Vergenoegd Wine Estate, one of the three oldest wine farms in the Cape, is having a substantial amount spent on a facelift with the upgrading of the historical homestead, dating from the early 1700s. Building will commence within the next month and tenders are currently awaited.The farm is a member of the Helderberg Wine Route and is situated close to the False Bay coastline (if you delve deep enough in some areas you will strike salty ground). Vergenoegd has been producing red wines since the Faure family gained ownership in the early 19th century. Today John Faure, the sixth generation Faure, is at the helm of the family's business and is also the winemaker, while his partner, Izak Strauss, handles both the financial and marketing sides of the business.Both John and Izak are passionate about the wine they produce at Vergenoegd, which incidentally in Dutch means ‘satisfaction has been achieved’. Currently all wines are rated with four stars or more in the John Platter SA Wine Guide, and have been for many years. It is not surprising that the Vergenoegd Cabernet Sauvignon made its name at the National Red Wine Show five times as Champion and four times as Grand Champion.John believes that good wine is made in the vineyards. ‘Although one cannot expect to make good wine from bad grapes, it is much easier to make good wine from good grapes,’ he says. ‘You have to be able to recognize the good grapes and guide them in the direction that will ultimately make the difference between a good quality and an excellent wine.’John strives to achieve a unique Vergenoegd character: a wine that has balance, elegance, complexity and fruit to be enjoyed at about three years of age, but that will continue to improve over the next few years, keeping its peak till at least ten years or longer. Vergenoegd wines are an ideal investment for those serious about cellaring their wines. ‘It's also the unique terroir that gives Vergenoegd its character,’ is the opinion of Izak. The estate's soil profile varies from alluvial loam to sand with yellow clay and calcareous layers, probably of marine origin. John says, ‘It might feel like you have lapsed back into another century when you arrive at Vergenoegd and imbibe the 'old world' feel’. The homestead, which is to be revamped into a new tasting centre and later an upmarket venue for exclusive business functions, is a historic monument and dates back to 1773. While there was obviously a house on the property in earlier times, the beautiful ‘holbol’ gable, built by one of the previous owners, Johannes Colyn, with its decorative scrolls and mouldings, is dated 1773 and bears the name ‘Vergenoegt’ - incorrectly spelt. Other architectural features of interest are the plasterwork on the archway on the side of the Manor house and the slave bell, both examples of the functional building traditions of Europe made uniquely Cape by early tradesmen. The architect involved in the revamping of the homestead is John Rennie, renowned for his involvement in the preservation of historical buildings. The charming old-world cellar is equipped with modern winemaking machinery and in its cool interior wines lie quietly maturing in new French 300 litre oak barrels. Wines are released three years after vintage. The 2000 vintage, Terrace Bay, an introduction to their series - a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Cabernet Franc - is due to be released at the end of May. Their 1998 Port, under a new label of Old Cape Colony, will also be released at the end of May. The farm can be contacted on +27 (0) 21 843-3248 for details of how to get there. By Maryke RobertsEmail: mroberts@helderberg.com