The Overberg Wine Region is situated in the Cape Floral Kingdom, one of the world's most biodiverse wine regions, and lends itself incredibly well to what wine tourists are looking for right now.
With six distinct wine 'pockets', including Theewaterskloof, Elgin, Botrivier, Hermanus, Stanford and Elim, the area offers the ultimate Country Stay experience, just outside Cape Town.
World's 10th Best Vineyard, Africa's Best
Creation Wines, in particular, has been recognised as one of the top 10 World's Best Vineyard list and Number 1 in Africa in 2021.
"Consumers want to enjoy authentic wines with traceability and exclusivity. The future of fine wine within this context is about consumers venturing to the place where the wine is grown to discover the 'terroir'," says Carolyn Martin, co-owner of Creation Wines.
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The Creation Experience
Brand, purpose and reputation are more important than safety, security and convenience, says Carolyn, who, together with her husband and Creation Cellar Master Jean-Claude Martin, continue to establish their award-winning wine estate globally.
The estate's wines are showcased in many local restaurants including Fyn Restaurant, the 37th best restaurant in the world, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and The Saxon Hotel, not to mention many Michelin, Bib Gourmand and fine gastronomy restaurants around the world.
READ: World's Best Restaurants | 5 things to know about Fyn
"The name Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) already paints a vivid picture. Towering mountain peaks linking the earth to the sky; flourishing fields of fynbos contrasting with meticulously manicured vineyards," says Carolyn.
"Here, the air is pure champagne; the breezes bring greetings from the ocean; and at night, the Milky Way is so bright you can almost touch the stars. Nature's loveliness goes on and on, and so too her rich blessings upon our terroir, giving rise to the exceptional wines and cuisine for which our region is renowned."
Commitment to innovation and sustainability
"Experiencing Creation is all about our beautiful surroundings, our innovative wine and food pairings, and the celebration of our wine portfolio, particularly our award-winning Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Our commitment to innovation and sustainability is at the core of it all," says Carolyn.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, Carolyn shares that, as with most businesses impacted by Covid, they've survived a challenging period.
"Two decades down the road, we've certainly come a long way. There's so much to be grateful for, the rich blessings of Mother Nature and the valued contributions of all of our stakeholders, to mention but a few."
Creation Wines took the restriction-hit period of the Covid Pandemic to reflect on the environment and its people, adds Caorlyn.
Giving guests easy access to Creation Wines
"Over the tough months, we got creative and designed virtual tasting kits that we dispatched locally and internationally to keep our customers engaged. This 'Tasting Together Apart' campaign snowballed into a series of interactive online tastings, such as our Sensation Tasting, where we stimulated the cranial nervous system to connect sensory synapsis and restore or improve the sense of taste and smell post-Covid.
Carolyn adds, "Guests want easy access to our products at home, conveniently delivered door to door.
"The campaign also led to another innovation, namely our Personal Creation Shoppers who guide customers through the tasting experience, amongst other functions.
Others incubated during the pandemic include the Creation Wines Quick Shop and International Online Shop, which continue to play a valuable role as wine tourism returns to full tilt.
Upskilling their team was an integral part of the process, as was a more profound sense of empathy and focus on mental and physical wellness.
"When we could open for business again, we were able to greet our guests with renewed energy and warmth, with new menus and new experiences," says Carolyn.
"Community engagement and support created stability. Examples are our involvement in the Pebbles Community Garden, the Franklin Ohana Sustainability Garden, and various fundraising and sponsorship projects. We also packed and delivered food parcels knowing how the communities around us were buckling under the impact of the pandemic. This had the value of building stronger relationships with our community.
Caroly says in taking stock, it was inevitable that climate change and sustainability would come to the fore.
"We installed solar and looked for all possible improvements, such as waste management and installing an environmentally friendly biome at the entrance of the Tasting Room."
As much as 70% of Creation's energy needs are now produced through renewable energy.
World's 50 most influential women in wine and spirits
Their post-Covid recovery has seen Creation Wines recognised with a slew of awards too. The estate received the 2021 Great Wine Capitals Regional Wine Tourism Services Award and the Tourism Restaurant Award.
When asked about being listed as one of the world's 50 most influential women in wine and spirits Carolyn says, "With all the accolades, it's not about being the best in the world. It's about doing the best for the world that one can do in your own small personal capacity every day. It's about your intentions."
"We were thrilled to receive our official WWF Conservation Champion status in May 2022," she adds.
"We've had an increased focus on sustainable and responsible tourism. Among our latest projects is the development of our 'Walks-in-Progress', which involves clearing alien vegetation for our local fynbos to flourish and creating hiking trails to enhance the visitor's experience."
What's on the Wine-Pairing Menu?
Creation is renowned for its series of transformational, seasonal Wine and Food Pairing experiences.
Carolyn says that their latest imaginative menus showcase their region's fresh, locally sourced produce.
"At present, more than 80% come from neighbours in the Overberg region, hence going a long way towards reducing our carbon footprint."
"Our team and guests' wellbeing is at the heart of the Creation experience."
Over the past two years, they've introduced a 'Wine and Wellness' concept which involves the following initiatives:
An exciting new Creation Experience for Kids - from eating to playing – was developed in collaboration with an occupational therapist.
A series of Wine and Wellness workshops titled L'Chaim! is presented in collaboration with Eat Better SA and specialists in stress management.
These workshops aim to educate our community to eat, move, and live better.
Carolyn adds, "At Creation, we love to reinvent, especially when we can take nostalgia and transform it into food that is as nutritious as it is delicious.
"Healthy eating options matter to our valued guests."
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'Let the good things grow'
Creation's new Healthy Heritage Menu, ' Let the Good Things Grow', launched in September and "promises to be a truly transformational experience".
"Our unique menu is a story of South African culinary innovation, honouring our nation's diverse cultures and rich heritage," she says.
"The Creation Culinary Team comprises a multicultural tapestry, bringing titillating variety and creativity to their offerings.
"In creating the menu, our 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. An example is Chef Abongile's Umfino, a traditional Xhosa dish which pairs perfectly with our crisp, fresh Creation Sauvignon Blanc.
"Although 80% of the menu is plant-based, it also features the freshest and finest local fish and springbok from sustainable sources.
"An exquisitely flavourful, equally nutritious vegan menu is also on offer. The experience is enhanced by using elements from nature and our terroir."
What you need to know if you go:
- Website: www.creationwines.com
- Address: Hemel en Aarde Road, Hermanus
- Contact: 028 212 1107 | [email protected]
- Instagram: @creationwines
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