Situated in the exquisite Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, along the R320 just outside of the seaside town of Hermanus, is the breathtakingly beautiful Creation vineyards, tasting room and restaurant. Set on the rolling hills of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, this 40-hectare wine farm is a picture-perfect, idyllic slice of wine heaven. The farm was purchased by JC and Carolyn Martin in 2002. Jean Claude (JC) is Swiss-born where his family owned a wine estate and Carolyn grew up in the Stellenbosch Winelands surrounded by family firmly entrenched in the wine industry. They bought the farm on the advice of Carolyn’s uncle, Peter Finlayson – a pioneer of winemaking in the Hemel-en-Aarde region. Almost 20 years on and Creation is widely regarded as one of the top wine farms in South Africa and was recently included in a very prestigious list of the top 50 wineries in the world.
Carolyn & JC are the formidable co-owner and husband and wife team that have taken Creation to the lofty heights of the wine world. In 2018 they appointed talented winemaker, Gerhard Smith, to their team. Carolyn jokes that she is often asked if everyone who works at Creation is related to them because of their complete and total dedication to the same level of excellence and innovation that she and JC have embraced from the start of their journey. She chuckles at the suggestion and then explains that it does really feel like they are all one big family, pursuing a common goal together!
When you visit the wine farm you get a real sense of unity blended with an eye for detail and a really healthy environment. It’s a collective theme that runs through the restaurant, the wine farm and ultimately in every bottle of wine that Creation produces. They place massive significance on healthy vineyards and their relationship with nature. “The thing that’s special about Creation is that it’s the first virus-free planting in South Africa post-1994,” says Carolyn. “Creation is called Creation because it’s all about working with nature. If you plant the right vines in the right conditions and in the right place and you’re virus-free, the results will be amazing.” We couldn’t agree more. Being Chardonnay and Pinot Noir focussed means that Creation is a great representation of a lot of what the entire Hemel-en-Aarde region is about.
Creation really does produce sublime wines, one of which can be enjoyed in the Pinot Noir celebration box that you can order for yourself and a few friends to enjoy.
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Creation Wines | Pinot Noir Celebration Box
Photo: credit Karen Winter Photography.
