Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A harvest celebration at Creation in the Hemel en Aarde Valley

An invitation we were delighted to accept, this turned into a rockingly good evening with DJ Tess playing all the numbers that get you up dancing, lots of food, excellent wine and fun. But there was also a purpose to the evening and for every bottle of wine the guests ordered, 30% of the price was being donated to the local primary school for very necessary supplies, improvements and upliftment. And a lot of wine was drunk. They introduced their new Special Reserve Merlot and it is one to rush off and buy. Intensely fruity, but very elegant and layered, this classic merlot shows no green stalkiness and is beautifully made. Yes, we bought some and yes, we stayed overnight in the valley
A generous glass of wine was the initial warm welcome
Initially, we stood on the lawn and then, as the evening air began to have an effect, most people moved inside
A braai to keep one warm
More and more people arrived
Each member of staff has a different grape variety on the back of her polar fleece jacket!
All the Creation glasses are from Riedel - each specific shape enhances the character of the wine it is designed for. It really does make a difference
Owners of Creation Jean Claude(JC) and Carolyn Martin with DJ Tess from New York
A happy evening
Out on the terrace
Peter and Ingrid Jones shared the media table with us and others. We also shared the great sushi and the Parma ham and figs
The tasting/dining room waits for guests who are still enjoying the outdoors
Creation staff were part of the party and the celebration
Just what we like to nibble on
Lovely Parma ham with figs
Bread and butter
Dieter Odendaal captures the moment
A glass of Whale Pod rosé?
Sauvignon Blanc please
A huge paella was cooked
People start to move inside
to enjoy the wine and the sushi
Carolyn and JC open the evening by telling us about the harvest and the reason for the party
and we were treated to a rousing prayer by the local pastor
John invaded the kitchen with his camera and discovered the suckling pig we were to eat
Chef Warwick Taylor must have cooked for days. Sushi, Paella, suckling pig, a lamb on the spit, dips, pita bread and pastries. Oh, and a salad
Wicked cream-filled pastries followed dinner
Serving oneself from the buffet table
Don't stir it! A sea food and chicken paella
Pita with Tsatsiki and humus
Yes, that does go with Greek lamb from the spit
It was a night without a moon; all the stars were out, but we needed a few lanterns to see the food
Creation’s restaurant manager Philip Marais with his paella
Lots of food, lots of wine and lots of chat
and the music was great - it got a lot of us up and dancing
Shake that booty Ingrid and Lynne
Even Carolyn and JC could not resist
and it was lovely dancing with the staff. It was a superb fun evening and we hope they raised a lot of money for the school
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

Postscript: They raised over R6000 and more pledges are coming in from the party and from their newsletter posted today ...and they are working with CWA Pebbles and Rotary to make a difference! If you would like to contribute to the education of the children of the Valley, please contact Carolyn Martin at Creation

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