Thursday, December 09, 2021

New Summer menu at Creation wine estate

There are some invitations you cannot refuse so, when Carolyn Martin of Creation Wines in the beautiful Hemel and Aarde valley asked us to come and sample and write about their new summer wine pairing menu, which they were about to launch, we accepted rapidly. Creation has won some very prestigious awards for their excellent wines, but also for the best experience. 2021: Most Innovative Wine Estate in South Africa and Global from Great Wine Capitals of the World and, in 2019, voted Tim Atkin's Best Cellar Door Experience

We organised accommodation for that night, knowing that we would not be fit to drive back to town. Our dear friends who have a cottage in the area, which is on Airbnb, did not have a booking for the night and kindly let us stay there. It turned out to be a very, very special two midweek days filled with great wines and superb food, despite the iffy weather



The view from the hill above the estate of the tasting room, restaurant and cellar

On the lawn, photographs were being taken of the plates and wine for the website and for publication

and the weather was playing ball, while the kitchen was being kept very busy, producing photo-ready course after course

The models and a table setting

Carolyn showing Lynne some changes to the front area, where she had hung beautiful plants in her hanging herbarium

You go through Covid protocols before entering. And there are sanitiser bottles on all the tables

All the ingredients in the menu are sourced locally and the menu is gluten free. A Plant based menu can be arranged

The Welcome is warm Popcorn, flavoured with Oregano salt

served with Creation 2020 Sauvignon Blanc - "Minerality Rules", which has classic fig leaf, granadilla on the nose
 It is clean, green and zingy with minerality on the palate, a good introduction to the menu

The Experience Creation menu is presented with a perfumed viola, reminiscent of the perfume in Pinot Noir



A huge and beautiful king protea graced our table

Carolyn joined us to explain the new menu and the pairings

We began at 11.30 and the restaurant was full by midday. So do book if you want to come for lunch

This is a wonderful addition, especially during Covid. Hot water is poured into the two front holes, then the wadding rolls are added to those holes and voila! they swell and become warm cloths to clean and refresh your hands

The Creation Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Chapter 1: Passion. A delicious, gluten free warm seed roll with tomato, onion, basil and kelp,
on a vine leaf with a tiny fiddle fern top, and a small dish of herbal chimichurri

Paired with Creation 2020 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blend, "Oceans Gift"
The Semillon shines first, then in comes the Sauvignon Blanc
The wine is initially soft and elegant, then layers of lime and lemon flavours appear;
a lovely mouthfeel, crisp and full of fruit and minerality

You can pull the warm roll apart and dip or spread on the green herby chimichurri
The salted caramel kelp is local & comes from Betty’s Bay

Should you not want to do this particular pairing menu, there is an A' la Carte menu with larger portions,
each having a suggested paired wine

Chapter 2: Innovation, is paired with Creation 2019 Chardonnay - "Chic Chardonnay" which is a classic
 Golden, bready and rich on the nose, full and rounded with lime & golden fruit on the palate

The Art of Chardonnay 2020 and Reserve Chardonnay 2020,
each of which received Five stars in the 2022 Platter, are sold out

The perfect match for the beautiful, soft Langkloof trout ribbons which have been lightly cured and smoked, served with
a spicy sriracha mayonnaise, on a chive, lime and coconut sauce, sprinkled with togarashi spice and sesame seeds

Chapter 3: Déjà Vu, “Sunshine on the Atlantic"
Creation 2020 Cool Climate Chenin. Honey notes with golden stone fruit on the nose, more layers of fruit on the palate,
a good balance of sunshine, fruit, crispness and ripeness, even though it has an R.S. of only 2.2 gm/l

The dish is a slice of seared king oyster mushroom with a good meaty texture, on a smoked duck,
onion and mushroom duxelle, shimeji and shiitake mushrooms and truffle in a green sauce
A truly wonderful dish, where the king mushroom brings out some sweetness in the Chenin; the perfect pairing for it
It is one of those dishes for which people will ask for larger portions; it is that good

The alternate dish for John was off the A' la Carte menu:
Green beans and Miso with a dairy free cheese, topped with lightly pickled red onion
John does not normally like pickles, but he says they made this dish
The beans were crisply al dente, just the way we like them,
and covered in a good umami sauce; the soft, flavourful cheese reminded us of soft white cannellini beans 

Chapter 4: Resonance: "Madame Meilland rose" paired with the pretty 2021 Creation Grenache Rosé,
which has an aroma of rose, peach and lime and is summery, slightly savoury (that's the Grenache),
crisp, fruity with minerality, bold and present and oh, so good with food

This dish is inspiring and a real palate cleanser. A blend of clean and summery fresh tomato gazpacho with watermelon,
with small squares of pickled cucumber and topped with a scoop of iced gazpacho to keep you cool
 Beautifully presented in a tiny cup on a Creation Pinot Noir leaf dish, made locally


Chapter 5: Charisma "Forever Romantic" with Creation 2020 Reserve Pinot Noir
This wine received Five stars in the 2022 Platter
Perfume, umami, dark berries with a hint of wood on the nose
On the palate, soft and unctuous with complex layers of cherry and berries,
a good acid balance and wood on the end

Tender springbok fillet wrapped in perfect pancetta
 Served with blackberries and creamed goat’s cheese with a berry and cream sauce
The fresh blackberries 'pinged' so well with the Pinot Noir, wow!

