Vergelegen hosts weddings, corporate functions, conference drinks, private dinners and celebrations all year, from a Homestead dinner of 12 to a reception of 440 in its riverside conservatory. The estate lies in Somerset West, east of Cape Town, at the foot of the mountains, and has made wine since it was founded on February 1, 1700.
Seminars and company events
The estate takes corporate functions at several venues on the property. The Octagonal Garden is used for networking over drinks and snacks during events and conferences held at the estate, and the Stables Restaurant can host a pre-dinner gathering or brunch for up to 110. Groups can add an environmental tour, a walk through the gardens or a private wine tasting to the program. The tasting room, which overlooks the Octagonal Garden, is open every day.
Weddings and receptions
Couples choose a ceremony or pre-drinks site among three settings: the Octagonal Garden, laid out in the 18th century around a historic pergola; the Camphor Forest, under a canopy of old camphor trees; and the Lake and Mountain Venue, at the water's edge with the peaks behind. A riverside area below the conservatory, on the lawn beside the Lourens River, also suits ceremonies. The wedding package includes three set-up days and one break-down day, use of the Café Fleur function building for the caterer, restrooms, janitorial service for the night, a private groom's room, a backup generator for the kitchen and building, security during build-up and break-down, and one night's stay for the couple.
Rooms and capacities
The Riverside Conservatory is a sage-colored glass marquee on the lawn in front of Café Fleur. It measures 25 by 30 meters, holds up to 440 guests and looks over the river toward the sunset. The Camphor Forest hosts picnics for up to 120 guests, weather permitting. The Homestead takes dinners for 12 to 40 guests, and the Stables Restaurant seats up to 110 for drinks or brunch in its long room and main dining area.
Accommodation
The Homestead has four en suite rooms, and the couple stays there for one night as part of the wedding package.
Catering
Events are catered by firms from the estate's list of recommended caterers, which includes a kosher caterer, working from the Café Fleur kitchen. Only Vergelegen wines are served at functions. The estate also recommends coordinators, florists, lighting, staffing and marquee suppliers. The estate runs its own restaurants, and the Stables Restaurant can host part of a wedding weekend.
History and setting
The name means "situated far away." The estate was founded in 1700 by Willem Adriaan van der Stel, then governor of the Cape, and its heritage core includes the Homestead, with rooms furnished in period style and a corridor of panels on its history, as well as the Library, the Mill Ruins and the site of the slave lodge. Visitors can walk through 18 gardens. Vergelegen covers 3,000 hectares, of which 2,240 hectares have been restored through alien plant clearing, and in March 2005 it became the first producer to receive Champion status from the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative.
Getting there
The estate is in Somerset West in the Western Cape. Cape Town International Airport is about half an hour away by road.
