What would you do if you received the following invitation: “The Stellenbosch Wine Routes might be considered a golden oldie with its pioneering winemaking legacy spanning over more than four decades, but with all its hot and happening tastes, flavours and characters, this legend/old faithful still manages to fuel all the senses. This winter we invite you to re-discover the enviable Stellenbosch Lifestyle and enjoy old and new attractions in an around our historic Eikestad. It is simple – you send us your Stellenbosch Bucket List and we make it happen”?
The first item on our “bucket list” was to visit Vergelegen Estate, taste some of their super premium wines and experience their fine dining restaurant, Camphor. What we got, was so much more!
Entrance to the Estate, the Tasting Room entrance, elegant & light furnishings in the Tasting Room
A bit of history: Vergelegen was an outpost when the freehold land was granted to Willem Adriaan van der Stel, the new Governor of the Cape. He was a visionary who transformed an utter wilderness into a flourishing Estate to rival Europe’s finest. After Willem Adriaan van der Stel was forced to return to the Netherlands in 1706, Vergelegen went through a succession of owners until 1917 when Sir Lionel Phillips purchased the property for his wife Lady Florence Phillips, who transformed the dilapidated Estate into a floral and cultural treasure trove.
Herb garden view from the tasting room terrace, art-full entrance to the tasting room, The Stables Restaurant (more casual, with bistro style food)
After the deaths of Sir Lionel and Lady Phillips, Vergelegen and its contents were sold by auction to the Barlow Family in June 1941. Cynthia Barlow was as devoted to Vergelegen as Lady Phillips had been and maintained the Estate’s tradition. When Anglo American purchased the property in 1987, extensive investments were made in viticulture and in restoring the Estate’s historic core.
Exploring the gardens at Vergelegen; you do need a map as there are 17 themed gardens on the Estate!
We felt like true explorers, wondering around the Estate gardens, sipping its fine wines and tasting the delicacies prepared in one of the two restaurants. Our pictures will tell you more than words can ever do…
These Camphor trees are the oldest living, officially documented trees on the sub-continent. Introduced to the Cape from China and Japan around 1670, they were planted at Vergelegen during the van der Stel era (1700 – 1706). The five remaining giants were proclaimed National Monuments in 1942 and are expected to live for another 150 – 200 years. The other camphor trees at Vergelegen are seedlings from these five magnificent species.
SA’s first International Camellia Garden of Excellence, one of only 17 such gardens in the world, and the second in the southern hemisphere was in full bloom. We also meandered through the Yellow Wood Garden and took time out in the Reflection Garden.
There is more than 300 years of history on the Estate; it is present everywhere: In its visitors, in the buildings and in its magnificent trees
When you hear that Frieda, the tasting room manager, has worked at the Estate for 11 years, you know she knows her stuff… We tasted the 2006 Nirvana, a Sauvignon Blanc (7%) Semillon (93%), a rare treat.
The finger print on the DNA bottle is that of the winemaker, André van Rensburg. The tasting room has unique decor, especially the light fittings!
Christo Deyzel, manager and sommelier of Camphors at Vergelegen (the signature restaurant on the estate), explains their philosophy to create the ultimate food and wine pairings in elegant surroundings.
The custom built kitchen (right) creates these works of art under Chef PJ Vadas and serves them in the beautifully appointed restaurant
Even the bathrooms have been designed with a lot of thought. At Camphors no detail is left to chance. Special wine glasses for special wine with a warming fire…
We sampled the new winter menu that included gems like 6-month dehydrated mozzarella and rib-eye from the Estate’s own cattle herd.
Pan seared Panga – the dish of the day (crispy skin, flaky meat & just perfect) shared with André van Rensburg, the character behind the Vergelegen wines.
We spent more than 5 hours at Vergelegen, drinking in the 300 years of history, savouring the new in the excellent food and wines produced. After tasting all the wine, eating the gorgeous food and gawking at the magnificent gardens we’ve come to the conclusion that the Estate’s greatest asset lies not in it’s sprawling beauty but in its people: They are passionate about the Estate, they love what they do and they do it well.
We spent a few hours in the company of André van Rensburg and Don Tooth, MD of Vergelegen. We obviously could not leave without purchasing a few of our favourites!
