Babylonstoren’s newly inaugurated wine museum offers guests a visceral and interactive journey through the history of mankind’s love affair with wine.
The Story of Wine is the largest and only wine museum of its scale on the continent, detailing the origins, cultivation and culture of winemaking both in the Cape and globally, whilst also encouraging a contemporary narrative of its ancient traditions and social gravitas.
Also read: 6 Romantic wine estates to check out this Valentine’s Day
The Story of Wine is an incredibly sensory experience, writes Cape {town} Etc’s James Redman. Guests have the option of using audio guides that offer in depth commentary on each exhibition within the museum. The museum caters to a global audience as the audio guides offer seven different language options.
Walking through the entrance, or “oerwortel” (meaning primaeval root); a giant artistic structure of twisted vines, teleports guests into first chapter of The Story of Wine.
The museums designer, Etienne Hanekom, says that the inspiration behind this structure was to create a sense of the origin of wine, within its deepest roots and genesis.
Etienne worked alongside architect Jurgen Kieslich to conceptualise the various ideas in the two-story space into tangible and relatable artwork. There are no words to accurately describe the architectural and artistic magnificence of this instillation. You really do have to see it for yourself!
The various installations inside the museum, in typical Babylonstoren fashion, artistically and authentically combined the old and the new, resulting in an intriguing documentary-like tour to tread through.
The museum tells the story of wine from as far back as the middle ages, moving through historical periods like the Roman Empire and even sports a bottle of Constantia desert wine made in 1821 that is rumoured to have been a particular favourite of Napoleon Bonaparte, who ordered 30 bottles a month during his exile on the island of St Helena. A bottle a day keeps the doctor away?
Other installations to get excited about are the Aroma installation, where you get to test your nose by smelling the aroma profile of a particular wine and then select the correct profile, or the Virtual Reality cellar and bottling factory tour.
There is also the ‘cinematic vat’; a screening room made in the shape and design of a wine barrel that features a music video made from wine glass music and the resonance of water and glass. An out of body experience!
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur, passionate historian, or simply looking for a new experience to try, The Story of Wine is really an experience to consider. I cannot recommend visiting this incredible museum enough!
You can visit The Story of Wine at the Babylonstoren Estate in Franschhoek. Enjoy their iconic gardens while you’re there or treat yourself to a wine tasting and cellar tour — followed by lunch at one of their two fabulous restaurants, of course.
Also read: Babylonstoren voted as the top hotel in Southern Africa!
Babylonstoren has so much to offer, so set a date, gather some friends and family, and go immerse yourself in The Story of Wine.
For more information, visit babylonstoren.com. Here, you’ll find an array of tours and experiences to enjoy — from garden tours to balsamic and olive oil tours. Babylonstoren boasts one of the most beautiful hotels in the world, a luxurious spa, two esteemed restaurants (plus a bakery) and more.
Babylonstoren is located in the beautiful Franschhoek Wine Valley.
- Address: Klapmuts – Simondium Rd, Simondium, 7670
Also read:
Pictures: Babylonstoren