Aptly titled ‘Under Pinot Skies’, the seventh Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir Celebration took place over the weekend of 24 and 25 January and once again glittered in its unique presentation.

Starring some of the most amazing examples of Pinot, the Creation show elicited many a bravo. Most of which is thanks to the ideal Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge terroir, says Carolyn Martin, adding that their virus-free and now well-established vineyards also play an important role in the quality of the wines. “Vine viruses are regarded as one of the wine producer’s biggest enemies as they have the potential to not only reduce the lifespan of a vineyard drastically but also to seriously hamper the quality of the grapes.“

Among the highlights of the celebration was the Friday evening ‘Welcome’ where Hemel-en-Aarde producers showcased some of their older vintages, benchmarked against some top international Pinot Noirs.  A true hit was a marvellous jeroboam of Creation Reserve Pinot Noir 2013 – sometimes bigger is better!