Carolyn also asked us to try their 2019 Art of Pinot Noir with the dish. A privilege indeed
This wine has recently won Five stars at the Platter Awards and was awarded 97 points by Tim Atkin,
British Master of Wine and international judge. And it is so worthy of these accolades
Perfumed with rose and violets, a raspberry parade with some cherries on the nose; so pretty
Layers and layers of complexity on the deep palate, with lovely raspberry, cherry and mulberry fruit melding into one
Wood is present, but supporting rather than overpowering, and there is perfume right to the end. Special

The dish with its sauces added

Now nicely busy in the restaurant


Chapter 6: Alchemy. Time for dessert paired with Creation Viognier "Vivaldi in a glass"
Titled Apricot, Coconut, Meringue, it is a small pastry tart filled with vanilla crème patissière
and topped with sliced apricot in a case of superbly skilfully made, fine crisp pastry
A dollop of coconut milk ice cream (must try to make this it was so good), a shard of meringue and a crumb,
made with xylitol rather than sugar. A good match with the Viognier,
which echoes the apricot and has enough good fruit acidity to glide softly with the sweetness of the dessert

We were also asked to taste the dessert on the A' la Carte menu,
which is titled Trifle gluten free sponge, coconut and berries
The fresh raspberry sorbet with rosewater is superb and sings with the Rosé
The trifle sponge is topped with strawberries and blueberries, a disk of coconut marshmallow and a disk of berry jelly. Paired with the dessert, the Rosé showed its fine character to the full

We met the two pastry chefs and were asked to comment on the dishes
as they are still doing small tweaks with the menu


The final course is Chapter 7: Tribute, served with Creation Fine Cape Vintage Port "Sweet Temptation",
which is a rich, dark, plummy port, made from Syrah,
with good balance of dark berry fruit, spice and alcohol, and long delicious flavours
One could spend an afternoon enjoying this after the good lunch
It comes with a really decadent chocolate truffle. They should box and sell those

John's double espresso coffee

Without her mask, the new Head Chef, "Prof" Eleanor Niehaus has a charming smile
She has returned to Creation, where she worked previously as a sous chef
Having tasted the menu, we think she is succeeding very well

Another of those superb King Proteas

Pincushion proteas in the garden

The garden is full of wonderful indigenous plantings and special sculptures by Janko de Beer, which are for sale


Creation was awarded the accolade of 10th place in the World’s Best Vineyards 2021 competition
and first place among African wine producers
Aside from being a place of great beauty, Creation offers a very special experience to the visitor,
with excellent wines, paired with a carefully chosen menu and great service. How beautiful is that view?


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Location: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa

Wednesday, December 08, 2021

MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 16. Keurbooms River, Plettenberg Bay

On day 10 of our trip, we were packed and ready to move by 9h45 and headed towards Plettenberg Bay; nearly 300Km, so achievable in time for a lateish lunch. We wanted to visit friends who have recently moved to Keurbooms and this was the closest accommodation we could book. It had been chilly the previous night and rain was promised. We wanted to miss Port Elizabeth, so headed for Uitenhage and did some essential food shopping there. And, as we left, the rain came down like a fully turned on shower and stayed with us until Jeffrey’s Bay. Not pleasant driving, but at least the road was pretty empty for most of the way. Once we passed St Francis Bay, we were suddenly on the well named Garden Route again. Lush green meadows, flowering trees, even a wheat field. And full rivers; then the Tzitzikamma forest

We made a stop for lunch just before Keurbooms and noticed that we were on the road leading to some of the wine farms which we had intended to find and visit! Great coincidence; no planning was involved. Having eaten our Pepper steak pies, what else was there to do but go and taste wine? First call was Newstead, owned by the Lund family. We had them at the top of our list to visit as we had heard and read very good things about their award winning wines. They were awarded the title of Best Producer at the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge 2020. Anton Smal, whom we first met when he was making wine at Villiera, makes their wines (and does the same for other farms in the area)

They were pretty busy, so we were asked to take a seat outside on the terrace where we would taste the wines

It was rather open to the elements - rain and wind, and very chilly, but they did provide blankets

Vines just bursting into new leaf

The restaurant area across the lawn seemed very popular

The wine list with the prices for the tastings

and the drinks menu with descriptions of the wines

And whom should we meet but Susan Murray, who now works there as Restaurant Manager. We have known her for many years, as she worked at the Cape Wine Academy. We had a great tasting of their very good wines and Cap Classiques. The vineyards were planted in 2007 and they had their first harvest in 2012

