This Heritage Month, immerse yourself in the unique stories and experiences of our estate. At Vergenoegd Löw, we cherish our rich history and traditions. At the same time, we’re continuously innovating: We want to create a world-class destination for visitors with as sustainability an underlying principle.
There are many fascinating chapters in the epic tale of Vergenoegd Löw, spanning a period of nearly 330 years. The property’s history dates back to 1696: the year the land was granted to Pieter de Vos by the then-governing Dutch East India Company. The DEIC established a refreshment station at the Cape for trading ships on the Spice Route between Europe and the Far East, and by the end of the 17th century, released some of their employees from service to establish their own farms and supplement the growing need for provisions. De Vos was clearly enchanted by his new home, as he named the farm Vergenoegd, which means "to be contented". He also planted the first vines, a tradition that would continue uninterrupted.
Vergenoegd became a significant producer of wine by the mid-1700s when Pieter de Vos was succeeded as owner by Ferdinand Appel, who increased the plantings to 25 000 vines. His daughter Johanna Appel married Johannes Colijn, who owned vineyards in Constantia. Well-known wine historian Joanne Gibson’s research suggests that Colijn, along with other Constantia wine producers, may have sourced grapes through family ties from non-Constantia farms like Vergenoegd and neighbours to create their world-renowned Constantia wines.
In 1782, the farm was sold to Johan Georg Lochner. For almost a year, between 1786 and 1787, he hosted the artist Jan Brandes who documented life on the farm in his art. These pictorial records would later become a crucial source of information for the team tasked with restoring our historic buildings. Many of these works are now housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Some reproductions from his large collection can be seen on the estate.
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