No less than four Creation red wines were recently selected for the prestigious SA Top 100 Wine Challenge: the Creation Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot 2012, the Creation Syrah, Grenache 2013, the Creation Syrah 2013 and the Creation Reserve Pinot Noir 2013.

Commenting on this success, marketing director Carolyn Martin said:”Continuous innovation starting with our cultivar selection through to the work we do in the vineyards and the cellar means that we are on a mission to improve all the time. It’s rewarding to have such good feedback from an accomplished panel of judges.”

Twenty minutes after the news about Creation’s achievement appeared in our previous newsletter, we had a phone call from Urs Gamma of the famous Restaurant Gathemann in Windhoek, requesting a dessert match for the award-winning Creation Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot 2012. Creation’s chef Eleanor Niehaus takes pleasure in sharing the recipe for her gorgeous Chocolate Torte.

Click here for the recipe.

Spotlight on Petit Verdot

Perhaps the least known of the cultivars that have found a home at Creation on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge is Petit Verdot, traditionally one of the six cultivars allowed in the superior red wines of Bordeaux. The name, roughly translated, means ‘the little green one’ – a reference no doubt to the small berries and late ripening that characterise this vine.

History

Petit Verdot predates the more recognisable Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux; it was mentioned as far back as the 16th century, however the exact origins are unknown. While one of the parents is suspected to be the Balisca vine brought from the East by either the Greeks or Romans, it has also been suggested that Petit Verdot is a mutation attributable to the comparatively sunnier climate of South Western France where it is used in many wines today.

Click here to read more.