Keen gardeners may have already heard of Babylonstoren thanks to its patronage of the Chelsea Flower Show, whilst fans of South African wine will be familiar with the many different expressions that have made the estate famous. In the latest episode of The Drinking Hour, David Kermode travels to Babylonstoren, South Africa, to meet with cellar master Klaas Stoffberg to learn all about the estate’s history and its cult rosé.
Charting its origins back to 1692, Babylonstoren has spent multiple centuries as a Cape Dutch farm, cultivating wine, vegetables and more. In recent years, it blossomed into a visitor destination with a restaurant dedicated to farm-to-table cooking. For a long period, wine produced on the estate was purely made for the restaurant; it was only in recent years that the wine earned a name for itself and Babylonstoren evolved into a global producer.
Joining the team in 2013, Klaas Stoffberg was part of the team that grew the popularity of the estate’s Mourvèdre rosé. Starting out on a single plot planted in 1998, it has become the official rosé of the Chelsea Flower Show and cemented itself as a favourite amongst UK drinkers. Throughout this episode, the pair discuss the rosé in fine detail, before exploring the rest of the estate’s wine portfolio.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here
