Taking pride of place on the lofty Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge in South Africa’s Walker Bay Wine Region, Creation Wines affords impressive views of the towering mountain peaks that surround it. While this spectacular panorama alone would surely be enough to inspire the team to soar with the eagles, it is also the very earth beneath their feet that motivates them.
The estate was established in 2002 by Jean-Claude (JC) and Carolyn Martin. According to JC (a Swiss-trained winemaker and viticulturist) Creation’s 450-million-year-old soils combine with cool maritime conditions and an exciting variety of slopes and aspects to create a truly unique terroir. Add to this the vibrant sense of innovation prevailing on the estate and it is hardly surprising that Creation is going from strength to strength.
In summing up this spirit of innovation Carolyn (Creation’s marketing director) says: “At Creation every dawn brings an exciting new challenge and innovation is a way of life. This trendsetting spirit has shaped our vision and led to many a thrilling achievement.” To confirm this the estate recently won the Great Wine Capitals (GWC) Best of Wine Tourism Award in the category ‘Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences’ for the third time.
Creation is also regarded a leader in the field of wine and food pairing with many an accolade to its name. The latest is Wine Tourism South Africa’s prestigious Klink Award for ‘Great Pairings’ which it has won for the fourth time in five years! According to Carolyn the team is thrilled, especially since they have just launched a brand-new brunch pairing menu comprising five of their award-winning wines, each matched with a delectable dish. In the meantime yet another new wine and food pairing menu, aptly named ‘The Story of Creation’, is being developed.
In short: at Creation there is always something new and unique in the pipeline! A shining example is the launch of the Creation Reserve Chardonnay 2016, which grown in a single vineyard, has a presence all of its own. Also recently released is the Creation Fine Cape Vintage, a superb wine tempting with peppery pimento spice, dried fruit and the nostalgic fragrance of Banksia rose. Another highlight has been the release of the estate’s Elation Méthode Cap Classique, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Classified ‘Brut Nature’, the wine contains only natural residual sugar and is delightfully crisp with a generous dash of exuberance and an elegant touch of finesse.
No doubt about it, Creation clearly lives up to its evocative name. Constant innovation has positioned it among the Cape’s trendsetting wineries while a steady flow of awards has elevated it high up among the star performers. Its most recent achievements include the impressive scores allocated by Neal Martin in Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate. No less than eight Creation wines scored 90 points and more, with the 2016 Creation Art of Chardonnay and the 2015 Creation Art of Pinot Noir scoring a whopping 93 and 92 respectively. Another highly respected international wine critic, Tim Atkin (MW), awarded the 2015 Creation Art of Chardonnay 94 and the 2015 Creation Art of Pinot Noir 95 points.
Small wonder Creation’s wines are finding ever-expanding markets, among the latest Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Estonia, Scotland, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Whilst proud of these achievements Creation owners JC and Carolyn Martin stay firmly grounded and committed to giving back to the community. They are especially pleased with the amazing progress made by the Pebbles Hemel-en-Aarde Education Project of which Creation is a founder. Officially launched in January 2017, the overall objective of the project is to ensure that the children and families in the Hemel-en-Aarde region have access to a high standard of education, health, social and recreational services.
In March 2017 Creation was also thrilled to share its magnificent natural environment with participants in the Cape Epic. This annual mountain bike stage race held in the Western Cape attracts professional mountain bikers from around the world. Creation was one of the officially appointed water and spectator points and no stone was left unturned to make it a memorable event.
Taking stock of Creation’s activities and achievements over the past months, co-owner and marketing director Carolyn Martin says: “Creation exists for the love of wine. Working and earning a living in our little piece of paradise is a privilege and it is just such a pleasure to share the fruits of our labour with fellow wine lovers. In the process we are able to create opportunities for the members of our team, for the recipients of the charities we support and even for those who simply wish to share in the beauty of our natural environment. By making a contribution to the South African wine industry we add in our small way to the economic growth of the country. Last but not least we play a role in nature conservation through a number of sustainability projects we’ve implemented since our inception. Thus we make our own unique contribution to the joy of living and ultimately … to the universe!”
