BABYLONSTOREN: SA’s OWN EDEN
Babylonstoren is all about bringing together the rustic and the contemporary. From its famed gardens to its retail spaces and spa, it’s about innovation and attention to detail
● Immaculate gardens set the scene for a meander around wine estate Babylonstoren. With edible flowers, seasonal vegetables, succulents and spices, the farm is home to more than 300 varieties of plants and vegetables with nutritional or medicinalvalue. And guests can pick and nibble the fresh produce as they wander through this Eden.
Slightly further afield are the figs, prickly pears, persimmons, stone fruit, citrus and olives (14 varieties over 60ha) and, of course, the wine grapes (13 varieties over 120ha).
This is a place of careful attention to detail an innovative space, from design down to operations; it operates like a well (olive) oiled machine. The paths, for example, tell you whichpart of the orchard you’re in (those made of stones indicate you’re in the soft fruit orchard) and each space is maintained by a dedicated team precision at work.
It’s no surprise that the garden is a horticultural wonderland.A guide tells the FM that Babylonstoren’s owners media and tech titan Koos Bekker and his wife, former magazine décor editor and style maven Karen Roos sought out experts at every turn. The formalgardens, for example, were designed by French architectPatriceTaravella. His work at Prieure Notre Dame d’Orsan in Francehad impressed Roos, who was drawn to the inherent discipline in his creations. And it turns out Babylonstoren is one of only two Royal Horticultural Society partner gardens in Africa.
Set near Paarl and Franschhoek, this is one of the oldest working Cape Dutch farms in the region, dating back to the 18th century. But its contemporary look took form in the hands of Bekker and Roos after they bought the estate in 2007. Though they’d initially
There’s no shortage of tours on offer at the estate. For a start, there’s the wine cellar tour, which culminates with a sitdown tasting. And, of course, the guided garden walkabout.
There’s the driving tour of the Simonsberg mountains (which offers striking views of Table Mountain and, most clearly, Paarl Rock), as well as wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar tours. On the water buffalo cheese tour you get to watch the milking process and feed the water buffalo calves before enjoying a breakfast of mozzarella, yoghurt and butter
The wine museum made from the herd’s milk.
Part of the charm of the whole experience comes from the guides, who are informative and engaging. They offer interesting nuggets and insight, and show a real knowledge of a region they feel passionate about.
Babylonstoren is a sensory delight, geared towards sophisticated rural living, with homage paid to the farm’s traditional heritage and that of South Africa (national symbols such as the springbok, protea and yellowwood feature in the design). There’s layer upon layer of attention to detail which makes it worth exploring at your leisure.
The FM’s visit was just a night and a day offering time for walks, tours, wine tastings and more than one trip to the spa but to make the most of the 200ha estate and let it ground you, you’ll need more time there.
To tap into that sense of calm, you just need to think of swimming in the 16m heated pool beneath a glass-panelled pitched roof, while looking at vineyards and blue sky.
The writer was a guest of Babylonstoren