A DINNER-TABLE STORY
Creation has a new pairing menu, a blissful blend of histories and cultures and, of course, perfect wines. By Hilary Biller
As I held a large abalone shell to my ear, the passion fruit on the plate offered a pungent yet pleasant aroma, evoking myriad memories. The shell, together with a whiff of coarse sea salt, conjured a sense of the seaside mingled with tropical notes. I was taken back to my childhood in Durban. I was a lucky guinea pig for the brandnew Heritage Story of Creation Menu, a sixcourse taste adventure, paired with eight of the farm’s award-winning wines. The chilled Creation Sauvignon Blanc was the prelude to the first dish, sautéed abalone (legally sourced), cut into blocks, not unpleasantly chewy, mixed with capers, red onion, lemon, spring onion, kelp and small, grass-green fronds of samphire, a sea asparagus found along the shore.
Joining me was Carolyn Martin (née Finlayson, daughter of one of the country’s foremost wine pioneers, Walter Finlayson) who, together with her Swiss winemaker husband Jean-Claude (JC), established the Creation wine farm in 2002. A place of remarkable beauty, impressive skill and bustling energy, the farm is set in the undulating hills of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, overlooked by the towering Babylon mountain, said to be higher than Table Mountain. The valley is famous for some of the finest wine farms in the country — the terroir, a combination of the clay soil and the cool sea breezes, the foundation of excellence.
Carolyn’s wine and food knowledge is extensive and her palate exceptional. She travels the world promoting Creation wines and her enthusiasm and unwavering
energy are palpable.
She oozes pride akin to a mother hen’s, both the wine and the food of equal importance to her. She demands excellence from her fine staff and is pivotal in ensuring the team offers the finest experience in their restaurant — and they do.
We kicked off lunch with a bread offering, a surprise collection of different types. There was Zopf (the most famous of Swiss breads) creatively worked into different ideas. I loved the vetkoek coated in dry crispy polenta, daubed with a generous smear of homemade suurvytjie jam, a treat with the Creation Grenache Noir/Viognier.
There were many highlights on the menu, including a coconut poached linefish wrapped in a parcel of banana leaves finished off with an apricot masala and a tasting of the Creation Chardonnay. (Creation uses fish sourced from local fishermen through the Abalobi app).
The slow-roasted pulled springbok shank with new season waterblommetjies, a samp purée and rich jus was a delicious combo reflecting SA’s rich culinary history. And the lightly peppery whiff of the Syrah/Grenache worked exceptionally well with the richness of the dish.
And dessert, had to be an new interpretation of malva pudding, with apricot, orange, custard and a textured popcorn crumb, was just the right note on which to end with the Viognier.
I can’t leave out my favourite of the wines we tasted, the Pinot Noir 2018. It’s superb, gleaming garnet in colour with a bouquet of spice, super smooth and complex on the palate. Asked to choose a favourite wine, Carolyn didn’t hesitate — her husband’s award-winning pinot noirs. BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL Creation
Hemel-en-Aarde Hermanus
Tel: 028-212-1107 creationwines.com
PAIRINGS
Apart from the Heritage six-course pairing wine menu, at R695 pp, they offer the following tastings:
• 10am Brunch Pairing R510pp
• Non-Alcoholic Pairing with different teas R620 pp
• Cheese Pairings — four cheese, four Creation wines R310
• Vegan Pairing Platter — locally sourced ingredients paired with four Creation wines R215
SUPPLIERS
The farm sources fresh, local produce from the Overberg.
• Sophia Farm — vegetables, fruits, herbs and natural mineral water.
082-302-1838
• Glen Oaks Pig Farm
Owner Charlie Crowther’s philosophy is to raise happy pigs that graze in open pastures and forage in oak forests. 082-956-5196
• Don Gelato
This traditional Italian gelato shop in Stanford uses authentic recipes and fresh, locally sourced ingredients. 081-805-7470