Moreson

At the end of Happy Valley Road in Franschhoek, where the valley narrows and the Drakenstein Mountains close in, sits Moreson — a 30-hectare family farm that has quietly become one of the most respected boutique producers in the Cape Winelands. The name means 'morning sun' in Afrikaans, and the easterly aspect of these slopes catches the first light of each day, a fitting metaphor for an estate that has been in a state of perpetual renewal across three generations of the Friedman family.

The story begins in 1993 when US-based Richard Friedman first made wine on the property. In those early years the family sent grapes to the local cooperative, as most small Franschhoek farms did. But ambition got the better of practicality, and the Friedmans soon stopped delivering to the co-op, instead transforming a dilapidated shed into the first phase of their own winery. The original team was as lean as they come — Nikki's mum, dad, and Klaas the gardener — turning out the first vintages with more passion than infrastructure.

Today Nikki Friedman, the third-generation managing director, oversees an estate that punches well above its weight. The fourth generation arrived recently with Nikki's twins, ensuring the Moreson lineage is secure. At the winemaking helm is Clayton Reabow, whose Mercator Chardonnay — the cornerstone of Moreson's production — secured him the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award in 2018. The Mercator is a wooded Chardonnay of remarkable complexity, barrel-fermented and aged in French oak, and it has earned the estate international recognition.

The wine portfolio is structured around three collections. The Miss Molly range — named after one of the winemaker's loyal Weimaraners — delivers playful, approachable wines including the beloved Miss Molly Bubbly MCC, the Manor Born Chardonnay-Semillon blend, the Petit Rose Bubbly, and The Huntress Pinot Noir. The Moreson Premium range centres on the Mercator Chardonnay alongside the Magia Cabernet Sauvignon. At the top, the estate produces limited-release wines that showcase the best of Happy Valley's cool-climate terroir.

Bread and Wine, the estate's celebrated restaurant, has been a Franschhoek institution for over two decades. Head chef Neil Jewell, who has been at the stoves since 1999, makes his own charcuterie on-site — served at the restaurant and sold to other establishments in the valley. The courtyard setting looks out over the vineyard, and the menu of honest, produce-driven food paired with Moreson wines draws loyal locals and visiting wine tourists in equal measure.

Moreson's identity is defined by its scale and its soul. This is not a corporate wine operation; it is a family farm where the winemaker names wines after his dog and the managing director grew up between the vines. At 30 hectares, every decision matters, every barrel is accounted for, and every bottle carries the weight of three generations of Friedman ambition in the heart of Franschhoek's Happy Valley.