Heritage
Our Story
Guided by Nature. Guided by Heritage.
Vergenoegd Löw is one of South Africa’s oldest working wine farms, with a documented history dating back to 1696. Set on the coastal edge of Stellenbosch, close to False Bay, the estate has been shaped for centuries by farming, wine, people, architecture and the natural world. Its name, Vergenoegd, means contented or well-satisfied — a meaning that still captures the spirit of the place today.
A legacy since 1696
Our documented history begins in 1696, the year the land was granted to Pieter de Vos by the Dutch East India Company, the local authority at the time. Coming here today, it’s not hard to see why De Vos chose to call his property Vergenoegd (in those days sometimes spelled as Vergenoegt). The Dutch name means “to be content or well-satisfied”.
The Cultural Past
You can’t miss the unmistakable Cape Dutch architectural style when you visit the estate. The centrepiece is our 1773 homestead bearing the name Vergenoegt. (Recently, some specialists have been telling us we’ve been reading the date all wrong. It’s 1713. We can’t say for sure.)
Declared a national monument, it has as 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 wall (ringmuur), so strongly associated with 18th and 19th century rural architecture at the Cape.
Deep Roots
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 Rijksmuseum, 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.
On Becoming
Vergenoegd Löw
The estate’s modern chapter began in 2015, when Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Löw acquired the farm and brought it into the care of the European Heritage Project. Under his custodianship, an extensive programme of restoration and renewal began, transforming a neglected but historically significant farm complex into a living wine estate: a place where heritage could be protected, agriculture revived, and guests invited to experience the quiet richness of the land.
History Restored
Today, Vergenoegd Löw brings together estate-grown wines, regenerative farming, seasonal food, boutique accommodation, art, gardens, spa experiences and restored Cape architecture. It is not a museum, and it is not only a luxury destination. It is a working wine farm where the past remains visible, but life continues to move.
Everything here returns to two guiding ideas: nature must be respected, and heritage must be carried forward with care. Wine, people, heritage and sustainability are not separate parts of the estate. They are connected in the soil, the cellar, the kitchen, the werf, the gardens and the daily work of the farm.
