Babylonstoren
Videos
Babylonstoren Shiraz
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Babylonstoren Shiraz
Babylonstoren Chenin Blanc
Babylonstoren Candide White Blend
Babylonstoren Viognier
Babylonstoren Mourvèdre Rosé
Babylonstoren Babel Red Blend
Babylonstoren Chardonnay
Babylonstoren Nebukadnesar
An inspired restoration of one of the oldest estates in the Cape Winelands breathed a new life to the term 'farm hotel'. Founded in 1692 as a wine and wheat farm, Babylonstoren's current acreage is divided between fruit orchards and vineyards, with wheat fields and even a rice paddy.
The heart of the farm is a magnificent formal fruit and vegetable garden, 8 acres of abundance, part of the farm's great 2000 acres. Babylonstoren is also at the heart of the wine country, with the Simonsberg mountains as a backdrop and possibly the finest terroir in the Cape. Our farmers use organic practices in the farm and garden and sustainable practices in the vineyard.
The vineyard consists of 160 acres of some old and some new vines. Early 18th-century farmer, Pieter van der Byl, recognized the area as prime for producing grapes, so he planted the first vines and rerouted the irrigation.
Philosophy
Our wines are best exemplified by the Babylonstoren logo, which consists of the pipe (representing the farmer), the flower (representing the garden), and the bird (representing nature). It’s a combination of the very essence of Babylonstoren, in other words keeping things as simple and as true to the earth as possible. “It is this that we strive to achieve in our wine,” says Charl Coetzee. “Truth to the area we are situated in on the slopes of Simonsberg, and simplicity by making elegant and balanced wines as natural as possible.”
Biography
Babylonstoren’s life started in 1692, when Governor Simon van der Stel granted the free burgher Pieter van der Byl a piece of land at the foot of a conical hill. It was dubbed, in Dutch, Babilonische Tooren, later Babilonstoring or Babylonstoren, as the 17th-century farmers thought its shape resembled the Tower of Babel mentioned in the Bible. An interesting but unproven speculation is that it also suggests the linguistic melting pot the valley became at that time, with Dutch, French, German and various Khoi and San languages intermingling, and exotic Asian words sailing in with the spice trade – all of which evoke the biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
As a historic Cape Dutch farm that boasts one of the best-preserved farmyards in the Cape, Babylonstoren is loved for its formally designed garden that divides into 15 sections (including seasonal vegetables, edible flowers, espaliered fruit trees, berries, beehives, fragrant lawns, a prickly pear maze, fragrant climbing roses and a variety of citrus). In addition to this, we have growing collections of indigenous cycads, clivias, and succulents of great botanical significance.
Every aspect of Babylonstoren is informed by the ever-changing tapestry and botanical diversity of the garden – this includes the contemporary Farm Hotel and Garden Spa, the Farm Shop, Scented Room, restaurants, and function venues.
Contact Us
