It’s harvest season in the Boland, which means all hands are on deck. At the height of summer, winemaker Klaas Stoffberg and his team keep a hawk eye on the vines, ready to pick when the bunches are at optimal readiness. Back in the cellar, the 2025 vintages start to take shape.  

Meanwhile, farmer Ian and his team have kicked off the almond harvest just as the last of our Afri-Blush apples are being picked. From our tunnels, there’s an abundance of heirloom tomatoes, quirky cucumbers, the most colourful array of sweet snacking peppers yet and our new exotic watermelon selection. Have you tried the Moon & Stars watermelon? We’re also relishing the season’s first ripe figs, prickly pears and quirky kei apples from the garden.  

2025 kicked off on a winning streak, raking in 11 awards at the 2024 Food & Home Awards. Farm favourites like Vonkeltee, which launched last year, as well as stalwarts like bitterlekker and our authentic water buffalo mozzarella all secured gold status after rigorous taste tests by standard bearers in each industry.  

Gold Award winners: 

  • Water Buffalo Mozzarella  
  • Herb Halloumi Skewer 
  • Rooibos Tea 
  • Coffee Beans 
  • bitterlekker 
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil Blend 
  • Balsamic Vinegar 
  • Whole Kalamata Olives & Herbs 

Silver award winners: 

  • Vonkeltee Rooibos Sparkling Ice Tea 
  • Babylonstoren Water Buffalo Full Cream Yoghurt 
  • Kalamata & Anchovy Tapenade 

A Wine State of Mind

We’re in the thick of the harvest season and the cellar team is firing on all cylinders. The chardonnay vines have been picked, soon to be transformed into Sprankel 2025. It will be a while before we’ll taste the fruits of this season’s labours as our flagship Cap Classique is made according to the traditional method over four long years. In the meantime, we cast our palates to creating this year’s Mourvèdre Rosé – to be enjoyed crisp and fresh and in time for the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show held in the UK in May.  

Over at Soetmelksvlei, the harvest will kick off too, albeit at a slower pace. Our noble mules Antjie and Saartjie will transport grapes from Babylonstoren’s cellar to Soetmelksvlei, where the bunches will be sorted and stamped by foot to extract the ruby-red juices! Guests can join in the fun on select days. Booking is essential. 

Let Love Grow

t’s only apt that February is the month of love, with its intense heat, abundance of red-ripe figs and a final flush of sweet-smelling roses. A sensory explosion awaits in the Puff Adder walkway where more than 80 types of roses will be on display for the month of February. Swing by to see – and smell – the likes of Mermaid and Albéric Barbier, Champagne Pearl and Rosa Damascena alongside classics like Mme Alfred Carrière, Kiftsgate and Souvenir de la Malmaison flowering on the garden pergolas. 

If you’re unable to be on the farm, you can still experience love at your leisure. We’re going all out with swoon-worthy hampers, delivered to your darling’s doorstep to show your adoration.  

Let love grow – browse the online shop.

A Shot in the Dark

It’s time you add the Babylonstoren coffee roastery to your travel list for 2025. Our house blend may be a newcomer to the caffeine cult, but it has been crowned the official winner in the cupping round of Coffee Magazine’s A Shot in the Dark competition. This prestigious title celebrates our dedication to crafting exceptional coffee. Get a taste of victory in the farm’s authentic coffee roastery (and try our buffaccino while you’re here), or have your brew delivered to your doorstep.   

Did you know? Our coffee capsules are completely compostable.  

Get your fix.

Workshops in February  

Babylonstoren

5 February – Waterwise gardening 101  

12 February – Discover & grow cycads  

19 February – Join us for healing tea  

26 February – Discover the secret life of bees  

Soetmelksvlei

7 February – Bake your own at Soetmelksvlei: teatime treats with choux pastries & almonds 

14 February – Say it with chocolate & cake: bake your own Valentine’s treats at Soetmelksvlei 

20 February – Bloomin’ beautiful: the art of flower pressing at Soetmelksvlei  

21 February – Fig feast: bake a fig tart at Soetmelksvlei   

28 February – Traditional needlework: the basics of colourful quilting at Soetmelksvlei   

Book now.