The grande dame of premier South African wine estates, Vergelegen in Somerset West, is undergoing a facelift.

The estate is enjoying a R20 million upgrade of its hospitality assets as a long-term investment in positioning the estate.

The improvements include a new wine tasting centre, a new bistro-style restaurant and revamping the existing Vergelegen Restaurant into a premier culinary destination.

Vergelegen MD Don Tooth said that the estate was bought from the Barlow family by the current owner, Anglo American, in 1987. The existing buildings underwent low-key refurbishing in 1990 for hospitality use, and thereafter investment focused on the staff and service levels.