An important way of honouring our heritage is to bring back traditional farming practices where viable. And then we combine them with new agricultural technology. We find that with ongoing trial and practice and the application of detailed precision tools, we can measure and manage with greater accuracy. All in the interests of making great wines that are in balance with and a reflection of our terroir.
We call it a progressive, adaptive approach - another way of saying that we try always to farm with, rather than against nature.
A big part of that is to farm regeneratively with mixed crops, animals and even insects. Building soil health and life and promoting biodiversity makes us more climate resilient and eco-sustainable and allows us to maximise the advantages of our location while minimizing our reliance on chemical inputs.
It’s the reason you’ll find prize-winning Indian Runner ducks and Dexter cattle here. They devour pests that might otherwise attack the vines. They also eat weeds, while their waste enriches the life in the soils. Our cover crops, planted between the vineyard rows are also part of our integrated pest management programme. They attract pollinators and other insects that devour vineyard pests. They also help to control soil temperatures and moisture while capturing carbon and biding nitrogen to the soil.
Healthy soils give us healthy vines and to date we just almost 51ha planted mostly (75%) to red varieties. Whatever the variety, ourrecipe is to “follow the grapes”. The grapes themselves dictate how the berries should be vinified.
To see how everything comes together, just taste our wines. They’re restrained, precise and balanced with just a touch of salinity.
We treasure our rich and varied legacy and are constantly finding ways to bring our natural and social heritage to life.
We are a WWF Conservation Champion and practise regenerative, holistic mixed farming as we return our farm to ecological balance and wellbeing. We have faithfully renovated the original Cape Dutch farm buildings, but also reimagined them as exclusive accommodation and a spa; as restaurants, and as tasting, celebration and event venues.
Whatever the experience you choose with us, our hope is that you leave replenished and revived, that you've had the chance for some fun and that you are ready and inspired for your next step.
Designated a Stellenbosch Wine of Origin estate, we are a member of the Helderberg Wine Route.
We are just 22km from Cape Town International Airport; under 40km from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and less than 90km from the celebrated seaside town of Hermanus.
When Dr Peter Löw bought Vergenoegd in 2015, he began an exciting new program of revitalisation. A prominent German entrepreneur, philanthropist, historian, cultural and heritage advocate, he recognised the potential in a once proud but run-down wine farm. He found a complex of early buildings that, although dilapidated, were still largely intact. Everything he encountered here led him to believe the property had all the building blocks to produce great wines, to offer high-end dining and hospitality, and a range of intriguing experiences.
What he envisaged and has brought to life, is an intimate wine tourist destination in an authentic working farm setting abounding in natural beauty and scenery: an idyllic enclave that honours the past in a fresh and contemporary way; and that through our wines, expresses a true taste of place with grace and depth.
Dr Löw has successfully reclaimed the reputation of our 160ha estate as an esteemed heritage site. Previously known for our wines, we are now also recognised for our luxury hospitality. He has harnessed high-level technology as well as the skills and insights of specialists in soil mapping, regenerative agriculture, in wine, heritage, architectural restoration, landscaping and exclusive hospitality.
Through his investment, the renamed Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate Boutique Hotel & Spa has joined the pedegreed portfolio of European Heritage Project with its privately-owned luxury properties in Germany, Austria, Italy and Malta.
As a WWF Conservation Champion, we know what it takes to promote biodiversity and sustainability and to use water wisely.
You'll notice it in our indigenous gardens and the vlei, teeming with a variety of local plant and bird life. For added interest we've introduced sculptures by the renowned Dylan Lewis that highlight the dynamic relationship between humans and nature.
We farm regeneratively to promote soil health and life, to make us more climate-resistant, to maximise the advantages of our location and to better express the flavours of our grapes. We follow a mixed farming approach, establishing insectary plants between the vines. They help to moderate soil and vine temperatures, to retain soil moisture, sequester carbon and bind nitrogen, while also making us less reliant on irrigation and fertilisers.
Our Indian Runner ducks and Dexter cattle devour pests that might impact vine health and they eat weeds, while their waste enriches the soils. Such integrated pest management reduces the need for pesticides.
We are less than 5km away from False Bay. The maritime breezes keep temperatures on average around 3°C lower than elsewhere in the Stellenbosch area, allowing for slow ripening of the grapes with concentrated flavours. We also lie on an ancient seabed, which is how we come to have such lime-rich soils, an unusual attribute for the area. To make the most of these advantages, and after extensive soil analyses, we have been replanting our vineyards since 2017. We now have just over 50ha under vine.
By focusing so much of our efforts on growing beautifully balanced, healthy grapes, we can take a low-intervention approach in the cellars. We believe you can taste the impact in our restrained, precise and balanced wines with their hallmark whisper of salinity.
You can't miss the quintessential Cape Dutch architectural style when you visit the estate. The 1773 homestead bearing the name Vergenoegt is just one typical example. Declared a national monument, it has a centre gable, thatched roof, thick, whitewashed walls, casement windows, bottle-green painted frames and then as you enter, beams made of indigenous wood. You will even find a restored version of the original low, white-washed perimeter (ringmuur), so strongly associated with 18th and 19th century rural architecture at the Cape.
As it was in earlier times, the delightful werf (farmyard) is entered by a little gateway with exuberant mouldings.
There is a theory that what is now the restaurant Clara's Barn possibly predates the homestead. There are also several other structures that have been returned to their original exteriors but repurposed for a variety of uses.
The architectural heritage specialists appointed to undertake the restoration were in the very fortunate position of being able to refer to early renditions of Vergenoegd made by visiting watercolourist Jan Brandes, who spent a year on the farm between 1786 and 1787. Some of these works have been reproduced and enlarged for estate visitors to see. Brandes also documented plant and bird life on the farm. The originals can be found in the Rijk's Museum, Amsterdam in The Netherlands, as he is considered an artist of considerable importance.
The foods we serve reflect the influences of our Khoekhoen, Dutch, French, East Indies and African forebears.