Vergelegen is a global wine tourist destination

Co-winners include Australia’s Domaine Chandon, renowned producer of luxury sparkling wines in the Yarra Valley; Château Giscours, the historical Margaux third-classified growth of Bordeaux, that dates back to the 14th century and whose wines were said to appeal to King Louis XIV of France, and Ferreira, Caves do Vinho do Porto. Ferreira is one of the most famous names in port.

Cape Town, incorporating the Cape winelands, is one of eight members of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. The others are Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Florence (Italy), Melbourne (Australia), Mendoza, (Argentina), Porto (Portugal) and San Francisco-Napa Valley (US).

Restorative

Noted for the restoration to its beautiful Cape Dutch homestead, Vergelegen won two of the Cape’s Best of Wine Tourism Awards, scoring the highest points in both Art and Culture and in Architecture to become South Africa’s Great Wine Capitals of the World Network Winner for 2007. Past South African winners of the prestigious award include Nederburg, Spier and Waterford.

Vergelegen was South Africa’s first accredited Biodiversity & Wine Champion, lauded for its work in conserving indigenous vegetation and protecting natural habitat on the 3000 hectare farm. Most recently, the estate, established three centuries ago, was judged the Best New World Winery by leading US magazine Wine Enthusiast and was this year’s top performer in the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. The property is owned by Anglo American PLC Group.