Morgenster

Giulio Bertrand arrived in South Africa as a textile merchant from Italy, the country of his birth. He fell in love with the country, and so when the time came to sell his business, he decided to keep his South African investments there, and swapped the sheep he had brought from Australia which produced the wool from which he wove his cloth, with vines from France and olive trees from Italy. He then bought the beautiful and historic estate of Morgenster to plant them on. The rolling hills of Somerset West, 44kms east of Cape Town and overlooking False Bay, are ideal for producing a Bordeaux style of wine and an Italian style of oil, and both are very highly regarded; the oil is consistently considered to be one of the best in the world by the authoritative Flos Olei Guide.

In 2011, at Morgenster’s 300-year celebration, Giulio said: ‘A local olive oil was already being produced in South Africa, but it did not impress me. I then decided that I would like to produce my own special olive oil to use for my salad and some excellent wine to enjoy with my meals.’

That was the start of the Morgenster that we know today.

Armed with this motto, Giulio set out to create excellence working with the renowned Professor Giuseppe Fontanazza from Perugia Olive Oil Institute, and with Pierre Lurton, of Chateau Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, for his vines. Under Fontanazza’s advice, he imported 17 varieties of olive trees from the north, south and the islands of Italy and began a nursery to propagate these trees, planting 42 hectares of groves. He was considered as the “Father of Olive Oil” in South Africa, as he paved the way for South Africa’s olive oil industry as it is known today. While it is part of Italian culture to produce fine wines and olives together, the concept was an innovation in South Africa at that time.

Giulio died in 2018, but his philosophy of "where there is quality there is no compromise" lives on with his daughter Frederica, and granddaughter, Vittoria, who now run the estate. With their inherited passion for wine and olive oil, they’re inspired to not only celebrate their farm’s history, but to push it into a new era of innovation. Sustainably focused farming methods and fresh new branding are injecting a modern spirit into the Morgenster brand. This elegant and minimalist design allows the quality of the oil to shine.