The matchmakers
Creation Wines leads you by the ‘nose’ and tastebuds through the historic small town of Stanford in the Overberg. Take time for an artisanal food tasting experience paired with Creation’s wines and relish every moment of this meander.
The village of Stanford, named after Sir Robert Stanford in the mid-1800s, is the only town in the Overstrand to be declared a heritage area. Today, it has become a weekend escape from fast-paced living. Visitors are drawn by the beautifully restored cottages, walks along the Klein River, architectural styles ranging from the late 1700s to the early 1900s, antique and collectable shops, and dining in the shady courtyards of houses converted into restaurants that pride themselves on the quality and origin of their ingredients.
It is in Stanford that Creation Wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde have discovered the source of many of their most unusual ingredients for their pairing menus, underpinning their ingredient mantra of ‘80 percent sourced within 80 kilometres of the estate’. And visitors to the town are now invited to share in the estate’s pursuit of authenticity and sustainable resources on a tour led by Susan Mann, a walking maven of food connections and culinary trends; a ‘pocket guide’ in human form.
‘Connecting, collaborating and innovating is part of Creation’s success,’ says Creation’s creative director and co-owner, Carolyn Martin.
The route begins with Christine Stevens and an immersion into hand-crafted vinegars with flavours extracted from the herbs and flowers that she grows in her adjoining garden. The experience unfolds in the shade of her broad open veranda where she proves to be a fascinating and knowledgeable speaker – and an alchemist. ‘When we source food today, sadly our sense of smell is stifled by bags, boxes and jars, which cut us off from the aroma’s effect on our senses,’ she says. Not here. Christine’s table is laden with herbs from a garden bursting with boxed vegetables and herbs. Guests are invited to gently crush fresh leaves in their fingers to release a glorious cloud of aroma such as ginger-scented rosemary, Japanese mint and dried roses, all of which infuse her organic vinegars, teas and cordials.
Many of Christine’s exceptional products form a key part of Creation’s alternative tasting menu for those with dietary restrictions or lifestyle choices. However, they are also used in the main pairing menus, and not simply to provide a heady sense experience. The vinegars are designed to regulate blood sugar and are excellent for digestion. Other infusions are calming for the nerves. Mphepho and oregano are used to create subtle but fragrant drinking vinegars, which pair exceptionally well with Creation’s Roussanne Grenache Blanc. Christine’s Iced Flower Tea pairs beautifully with Creation Chardonnay.
Flowers change in the micro-climates in which they grow, and guests leave Christine’s home with fragrances and tastes imprinted in their memory.
A meander past historic landmarks and churches, meticulously tended gardens and shady verandas, takes guests to the Wildwanderer for an unusual ‘deep dive’ into an ancient art. As a boy, Jero Revett played in rockpools around False Bay, and his fascination and respect for marine animals took root, in particular for octopuses. He was intrigued by what he could do with the ink they produced, which led to a fascinating journey back in time and tradition…
It all began with Jero’s curiosity about the ancient technique of Japanese printing called Gyotaku. Fishermen in the mid-1800s would record their catch for the market by printing their images in ink on rice paper. Jero began to do the same with the small number of octopuses he harvests over the year for family consumption, ultimately perfecting his technique with Professor Stephen Inggs from the Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town.
Today his art studio is a homage to the sea creatures he catches by hand on a dive and then meticulously prints on cloth and paper. The artworks find their way around the world, a reminder of why we should guard the bounty of our seas and respect our endangered marine environment. Guests are invited to taste a delicious but simple family recipe of risotto and octopus paired with Creation’s Cool-Climate Chenin Blanc, redolent with fresh green apple and tangy citrus.
Stanford’s Queen Victoria Street is a seductive mixture of photographic moments, hunter-gathering bric-a-brac, vintage décor, seasonal fashion, and coffee shops. Right at its heart, family-owned-and-run restaurant Madre welcomes guests through low antique swing doors into a series of rooms and courtyards infused with light.
Madre and her team move from room to room, greeting guests and introducing the day’s blackboard menu choices. ‘Local, fresh, and flavour’ are key to this country kitchen, and it shows in every mouthful. For this stop on the Creation route, a local B’Bos Trout Nicoise is paired with Creation Chardonnay for its heady hints of pear and peach and fresh minerality, while bone marrow and game are paired with Creation’s signature Pinot Noir for its earthiness and melange of red berries.
For a tasting destination that captures the mood of the moment, the GoSlow bakery and deli lives and breathes its moniker. Along a path through a small vineyard, guests reach a modern barn with high ceilings and long vintage tables. Here they are invited to taste Lyle Bewsher’s meticulously crafted charcuterie platters alongside Creation Fine Cape Vintage with its signature notes of honeyed fruit, sliver of anise and black cherry. In some recipes, Lyle uses pasture-fed beef steeped in Creation Pinot Noir for unique and subtle flavour.
Provenance is everything to Lyle, and raw ingredients for his dishes are sourced from farms employing sustainable practices, including Tessies Water from Tesselaarsdal. It shows in the quality of the hand-crafted products and in the subtle, but distinctive flavour of the ingredients.
Lyle is also a baker at heart. His artisanal breads are in hot demand, and you cannot leave without tasting his pastel de nata. Not many pastry chefs can make guests swoon, with small sighs of pleasure escaping from their lips…
For an En Route with Creation tasting and pairing tour, please visit www.hermanuslocal.co.za or email susan@eatlikealocal.co.za