Young winemaker’s latest run of accolades signals the growing stature of a historic Stellenbosch estate
For Vergenoegd Löw, the story of renewal is being written both in the vineyards and in the cellar. As the historic Stellenbosch estate continues to revitalise its vineyards and reimagine its approach to winemaking, young winemaker Vusi (Mvuselelo) Dalicuba is emerging as one of the key voices of its new wine chapter.
His latest run of accolades provides compelling evidence of that progress, with Vergenoegd Löw wines earning an impressive collection of high scores and medals across the 2026 Tim Atkin MW South Africa Report, the 2026 Young Wine Show and the 2026 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards.
The results build on a growing list of recognition for Dalicuba since joining Vergenoegd Löw in 2021 – and underscore the estate’s ambitions to regain its place among the wines to watch from Stellenbosch.
In the 2026 Tim Atkin MW South Africa Report, five Vergenoegd Löw wines achieved 93 points, 91 points or 90 points and above. Leading the results were three 93-point wines: the 2023 Family Collection Lara Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Family Collection Maximilian Bordeaux-style Red Blend and 2025 Family Collection Bordeaux-style White Blend. The 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon scored 91 points, while the 2025 Chardonnay and 2024 Merlot each earned 90 points. Dalicuba was also shortlisted as a Rising Star in this year’s report.
The results are complemented by a superb showing at the Stellenbosch regional leg of the 2026 SA Young Wine Show, where Vergenoegd Löw’s Chardonnay (wooded) claimed three regional trophies: Champion Chardonnay, Champion Wood Matured White Wine and Champion White Wine overall. The estate’s Cape Vintage Port-style wine also took the trophy for Champion Fortified Wine. Both wines went on to receive gold medals at the national 2026 SA Young Wine Show.
At the 2026 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards, the estate continued its medal-winning momentum. The 2017 Sebastian Port-style wine achieved a coveted double gold, while the 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2024 Merlot were awarded gold medals.
For Dalicuba, the recognition is the latest chapter in a remarkably fast-developing winemaking journey.
His journey as a winemaker has unfolded in parallel with the estate’s own transformation. As Vergenoegd Löw has replanted vineyards, deepened its understanding of the land and refined its winemaking approach, Dalicuba too has developed alongside the farm – learning from each vintage, experimenting in the cellar and discovering new ways to translate its distinctive character into wine.
“This farm is my place of learning, all the time, each new day,” he says.
When he joined the estate midway through 2021 as viticulturist and winemaker, he stepped into a farm undergoing a fundamental renewal. Since 2017, Vergenoegd Löw has been undertaking an extensive vineyard replanting programme, informed by detailed soil analyses following German investor Prof Dr Dr Peter Löw’s acquisition of the historic property in 2015.
Importantly, this renewal extends beyond the vines themselves. Vergenoegd Löw follows regenerative vineyard practices, with a focus on building soil health, supporting biodiversity and working with natural systems rather than against them. This holistic approach forms part of the estate’s broader commitment to responsible farming and has earned Vergenoegd Löw recognition as a WWF Conservation Champion.
With a history dating back to 1696, the estate is one of South Africa’s oldest working farms. Today, its heritage is being paired with a progressive approach to viticulture, regenerative agriculture and winemaking, creating a new expression of the estate’s identity – one that places the health of the land at the heart of its future.
Dalicuba’s own trajectory reflects that philosophy of continuous learning and experimentation.
His talent had already begun attracting attention before the latest accolades. In the inaugural 2024 Next Generation Awards, convened by Winemag.co.za, he was named runner-up, with the 2022 Vergenoegd Löw Lara Cabernet Sauvignon earning 95 points. The same vintage of Vergenoegd Löw Amalie Merlot won the VinLog Merlot Trophy at the 2024 Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards.
In 2025, Dalicuba’s 2023 Family Collection Ottilie Malbec was named the national winner in the Stellenbosch category at the SA Terroir Wine Awards, while the estate’s 2023 Merlot went on to secure a best-in-class trophy at the Global Fine Wine Challenge.
The latest results suggest that these were not isolated successes, but part of a broader trajectory.
Dalicuba’s approach combines scientific precision with creativity. Holding a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, he was mentored by respected South African wine professionals including Lorraine Geldenhuys, Beyers Truter and Abrie Beeslaar before joining Vergenoegd Löw.
At the estate, he works closely with managing director Corius Visser and the wider team to explore how the farm’s distinctive terroir can be expressed with greater precision.
“We experiment as far and as widely as we can, innovating and exploring with different problem-solving and techniques, discovering different ways to augment traditional winemaking,” says Dalicuba.
That balance between tradition and experimentation is central to the estate’s current wine
philosophy. Individual vineyard blocks are vinified separately to reveal their distinctive characteristics, while fermentation and extraction techniques are carefully adapted to retain freshness, fruit purity and texture.
The estate’s relatively cool climate, proximity to the sea and lime-rich soils further contribute to wines characterised by elegance, balance and freshness, while retaining the structure and concentration associated with wines built for longevity.
For Vergenoegd Löw, the significance of the latest accolades extends beyond the medals and scores.
They represent a growing recognition of an estate in transition – one that is drawing on more than three centuries of agricultural heritage while investing in the vineyards, people and winemaking philosophy that will define its future.
And at the centre of that story is a young winemaker whose own development has become intertwined with the estate’s renewal.
“I have huge respect for Corius and all my colleagues. Here, the learning never stops.”
As Vergenoegd Löw continues to renew its vineyards, farm regeneratively and deepen its understanding of the land, Dalicuba is doing much the same in the cellar: learning, experimenting and refining with every vintage.
The estate is renewing its roots. Its wines are finding new stature. And, alongside them, a new generation of South African wine talent is coming of age.
Discover Vergenoegd Löw
The Vergenoegd Löw wine collection can be tasted in the serene surroundings of the historic farm close to Stellenbosch.
The collection is also available online, with nationwide delivery.
Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate
1 Faure Road, Somerset West, off R310/Baden Powell Drive, Stellenbosch Wine Route
Tel: +27 21 843 3248
Email: info@vergenoegd.co.za
Website: www.vergenoegd.co.za
