DeMorgenzon

DE MORGENZON “THE MORNING SUN”

DeMorgenzon, ‘the morning sun,’ was so named as it is the first part of the Stellenboschkloof valley to see the sun because of its high altitude and aspects. We cover the top southern and eastern slopes of Ribbokkop, overlooking the pinnacle of Kanonkop from where a cannon was fired to alert the farms in the region that a ship had put into Table Bay. The first road from Cape Town to Stellenbosch ran through the Stellenbosch Kloof.

DeMorgenzon believe that music can influence the growth of a vine and the fruit it bears. They have played Baroque, and early Classical, music to the growing vines in the vineyard, in the winery and in the cellar all day, and every day, since 2009.

Do the vines ‘listen’ to the music and does it ‘influence’ them? Nobody is t suggesting that one gnarled (and perhaps slightly grumpy) old Chenin Blanc vine leans across to its neighbor and hisses “Haven’t we had enough of this Scarlatti already? Can’t he give us more Albinoni? If Albinoni was good enough for The Doors why not for us?”

DeMorgenzon is, in essence, a 91 hectare garden interspersed with 55 hectares of carefully tended vineyards. It’s necessary to understand the physical context to get a feeling for the gardens – the farm rises from about 200m to nearly 400m above sea level and enjoys panoramic vistas including Cape Town, Table Mountain, Cape Point, Cape Hangklip, the Hottentots Holland mountains, Helderberg and Simonsberg with the ocean as a backdrop. The blue sea and purple mountains do inevitably influence the planting palette. In order to make sense of it all, the garden is divided into discrete spaces.

DeMorgenzon grows vineyards and produces wine in an ethically and environmentally responsible manner.