This estate - now 325 years old - tells the stories of the owners, their families, slaves, Khoi labourers and farm life over three centuries. It is a fascinating tale of a host of individual vrijburger and other farmers who farmed with grapes, wines, different kinds of livestock, crops and feed grains.
In 1820 Johannes Gysbert Faure started the “dynasty” of generations of Faures until John Faure sold it to German businessman, industrialist and heritage devotee, Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Löw in 2015. He bought it because the rich heritage of the farm and the award-winning red wines fascinated him.
Original historic rolls in the Ryks Archive in The Hague describe the term of each owner, their spouse, number of children, slaves, numbers of livestock, weight of crops grown, volumes of wine produced and their personal arms down to recording a gun, revolver and sabre. Unlike wine farms built by the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) where official documentation recorded the history, Vergenoegd’s history was more informally recorded by some owners and researchers with fascinating aspects still emerging.
The art
A famous Dutch painter and Lutheran church minister, Jan Brandes (1743 – 1808), stayed on Vergenoegd for a year as guest of owner Johan Lochner. He painted three watercolour panoramas from the farm, one of which includes the farm itself. The accuracy of these renditions, down to verifiable details of the cellars, homestead, walled kraals and even the formal garden in front of the homestead was confirmed by heritage architects. Brandes painted and sketched a variety of land and sea birds, plants and fish during his stay. Most of his valued works are in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The life’s work of Jan Brandes comprises about six hundred exquisite water-colour drawings and sketches. They had remained hidden in private collections for almost two centuries, until the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam acquired most of them in 1985. Soon the oeuvre was recognized as one of the most original and revealing depictions of life in and around Dutch VOC establishments in Asia and Africa. He was especially adept at painting birds and even took back to Batavia live birds given to him as a farewell gift by his parishioners. He made three watercolour panoramas from the farm, one of which includes the farm itself. The watercolour panoramas are digitally available in high resolution from the Rijksmuseum. They have proved to be a very important resource which depicts the property in good detail as it was circa 1786.
Sustainability
Every process on our farm is designed to leave as light a footprint as possible. This starts with a deep respect for the land and every creature that calls it home. Our working flock of Indian Runner Ducks form part of a natural pest control solution integral to the quality of our wines. We follow environmentally conscious principles such as recycling, solar electricity, composting and low-water drip irrigation systems. This is why we are proud of our WWF Conservation Champion status, and IPW biodiversity certifications.
We care about our people as much as we do about the environment. As a proud member of the Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association (WIETA), we are committed to creating a safe, supportive and uplifting working environment that enables our farm workers and surrounding communities to benefit.
At Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate, we've always been dedicated to great wine, innovation and environmentally friendly farming practices. So when it came to protecting our precious vineyards from pests, we asked: Is there a way to do it without harming the farm's delicate ecosystem? Our working flock of 1000 Indian Runner Ducks forage in the vineyards, happily dining on snails and keeping our farm pest free, naturally. We are one of Africa's proud pioneers of a very unique, integrated pest management program, a practice we have been refining since 1984.
Two core farming activities
The growing of grapes and wine making is made possible by farm operations. The winemaker, is responsible for growing grapes and making wine. A dedicated manager is responsible for all other functions like implements, fencing, irrigation, maintenance, security, roads, livestock and other operational duties.
Where to plant - or not
Before planting, soil, climate and other analyses are done to determine the best soil for the different grape cultivars. That is working in harmony with nature. All areas that are not suitable or ideally suitable for growing grapes are used for other farming needs such as grazing or simply natural areas. At Vergenoegd Löw blocks for the different cultivars have been determined and marked.