Babylonstoren Wine Estate

Babylonstoren dates to 1692, making it one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms in the Winelands. The property sits at the foot of the Simonsberg mountain, almost halfway between Franschhoek and Paarl in the Drakenstein Valley, and for most of its three centuries it operated as a working farm without particular renown. That changed when former magazine editor Karen Roos acquired the estate and embarked on a restoration that would turn Babylonstoren into one of South Africa's most celebrated agricultural destinations.

Roos's vision was rooted in the historic Cape Dutch aesthetic -- thick whitewashed walls, elegant gables, and hearty fireplaces -- but executed with a contemporary sensibility. The centrepiece of the restoration is the garden: a 3.5-hectare formal fruit and vegetable garden inspired by the Company's Gardens that the Dutch East India Company established in Cape Town in 1652 to provision passing ships. The Babylonstoren garden is divided into fifteen distinct sections comprising fruit orchards, berry gardens, fragrant lawns, a prickly pear maze, indigenous plant collections, beehives for pollination, and a magnificent clivia tunnel cultivated from specimens donated by renowned collectors. A succulent house, spice house, and healing garden add tropical and herbal dimensions, while the cycad collection is one of the rarest plant exhibitions in the world accessible to the public.

The winemaking programme is led by Cellar Master Charl Coetzee and winemaker Klaas Stoffberg, who work with state-of-the-art stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, as well as artisanal amphorae and concrete egg vessels for limited-edition bottlings. The range spans four whites, four reds, a Provencal-style Mourvedre Rose, and the Cap Classique sparkling Sprankel. The estate is recognised as a specialist in Bordeaux blends, Cap Classique, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Rose, and Shiraz.

Dining at Babylonstoren follows a farm-to-fork philosophy anchored by the garden. Babel restaurant, housed in a refurbished old cowshed with Cape Dutch gables and modern glass walls, serves menus guided by what is available in the garden -- a pick, clean, and serve approach. The Greenhouse offers informal eating, the Old Bakery provides fresh bread and pastries, and the Tasting Room is suspended above the vineyard.

Accommodation options range from the Farm Hotel with its authentic Cape Dutch farmstay atmosphere to Garden Cottages, Fynbos Cottages, Fynbos Family Houses, the Manor House, and the Farmhouse. The estate also operates a spa, a farm shop with bakery and coffee roastery, and a boathouse with rowing boats on the dam.

Babylonstoren holds IPW and WIETA sustainability accreditations. Daily garden tours depart from the Farm Shops at 10h00, with a collections tour at 11h30 on weekdays. The estate is a stop on the Franschhoek Wine Tram route and offers bird watching, animal encounters, walking tours, vineyard tours, and winemaking experiences.