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Vergelegen – continuity and change on the Schapenberg

Standing in front of the five ancient camphor trees, it’s hard not to feel a sense of permanence about Vergelegen, which was founded in 1700, even as change comes to this stalwart Cape brand.

When Luke O’Cuinneagain was announced as Vergelegen’s new winemaker in the summer of 2022, the news was met with warmth, and a sigh of relief. The imminent departure of André van Rensberg, due to owner Anglo-American’s retirement policy, was always going to be a challenge for the estate. But the appointment of O’Cuinneagain, widely respected for his achievements at Glenelly, was something of a coup. “We were all surprised when he left,” one fellow winemaker remarked. “That was a job for life.”

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Vergelegen has always been fuelled by ambition – Wilhelm Adrian van der Stel, son of Simon, sought to build an estate so grand it would eclipse his father’s Groot Constantia. Yet perhaps it’s a sign of O’Cuinneagain’s own ambition that he has agreed to take on one of the biggest names in South Africa’s winemaking history.

A Contemporary Perspective

Standing on the Schapenberg overlooking False Bay, it’s clear that O’Cuinneagain is not the kind of winemaker who shrugs off broader questions about the estate with a casual ‘I just make the wines’. His influence extends across every aspect of Vergelegen, from viticulture to winemaking to branding.

His first major move was to release long-term consultant Michel Rolland – “a cost-cutting measure”, he says, somewhat unconvincingly. The next steps involved reassessing vineyard and cellar practices while guiding van Rensberg’s final vintages through élevage.

O’Cuinneagain and viticulturalist Ruldolf Kriel have also expanded the program to stop the use of pesticides. “Now we deploy natural predators using drones,” he explains. “We’re identifying hotspot areas and increasing predator density there.”

Given the Cape’s endemic struggle with leafroll virus, transmitted by mealy bugs, effective pest control is crucial.

“Leafroll is one of the scourges of the wine industry,” O’Cuinneagain says. “We're committed to being virus-free. Every vine is tested annually. If a positive test comes through, we remove that vine and often those adjacent to it, depending on the severity.” It amounts to an immense project, both in cost and labour. Thankfully, Anglo-American has deep pockets.

Next up were herbicides, replaced by cover crops and mulching between the rows. “It’s not easy,” O’Cuinneagain admits, pointing to a vineyard where weeds have grown canopy-high. “We’re going to have to spend a fortune in time and labour to regain control.”

The obvious question now is whether Vergelegen will transition to organic certification. O’Cuinneagain is cautious. “The process is too punitive. You do the right thing, but if you need to spray once to save a harvest, you lose your certification and have to restart a three-to-five-year process. There should be some flexibility.”

In addition, despite the estate’s extensive irrigation network, installed at great expense, O’Cuinneagain is keen to continue experimenting with dry-land farming. “The difference in fruit concentration compared to irrigated vines is chalk and cheese. But it’s a challenge,” he says, pointing out the lower yields and slower growth cycles for newly planted dry-farmed vineyards.

Experiments with high density planting with are also underway, with a view to understanding whether they could be a win-win, giving both higher quality fruit per vine and higher yields per hectare, as well as reducing the amount of vineyard labour required. The high-density format could also prove more resilient to the Cape’s famous winds, reducing the reliance on non-native wind-breaking trees such as pines.

Cellar Refinements

In the winery, O’Cuinneagain has refined the wood policy. It’s clear that he loves the detail and complexity of cooperage, choosing to reduce the number of suppliers and introduce a broader range of toasting levels, moving away from van Rensberg’s exclusive preference for medium toast. He is even trialling barriques made from oaks grown in different soil types. “I wanted to see if a barrel can express terroir,” he says. He’s also testing larger format barrels and adjusting sulphur additions for a more nuanced approach.

Picking is happening earlier as well, delivering deliver grapes to the cellar with higher acidities and naturally lower potential alcohols. “That’s hugely important for us in the UK market,” he notes. “Historically, we pushed the vines hard and picked late. I think we can pick earlier and preserve more crunch and fresh fruit.”

He’s also experimenting with next generation varieties, including Grenache and Albariño.

No detail is overlooked. In-depth research and development sessions with fellow winemakers have become regular features. Even the barrel cellar is being repainted.”‘It was a bit dark and gloomy before. I want to bring in natural light and create a better space for tastings,” O’Cuinneagain explains.

Evolving the Range

The range is evolving too. Alongside a global brand refresh and new labels launching in March 2025, O’Cuinneagain has also made the decision to transition to DIAM closures. “I love natural cork, but I’m sick of cork taint and random oxidation. DIAM is consistent and I need that here.”

The 2023 vintage was the first fully under his control; the 2022s were already picked and fermented by the time he arrived that September. His 2023 whites show a leaner and sometimes lightly reductive profile with more acidity than before. Even in the 2022 reds, fermented by van Rensberg but blended by O’Cuinneagain, the stylistic shift is clear with a greater focus on fresh fruit and less overt oak, without sacrificing tannin ripeness or concentration.

“It’s a work in progress,” O’Cuinneagain acknowledges, and there’s a lot happening at once. But if his track record at Glenelly is anything to go by, Vergelegen’s new chapter promises to be an exciting one.

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