation. He discovered one of the world’s oldest wine cultures dating back to 1652, steeped in cultural diversity (eleven official languages), co-existing within one of the world’s most significant biodynamic plant kingdoms, the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Through the graciousness and patience of our customers, who have listened, tasted and chosen to support us, to our suppliers who entrusted us to be the messenger of their stories across the sea, FAT BARREL has become a community – a community we invite you to join.
Welcome to Fat Barrel Wine Company.
Thank you for visiting.
Whether it’s wine or people, FAT BARREL is all about “the good stuff.” We refuse to take ourselves too seriously and don’t believe in wine snobbery.
We believe in creating relationships and friendships rather than wine lists and reviews. Don’t get us wrong – we love wine lists and great reviews – but fun, good friends, good wine and great smiles are “the Barrelman’s bounty.” Our friends often describe their secret wine stash, their best wines, as the fat barrels, aka the good stuff. This is where the name of our company comes from. Plus, it’s hard to say FAT BARREL five times without smiling – and that is good stuff.
Founded in 2007, the story of Fat Barrel began in 1992 when the company’s founder first traveled to South Africa to sell US products. He fell in love with a land and people uplifted by truth and reconciliation. He discovered one of the world’s oldest wine cultures dating back to 1652, steeped in cultural diversity (eleven official languages), co-existing within one of the world’s most significant biodynamic plant kingdoms, the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Through the graciousness and patience of our customers, who have listened, tasted and chosen to support us, to our suppliers who entrusted us to be the messenger of their stories across the sea, FAT BARREL has become a community – a community we invite you to join.
Welcome to Fat Barrel Wine Company.
Thank you for visiting.
a message from Bob
My South African community has blessed my life with profound relationships and made me a better world citizen. Their trust and the trust of my customers has enriched my life beyond what I ever imagined was possible when boarding my first flight to the Cape. A most humbling task and great professional challenge is to find the words to appropriately honor the South African’s in my life, while at the same time recognizing my family, friends and customers that have supported my love affair with the Rainbow Nation. My daily quest is to unite “my South African family”, the barrel men & barrel women if you will, with my family, friends, co-workers and customers here at home – my collective tribe – all of whose unwavering support allowed me the privilege to write this today.
The story of FAT BARREL WINE COMPANY is not about fynbos. It is not about global politics or international economics. It is not about the humanitarian challenges that so often unfairly define discussions about things African. It is not about the 350 year old history of wine in the Cape, nor why the Cape’s wines are today considered part of the New World when they come from the oldest part of our world. It most certainly is not about me, nor the efforts of any one individual. It is about us, “my tribe”, and our collective efforts to help each other; those of my customers, mentors, suppliers, friends and my competitors – all of us. It’s about you if you are reading this.
This journey has been fueled by a collective consciousness of hope, a provocative elixir of positive energy that radiates from the Cape of Hope, a graciousness that South Africans contribute to our global soul and my desire to share this with you: those I know and those of you I have yet to meet. It is only through graciousness, trust and guidance that I am able to pursue my dreams of uniting my two families, to create “my tribe”. I benefit every day from the dedicated efforts of grape farmers, winemakers, wine buyers, global logistic professionals and their support networks, each working to achieve their own hopes and dreams, and to make their lives and the lives of those around them better. To be a small part of this is my honor and a great responsibility.
Thank you for your interest in Fat Barrel Wine Company.
Welcome to my barrel of bounty.
Thank you for visiting.
( contact us )
We look forward to hearing from you and
sharing a bottle of “the good stuff”