Babylonstoren

What's on in July 🍊 ⁠ ⁠ ・Put on your wellies and bring an umbrella for a stroll through the Puff Adder with its rock exhibition to the first waterblommetjies surfacing in their ponds near the Succulent House. ⁠ ・Take a bit of our citrus orchards home with our limited-edition Bloedlemoen fragrance. ⁠ ・Visit the newly reopened olive processing facility.⁠ ・Win a hotel stay for two. Gain an entry to the competition with every order of R1500 or more, from 26 June to 16 July. T’s and C’s apply.⁠ ・Book a four-night stay at our hotel until August and only pay for three.⁠ ・Escape to our spa and enjoy a complimentary 30-minute spa treatment when you book a two-night hotel stay.⁠ ・Guide yourself through the art of pruning with Oom Anton's book "Prune Like a Pro". ⁠ ⁠ Read more farm news through the Link in our Bio.⁠ ⁠ #babylonstoren #franschhoek #capewinelands #farmlife #winecountry #whatsonincapetown #savethedate #whatsoninjuly

Welcome to Soetmelksvlei 🍑 Step back in time at Soetmelksvlei, a new excursion at Babylonstoren. This extraordinary project celebrates the artisan spirit of a 19th century farmyard and is just a short shuttle ride from Babylonstoren. We invite you to interact with master craftspeople as they go about their daily chores, attend a hands-on workshop or tuck into some hearty fare at the Old Stables Restaurant. Bookings for Soetmelksvlei are essential. Book your place now through the Link in our Bio. #babylonstoren #franschhoek #capewinelands #soetmelksvlei

Our Winter Treat to You 🌾   Book a four night stay at our hotel between May and August and only pay for three. Make your booking through the Link in our Bio.  #babylonstoren #franschhoek #capewinelands #luxurytravel #winterstay #farmhotel #uniquehotels #luxuryhotels #travelandleisure #weekendstay

Our koppie ⛰️ ⁠ ⁠ When Babylonstoren’s life started in 1692 at the foot of the conical hill pictured here. 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 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.⁠ ⁠ #babylonstoren #franschhoek #capewinelands #farmlife #winecountry #mountain #koppie #outdoors

Gardening with Gundula: Tea for bed 🍵 ⁠ ⁠ An easy tea to enjoy before bed, Gundula shares her recipe that helps her on nights when counting sheep does not seem to help. This tea uses a few sprigs of chamomile, one sprig lavender and a few leaves of catnip – you can use True catnip (nepeta cataria) or Persian Catmint (nepeta racemose).⁠ Let it steep for a few minutes and enjoy. ⁠ #babylonstoren #franschhoek #capewinelands #farmlife #herbaltea #chamomiletea #catnip #lavender #teaa

In the nooks and crannies 🌾 ⁠ ⁠ A walk around Soetmelksvlei is filled with moments to look upon elements of old, handmade craftsmanship. Open from Thursday to Sunday, Soetmelksvlei hosts workshops on Fridays where one can learn various crafts from artisans – from working with venison to leathercraft.⁠ ⁠ Book your spot on one of these workshops through the Link in our Bio.⁠ ⁠ #babylonstoren #soetmelksvlei #weekendplans #excursion #franschhoek #capewinelands #farmlife #history #leather #blacksmith

Babylonstoren Live: Winter puddings inspired by the seasons’s bounty 🍊 What’s better than hunkering down with a bowl of delicious dessert on a cold winter’s day? Louzel shares a few ideas using seasonal ingredients from the garden. Follow the link in our bio for more recipes and inspiration. #babylonstoren #pudding #guava #winterrecipes #winterdessert #gelato

Bits of Babylonstoren ⛅️ ⁠ ⁠ When the rain and clouds pass over the Cape Winelands, they roll in spectacular waves over the Simonsberg engulfing the peaks and trailing down the valleys.⁠ ⁠ Catch this magnificent site on your daily walk through the farm.⁠ ⁠ #babylonstoren #franschhoek #capewinelands #farmlife #winecountry #gardening #southafricanfarm #whatsonincapetown #visitstellenbosch #simonsberg #thisissouthafrica

With Wine: Nebukadnesar 2021🍷 Jeanne Pienaar, assistant winemaker in the cellar, will guide us through the making of our various wines, starting with our crown jewel, Nebukadnesar. At the recent presidential inauguration dinner in Pretoria, this fine full-bodied blend was paired with the main course – former President Mandela’s favourite lamb recipe. With fragrances of thyme and violets, blackcurrants and cigar box, this wine also pairs perfectly with rare roast beef or kudu fillet Our flagship Bordeaux blend is named after the kind of Babylons in the 6th century B.C., who is said to have created breathtaking Hanging Gardens. The blend is made up of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 13.5% Petit Verdot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Malbec, and celebrates the diversity in the Babylonstoren gardens. Buy your bottle of Nebukadnesar on the farm or through the link in our bio. #babylonstoren  #franschhoek  #capewinelands  #farmlife  #winecountry  #wine  #winelands  #winery  #winetime  #tastingroom  #winetasting  #winelife  #winelover  #winestagram #withwine #winetok

Babylonstoren Minute 28 June 2024 🍊 It was a warm winter week and we finally started to harvest our bloedlemoene. 🍊 The farm was also busy with visitors who came to enjoy the warmer days and the holidays. ☀️ This week we also hosted our bread-making workshop with Peachy and Wendy who showed guests how to make their own sourdough and seed loaves at home. 🥖 More than this the Garden Team had their hands full pruning back our various plum trees in the stone fruit blocks – an essential task for the seasons ahead. 🍑 #babylonstoren #soetmelksvlei #indigenous #bloodoranges #oranges #citrus #sourdough #breadbaking #bread #whatsonincapetown #freshvegetables #ducks #southafrica #pruning #plums

Painted gold 🍂 ⁠ ⁠ If you wander past the Kitchen Garden and Rock Piano, and follow the path beyond the Rice Paddy and Waterblommetjie Pond you might stumble into an orchard coloured a bright gold. This is our pomegranate orchard, its leaves have turned with the season, and heralds in the true winter.⁠ ⁠ #babylonstoren #franschhoek #capewinelands #farmlife #winecountry #gardening #pomegranate #goldleaf #autumncolours #wintergarden #fruittree #gardenlife #horticulture

Gardening with Gundula: Using Comfrey 🌱 If you feel inspired by making your own compost, the comfrey plant can assist as an activator especially when you add a lot of brown material to your compost. Comfrey is particularly high in potassium, with the little hairs on it being silica, and as it captures the sun’s warmth it stimulates the activation of the compost heap when adding it and allowing the microbes to find their homes within it. You can also use these leaves in a tea to use in your garden by steeping the leaves in a bucket for a few weeks with water. once this mixture has steeped dilute it with a bit of water and use it on your mature plants which will help your plants that need a lot of potassium, especially trees and plants that produce fruits, including tomatoes, and it is also good for potatoes. #babylonstoren #gardeningwithgundula #gardeninspiration #gardenlife #growyourownfood #growyourown #biodegradable #homegrown #zerowaste #plantlove #comfrey #potassium #fruittree