Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir Celebration in Review

The fourth International Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir Celebration took place over the past weekend with winemakers, chefs and wine lovers gathering from far and wide to partake in the exceptional wine and food of the Hemel-en-Aarde wine region.

As part of this event, Creation Wines hosted their intriguing Kiss and Tell tasting which featured a series of European Pinot Noirs alongside their own.

The tasting was conducted by guest sommelier Jörg Pfützner and Creation cellarmaster, Jean-Claude (JC) Martin. Each guest received a list of the wines to be tasted in no particular order: a real test for the senses! To add to the excitement the semi-blind surprise line-up included a few rogues that were not Pinot Noir – added to contextualise Pinot Noir.

The tasting was followed by a scrumptious brunch pairing showcasing the talents of the Creation Culinary Team. The starter created by Chef Francois was a goat’s-milk cheese mousse with a fruit trio, candied beetroot and a cranberry and soy biscuit – perfectly paired with the 2015 Creation Reserve Pinot Noir. A brilliant touch of theatricality was the serving of the biscuit on top of an inverted Riedel Pinot Noir glass. The mousse with the fruit trio and candied beet was used to connect the dish to the wine in the glass – thus the pairing in a glass!Next was Chef Jaco’s main course: braised pork cheek, pickled cauliflower snow, kale crumble, fennel, egg foam, raspberry tarragon and roasted tomato sorbet. The 2015 Creation Art of Pinot Noir was an ideal accompaniment to this scrumptious dish.
Last but not least was the dessert created by Chef Eleanor: raspberry, pistachio and vanilla jelly, frozen rhubarb with sumac and vanilla custard. Truly a Pinot Noir feast!

Creation presently offers three different Pinots: the Creation Pinot Noir, the Creation Reserve Pinot Noir and the Creation Art of Pinot Noir. Ranging from intensely fragrant and beautifully earthy to excitingly complex and elegantly spicy, each wine has proved to be an international winner in its own right.

Click here to read the complete blog and to view some highlights of the event and here to buy the wines online.