Nature, heritage and regenerative farming weave a magic spell.
A serene timelessness is your first impression of the Cape Dutch manor house, werf and farm buildings of Vergenoegd Löw, whether you visit for a wine tasting or an overnight stay in the Winelands. It hardly seems to have changed since the farm was founded in 1696. The level expanse of regeneratively farmed vines and conserved wetlands between Somerset West and Cape Town has a sleeping beauty enchantment that the meticulous restoration (since 2015) by Professor Peter Löw has preserved, with mature oaks, birdlife on the vlei and distant mountain horizons to rest your eyes upon.
There’s layer upon layer of authentic farm heritage to discover, as you wander between wine tastings in the 1773 Homestead Wine Lounge, lunch at one of Bertus Basson’s two restaurants, Clara’s Barn and Geuwels, perhaps encountering the famous flock of Indian runner ducks settled under an oak tree in the werf, on a break from their pest-eating duties among the vines.
Cellar-door tastings
In the old-world homestead, sommelier George Young introduces you to award-winning wines from this distinctive terroir – cool coastal climate, low altitude, and lime-rich soils, (not to mention the mixed-farming approach with Dexter cattle as well as the Indian Runner ducks). Harmonious wines of great elegance are the result. Winemaker Vusi Dalicuba’s philosophy is to follow the grapes… and the superb cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and cap classique vintages are well worth lingering over.
The Vergenoegd Löw Amalie Merlot 2022 won the VinLog Merlot Trophy at the prestigious 2024 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards. And the Vergenoegd Löw Lara Cabernet Sauvignon won gold.
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Indigenous food-and-wine tasting
Sean Gibson
If you’re up for a sensory experience, go for the special Indigenous Tasting, where you sample local flavours like bokkoms, biltong, dune spinach, mebos and roosterkoek. It’s less a wine pairing than an experience designed to awaken the palate, activate taste memories and prime your tastebuds to discover indigenous flavour elements in the wines themselves.
Clara’s Barn
The centuries-old barn makes a characterful fine-dining venue, complete with weathered rafters, oversized barn doors, and cobbled stalls. There’s a welcoming bar-lounge area and tables flow outside onto the verandah. Envisaged as a modern South African farm kitchen, co-owner (with Bertus Basson) and chef Drikus Brink’s five-course tasting menus riff on nostalgic SA farm classics using sometimes obscure local and wild ingredients, and seasonal produce from the farm.
Opening times Tuesday – Sunday, 12pm – 2pm (lunch)
Thursday – Saturday,: 6pm – 8pm (dinner)
Contact 021 202 4372, claras@vergenoegd.co.za
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Geuwels
Daniela Zondagh
Smoke rises from the wood-fired braai outside Geuwels as roosterkoek (grilled breads) are prepared for breakfast and lunch. Cosily tucked into old farm buildings next to the wine cellar, the Geuwels menu focuses on casual small plates to share, spotlighting old-school South African flavours with plenty of heart.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 8am – 10.30pm (breakfast)
12pm – 2.30pm (lunch)
Contact 021 202 4373, geuwels@vergenoegd.co.za
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Spa
The whitewashed stables are now a soothing spa with two cosy couples treatment rooms for restorative massages, the signature hydrating milk bath treatment and a menu of spoils. There’s an adjacent gym and yoga room for hotel guests too.
Contact 064 722 2728
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Luxury accommodation
The serene nature-infused atmosphere of the estate makes it an appealing Winelands base, even more so that it’s only 10 minutes drive from Cape Town’s international airport, and perfectly placed for exploring Stellenbosch, Somerset West and beyond. There’s a whole range of luxurious lodgings to choose from, and you can also make yourself at home in the Homestead lounge (reserved for hotel guests) for afternoon tea or drinks by the fire.
- 4 ensuite rooms with garden verandahs and jacuzzis at The Farm Lodge, close to the werf
- 4 contemporary Vineyard Suites, each with living area and private plunge pool
- 6 thatched, free-standing, two-bedroom Luxury Cottages, among the vines with private pool deck and lounge
- 1 Presidential Suite, with its own 12x4m pool and sundeck, jacuzzi and verandah, a dining area for 12 and a spacious lounge
- Owners Villa, with 7 ensuite bedrooms, a large lap pool, deck and entertainment area
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The minute you arrive at this enchanting estate, time stands still. It’s a place to explore, relax and savour every detail.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm
Contact 021 843 3248, info@vergenoegd.co.za
Where to find it 1 Faure Road (off Baden Powell Drive), Somerset West
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