DeMorgenzon

DeMorgenzon - "The Morning Sun"

DeMorgenzon, "the morning sun", was so named because it is the first part of the Stellenboschkloof valley to see the sun due to its elevation and aspects. It covers the upper southern and eastern slopes of Ribbokkop and overlooks the summit of Kanonkop, from where a cannon was fired to warn the farms in the area when a ship had docked in Table Bay. The first road from Cape Town to Stellenbosch ran through the Stellenbosch Kloof.

The Cape of Good Hope had been built in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a refuelling station for its fleet, which needed to be supplied for the long voyage east to Batavia (now Indonesia) or home to the Netherlands. Without stocking up on delicious South African fruit, vegetables and low-fat meat, the sailors would all have succumbed to scurvy before the end of their long voyage. These were the days of sailing, after all, and we're talking months at sea.

The Dutch governor Simon van der Stel founded Stellenbosch in 1679. DeMorgenzon was originally part of Uiterwyk, one of the oldest farms in South Africa. In 1682 Uiterwyk, the "outer station", was let to Dirk Cauchet, Coetzee, Coetze, Kotzee, Coetchee or Koetchee, as it appears under each variation in the records. It was eventually given to him in 1699 by Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel.

In 2003, Wendy and Hylton Appelbaum bought DeMorgenzon and have since transformed the estate into a 91-acre garden vineyard where wildflowers grow abundantly among the vines. Vines grow here along with wildflowers on 55 of the 91 acres. Where no vineyards grow, the original Renoster field - a special and endangered form of South African bush land - is extensively recultivated. 

Wendy Appelbaum

Wendy Appelbaum is a committed woman in South Africa. She has won numerous awards, including being named "Businesswoman of the year 2015" and "African Woman of the year 2015" by Forbes magazine. She is an advocate for black empowerment and WWF South Africa.

The DeMorgenzon Gardens

DeMorgenzon is essentially a 91-acre garden with 55 acres of carefully tended vineyards. It is necessary to understand the physical context to get a feel for the gardens - the farm rises from about 200m to almost 400m above sea level and offers panoramic views such as Cape Town, Table Mountain, Cape Point, Cape Hangklip, the Hottentots Holland Mountains, Helderberg and Simonsberg with the sea as a backdrop. The blue sea and purple mountains inevitably influence the planting palette. To make sense of it all, the garden is divided into discrete spaces. The drive from the front gate to the house is a 2.5 kilometre mixed border. Access along the driveway naturally controls the way DeMorgenzon is visited and perceived.

The flora at DeMorgenzon is always kept in 'motion' by varying some of the planting, alongside constant elements such as cypresses, olives and roses. Fig and lemon trees are also now growing. Wildflowers also grow with wonderful variability. Cornflowers are an important constant here. Their intense blue is varied with other blues such as delphinium, anchusa, nemophilia, flax and viscaria.

"We have no doubt that a biodiverse and ecologically sensitive environment produces infinitely better grapes ... the beauty of our gardens is in every bottle of our wine."

DeMorgenzon wines and classical music

At DeMorgenzon, they believe that music can influence the growth of a vine and the fruit it bears. So since 2009 baroque and early classical music has been played every day in the vineyard, winery and cellar. There is a bit of research on the topic of how sound and music affect plants.

The effect of sound and music on plant growth is a fascinating topic and has intrigued many gardeners over the years. Although not much scientific research has been done, a handful of research papers have reported on the effects of sound energy on plant growth. All have reported positive results from playing harmonic or melodious music to plants.

There are even plants that clearly recognize and respond to music. The Telegraph Plant (Semaphore Plant or Dancing Grass) is a type of legume shrub whose leaves "dance" rhythmically to harmonic music. It shows no reaction when manually blown or stroked.

In 1973, a book titled The Sound of Music and Plants noted that experiments conducted at Colorado Woman's College in Denver detailed playing soothing music to plants made them grow faster, stronger and healthier.

The research has been conducted since the first commercial experiment in 1972 by Charnoe, who studied the effects of sound waves on barley budding. Subsequently, Carlson (in the USA) treated various crops and vegetables with high frequency sound waves (Spillane, 1991) and the Xian Tuo company in Osaka, Japan, treated vegetables with classical music (Xiao Hai, 1990).

Reports of the growth of many record-breaking fruits have also been attributed to music. For example, French scientists cultivated a 2-kilogram tomato and British scientists cultivated a 13-kilogram beet (Hou and Mooneyham, 1999). Recent scientific studies conducted at Bilkent University in Turkey in collaboration with the Azerbaijan State Music Academy have found that classical music has positive effects on root growth.

The terroir of DeMorgenzon

When the Appelbaums purchased DeMorgenzon, they used satellite and historical data, as well as a study of physical factors, to thoroughly analyze the climate (including temperature data, solar radiation patterns, rainfall records, wind and sun hours). In addition, they commissioned a detailed soil analysis (nutrient status, physical properties, depth, color, and hydrologic properties), drilling several hundred holes; and they conducted a topographic survey (elevation, slope steepness, slope shape, terrain unit, landscape openness, and drainage patterns).

This enabled delineation of the best option block boundaries and allocation of varieties according to cultivar preferences. It also helped determine rootstock selection, row and plant spacing, and row direction. One is convinced to have planted the vine rows in harmony with the terroir, the sun and the elements.

The enormously old and varied soils at DeMorgenzon consist mainly of well-drained Oakleaf and Tukula types, originally developed from a granite base.

Biodiversity

Approximately 10% of DeMorgenzon has been set aside for Renosterveld restoration. To do this, 15 ha of pine forest and various invasive alien species have been removed and they are still clearing Port Jackson and Wattle on occasion.

The consequences are already visible. A long dry spring in one of the Kloofs has bubbled to the surface. In keeping with their belief in growing in harmony with nature, DeMorgenzon is restoring native vegetation in some places and creating a biodiverse habitat in the vineyard. They are also experimenting with native intercrops. Renosterveld is one of the most threatened habitats in the Cape Floral Kingdom because so little remains. Less than 1% of Renosterveld habitat is currently officially protected.

The green heart of DeMorgenzon

At DeMorgenzon, there is a particular emphasis on environmental awareness, nature and sustainability. Some aspects that are part of DeMorgenzon's firmly established values:

• Promotion and preservation of animal life through planting, e.g. insects and birds
• Preservation of natural habitats
• Removal of alien plants
• Vineyard composting
• natural pest control
• Energy conservation, solar energy
• Use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides
• Use of IPW-approved substances (Integrated Production of Wine) to control vine diseases