They have two Cap Classiques: The Blanc de Blanc 2016 has vanilla, and rich buttery brioche on the nose with crisp dry limes, lemons and grapefruit on the long palate and a good mousse. The Cap Classique Rosé is 83% Pinot Noir and 17% Chardonnay. It spends 6 months on the lees. Lots of raspberries and strawberries from the Pinot Noir; it has a crisp bubble and is slightly creamy, with some perfume on the after palate

Next, the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc which has that classic cat’s pee and elderflower nose;
silky on the crisp palate with minerality and length. The vineyards pick up cooling breezes from the sea

Susan made sure that we were able to taste the 2015 Blanc de Blancs which has won many awards, including Five stars from Platter. More sophisticated and balanced on the nose; herbal hints, brioche. On the palate, it is crisper and more layered with lime and lemon notes, then richness fills the creamy palate. Very good

The 2021 Rosé is made from 20% Chardonnay and 80% Pinot Noir. It is full of strawberry, raspberry, cranberry
and rose petal aromas and flavours, lovely fruit, good mouthfeel, and a food wine

Happy Muragzikwa poured our wines and was a mine of information about them and the farm
They have three hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and the rest is planted with Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

A stool made in the form of a Newstead Muselet. The bottles, in fact, have a plain one

A view of the winery over the vines. We recommend a visit if you are in the area


Dietes Grandiflora, our indigenous iris


Further down the rather potholed road, we came to Kay and Monty wines, who have two wines to taste, Kay and Monty, who were the owners, have long departed this world but have left a good legacy, not only in the quirky naming of the wine. Owner Steph Legh comments “Kay & Monty Vineyards is a lasting tribute to my grandparents - On balmy summer evenings Kay was likely to turn to Monty and conspiratorially suggest a chilled glass of Champu”. The farm was bought by Chick Legh, an avid polo player in 2004. He converted it into a polo estate. Subsequently, it was one of the first estates in the area, after pioneering Bramon, to start planting vineyards


Currently, they have only these two wines available for tasting. Champu 2016 is a Blanc de Blanc Cap Classique which has pear, apple and brioche on the nose. Crisp and full of pear and apple on the palate. The 2019 SAV, is a Sauvignon Blanc from a very hot and dry season, we were told. Elderflower on the shy nose, sweeter more tropical in style, with loquat, apricot and yellow peach with a grapefruit bite on the end

The tasting room is huge and can be used as a function venue
We thought it would be ideal for lovely smaller weddings

There is comfortable seating and a welcome open fire - it was a very cold day, 10ºC at lunch time

The two nicely chilled wines

Prudence Smuppinya was so knowledgeable about the wines and was very hospitable

The last winery in the area, Lodestone, sadly, was closed so we headed straight for our overnight accommodation at Mandalay Guest House where we had a good garden apartment with a kitchen. Here The TV was broken, and we had a quiet night, watching some Britbox on our computer. We have not watched nor missed much TV on this trip. but we felt the need for some All Creatures Great and Small, or some Vera. The TV in the apartment is so old that it only gets a few bad choices, when it works. It was a cold night, but we had a heater and electric blankets. This is the small kitchen and lounge area, well suited to summer weather, with the tiled floor throughout

The bedroom, with the small shower room next door. There was plenty of storage space


Up the next morning to meet our friends, the Fishers, for brunch at the restaurant on the side of the Keurbooms Estuary called Down to Earth at 10 am. It is easy to find, as it is on the N2. The roads were busy on the Monday morning, as everyone was heading for work. It was a short 10 minute drive from Plettenberg Bay. A wonderful place to sit and watch the tide fill the estuary, if a little chilly that morning, but it did warm up


We sat and watched the tide come in


and the estuary birds feeding in the water, like this white heron



There are fishermen on the flats and in boats
Wonder what they are collecting? Crabs, shellfish, white mussels?

It has a very good breakfast menu with lots of choices that we like
and they bring honey to sweeten the tea rather than sugar, which we try to avoid
The coffee, tea and green juice came first and, a while later - they are very relaxed - the breakfast

Alexandra is on a short exclusion diet for her arthritis and had avocado, smoked salmon with sour cream, lemon,
fried mushrooms, and spinach which looked amazing

Lynne could not resist having her favourite breakfast, French toast with crisp bacon


John and Johnny had beans and sausages with eggs, toast and marmalade. John had scrambled egg



Johnnie had a poached egg

After spending a lovely long morning catching up on what we had all been doing during Covid and their move,
we went to see their beautiful house which is on the other side of the Keurbooms river


Alexandra in the kitchen




A happy smiling Johnnie

We walked around the estate and along the grassed front banks, past the jetties, admired their boat
and watched the birds, the fishermen and their dogs having fun, especially Molly, their Labradoodle

It looks like a lovely place to live; everyone keeps the public areas tidy and neat. We chatted to their neighbours and then it was back to the house and a good bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to continue the avid conversation; so good to catch up with old friends after too long. 

And suddenly it was 5 pm and time to get to our next stop, Belvidere Manor in Knysna (Click here)



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