“Pinot Noir has taken off around the world as a sought-after food pairing wine. It is light enough for salmon and complex enough for richer pairings such as duck, making it very versatile as seen on our Pinot Palate menu,” says Creation’s Carolyn Martin.
Pinot Noir is furthermore considered to be one of the world’s most transparent and expressive cultivars. The indelible stamp of origin and the subtle hand of the winemaker can be read in a good Pinot Noir and this provenance and varietal character are becoming increasingly important to the wine lover.
At Creation the cooler climate with ample sunlight and good soil drainage combined with judicious clonal selection, using Dijon clones are key to the production of quality Pinot Noir. It is an early ripening variety and the harvesting has just commenced with selective hand-picking precluding the need for sorting tables and additional handling. Just minutes after being picked the grapes enter the cellar, which is situated in the heart of Creation’s vineyards.
But getting back to the ‘Pinot Palate’: the fresh elegance of Creation’s wines makes them the ideal match for a wide variety of dishes, including those enhanced by fresh herbs such as tarragon, chives and sage. And speaking about sage, click here for chef Warwick Taylor’s delicious Pork Loin with Spinach, Leek and King Oyster Mushroom, Caramel and Sage Sauce recipe. Truly sensational with the Creation Reserve Pinot Noir which can be ordered online.
Explaining why it is such a great match chef Warwick said: “The spinach and mushrooms emphasise the earthiness of the Pinot, the sage complements the wood spice in the wine while the caramel butter and the dried apricot found on the nose of the wine are in beautiful harmony.”
Click here to read the full article.
Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir Celebration
The third annual Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir Celebration that took place on 29 and 30 January was yet another highlight on the South African wine calendar and Creation was proud to play its part.
“It was truly rewarding to participate as this annual event provides the ideal opportunity to showcase the quality of the Pinot Noir wines we produce in this cooler climate region of South Africa,” says Creation marketing director Carolyn Martin.
Saturday 30 January saw the various Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir producers hosting a series of events, with Creation offering a unique four course brunch pairing. Each course was accompanied by two Pinot wines. These included four different vintages of the Creation Reserve Pinot Noir (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013), the 2013 Creation Art of Pinot Noir plus three specially selected Burgundian Pinots.
Commenting on the pairing of the wines, Creation chef Warwick Taylor said: “The outstanding element was the way in which the same cultivar has changed over different vintages. The clearest indication of this was the change in the flavour profiling of the paired dishes, ranging from slightly spicy, earthier flavours through to lighter, more fruit orientated dishes. The older Pinots enjoy fresh sage and the younger Pinots pair up nicely with tarragon. In addition we also focused on the role herbs play when pairing wines.”
Some 65 serious pinophiles attended the exciting event, among them Lynne Jarche Ford who commented: “A chance to taste some older Creation Pinot Noirs matched with the same age Burgundies, paired with chef Warwick Taylor’s clever food, was quite an eye opener to the possibilities of SA Pinot Noir.”
Remington Norman, Burgundy aficionado and wine writer visited Creation and it was inspiring to hear what he had to say about Pinot Noir in the Hemel-en-Aarde…click here to find out
