Creation adds elegant ‘twist’ on SA’s culinary heritage

Creation Wines believes that a good wine and food pairing is an art in itself. If so, this acclaimed wine estate and restaurant is undoubtedly the ‘Rembrandt of delectable art’.

Nestled against the glorious Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge near Hermanus, Creation Wines is on a quest to be the true food and wine artisans of the South African wine industry. Its latest Heritage Pairing Menu is another fine demonstration of culinary innovation.

This carefully curated pairing engages every sense to tell a story. Each dish skillfully matched with a wine and artistically presented to resonate with Creation’s mantra of freshness and natural wellbeing as well as South Africa’s gastronomical culture and heritage.

With September being Heritage Month, Creation’s culinary team set out to honour our nation’s rich history with a series of multicultural dishes that brings titillating variety and creative to the fore.

Having won the regional 2021 Great Wine Capitals (GWC) Best of Wine Tourism Award for Innovative Wine Tourism as well a four-time winner of the prestigious KLINK ‘Great Pairings’ award, Creation has a proud reputation for producing unsurpassed wine and food pairings.

Based on the belief that what grows together, goes together, the Heritage Pairing Menu blends a wealth of nostalgic tastes and textures with an even greater dollop of innovation and imagination.

In creating the menu, the team worked with a doctor who is a nutritionist and a specialist in general wellbeing. “We’ve innovated our most loved dishes to bring our guests healthier options packed with layers of flavour and perfectly paired with our wines,” says affable co-owner Carolyn Martin.

A wine & food pairing masterclass

Our palates were sated with a glass of Creation’s Brut rosé, Elation. It’s a crisp, elegant blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – the flagship grapes of the Walker Bay region – and delightfully fresh with hints of grapefruit, strawberry and lemon zest. Elation is a new firm favourite for my wife who enjoys a good bubbly, and needless to say, we weren’t leaving without a bottle in hand.

For chapter 1 of the menu Chef Abongile has chosen Umfino, a traditional Xhosa dish which reminds him of his mother’s wise words: “Always watch where you walk as there are many valuable plants that can be used in Umfino. If people in South Africa know about this healthy dish, there would be less hunger.” Abongile ‘modernised’ the dish with peppadews, sunflower seeds, goat’s milk cheese and a variety of herbs and greens to perfectly pair with the crisp, fresh Creation Sauvignon Blanc.

Chapter 2 was inspired by the yummy curry of Chef Anthean’s childhood. His inventive fish seed loaf Bunny Chow reflects some of the exciting culinary cultures of our country: Cape Malay pickled fish, Cape seed loaf and Indian Mango achar. The dish is served with the Creation Viognier, with the spicy fish electrifying the marvellous fruit aromatics of the wine and the curry sauce in harmony with the creamy mouthfeel of the Viognier.

Chapter 3: Chef Eleanor’s strawberry sorghum salad is not only scrumptious but has a wealth of health benefits as sorghum is a source of no less than 12 nutrients. Indigenous organic rooibos and sour fig (‘suurvytjie’) leaves add both ‘feel-good’ and flavour which is beautifully complemented by the big berry bouquet of the vivacious Creation rosé.

Caption 4: What would a South African heritage menu be without waterblommetjies? Chef Jean harvests them fresh from the Creation dam, adding his creative magic to bring you an irresistible Waterblommetjie risotto served with home-grown Num Num pickle. The accompanying Creation Pinot Noir is all about texture and aroma and so is this dish. Creation has a particular passion for Pinot Noir, and few wineries can match their elegant and complex offering of this capricious grape variety.

Owner and cellar master JC Martin sums up the 2021 vintage as a small, beautiful crop and is particularly enamoured with the standout Pinot Noir: “The physiological ripening came at a low sugar level, which means gorgeous perfumes and a low alcohol level. In line with our region’s renown for these two cultivars, the Pinot was closely followed by the Chardonnay which also performed well this year.”

Caption 5: To partner Creation’s 2019 Syrah/Grenache, Chef Jean has picked Overberg lamb which he smokes with rooibos and wild rosemary and grills on a griddle pan. The succulent lamb is served with macerated tomato and Chakalaka sauce, the latter a spicy relish that has its origins in South Africa’s mining fraternity.

Chapter 6 of the Creation Heritage Menu features the ever chic, ever versatile Creation Chardonnay. It is served with two South African stalwarts: koesisters and Malva pudding. Koesisters are one of Chef Marcel’s family favourites. “My mother taught me how to make them and we used to enjoy them on a Sunday morning for breakfast.” A novel touch is the traditional Swiss Basler Leckerli which is aptly served in honour of cellar master Jean-Claude’s heritage.

Referring to the alchemy of wine and food pairing, where the combination of the two components creates a magical third dimension, Carolyn says: “The greatest culinary experiences are achieved by blending time-honoured recipes and methods with innovative techniques, transforming craft into art. Because sustainability is so close to our hearts, our menus will always feature the finest and freshest produce sourced from our neighbours in the Overberg and surrounds.”

Balance, elegance, distinction and finesse – these are the hallmarks of every Creation dish or glass of wine. Every morsel is meticulously designed and crafted by a team of very talented chefs who take pleasure in adding in the magic of this pairing journey. If you’re looking to celebrate Heritage Month with more than a piece of wors on a braai, I urge you to visit the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge where Creation’s Heritage Pairing Menu is a guaranteed sensory treat. At only R500 pp, it’s a culinary experience worth every cent.

At Creation Wines originality rules! Comprising six palate-pampering courses or chapters, artfully paired with Creation’s award-winning wines, the Heritage Pairing Menu is a delightful fusion of cultures and backgrounds, inputs and outputs. Be sure to make a reservation at reservations@creationwines.com or 028 212 1107. Please specify your dietary requirements: standard, vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian.