Page 51 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL FALL 2020 South Africa

We arrived in time for a winery tour, underway
even though harvest was in full swing. Destem-
mers rumbled and rattled as we carefully navi-
gated sticky, hose-strewn floors. Piled high in
white bins, purple grapes, some of the 13 varietals
grown across the sloped land, waited their turn for
the crush, Babylonstoren’s ninth. Resulting wines,
along with olive oils pressed here from farm-gown
fruit, share the estate’s label.
Our tour ended in the airy tasting room where
we sampled some previous vintages with a platter
($10) of rustic farm bread, salad, cheeses and
cured meats including the jerky-like biltong found
throughout southern Africa. The room was packed
and service scattered, as tour guides, now waiters,
scurried to keep glasses filled. The pace suited us,
since we were in no hurry to head out into the af-
ternoon heat.
For our visit, Babylonstoren’s popular restau-
rant Babel, set in the farm’s old cow shed smartly
updated with floor-to-ceiling windows, was fully
booked, so we could only peer at the appetizing
farm-to-fork menu. Reservations open nine
months in advance, so this is a “plan way ahead”
experience. No booking is needed for picnic fare
served at the aptly named Greenhouse, tucked be-
neath oak trees at the far end of the garden.

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