TO be fair, this has been a January like no other, but a new year brings all sorts of fun intentions. Say yes to new things, say no to those that don’t serve you, delete toxicity and negativity from your life, read more, eat better, drink the best wine, touch grass. Many of these positive objectives can be realised with a visit to the Eat Out-starred Creation Wines tasting room, ranked in the top 10 best vineyards in the world.
About two-thirds of the way through our Wine & Food Pairing experience, I quietly made the decision to swop out the penultimate course of ostrich for the plant-based alternative, tofu. First of all, zero regrets. Secondly, I follow an omnivorous lifestyle which affords me the pleasure of eating just about anything without restrictions, so this was a choice based purely on what I wanted at the time. My reasoning was mainly because tofu, which I like, is not something I’ll ever cook myself at home, so what better opportunity? Google’s AI assures me it is easy to cook and then proceeds to list all the Ts&Cs. No thank you, some things belong in restaurants and I’ll be taking no questions at this time.
The ostrich is chapter four, Red Velvet, in the pairing, served with morogo, quinoa, confit potato, pumpkin sees and num nums; the tofu is pretty much the same presentation, coated in cornflour and fried until crispy, with the soft silky white inside gently oozing out when you cut it. Both these dishes are paired with Creation’s crowning glory, Pinot Noir.
Let’s rewind to the beginning. It’s summer and the menu is themed The Power of Love, wide-ranging concept that includes love for the land and what it yields on the plate and in the glass, love for the custodians of the land, the producers, and the tireless beautiful humans who bring it all to fruition. It also means there is a subtle heart included on every plate, a kind and gentle reminder of this deepest of emotions.
After washing your hands, you are welcomed with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and Satvic Green Elixir. The Satvic movement is a community-driven health revolution to help you reach the peak of your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The Satvic lifestyle is rooted in principles of simple food, early waking, yoga, loving relationships, service attitude and living in harmony with nature. The little cup of soup carries in it cucumber, coriander, spinach, avocado and parsley with a bit of lime juice and water, to waken and freshen your palate for what’s to come.
Chapter 1: A lettuce taco with a riff on caprese – marinated tomatoes, basil, dune spinach, dairy-free cheese and crispy capers. Paired with Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, it’s a flavour bomb in one (or two) mouthfuls.
Chapter 2: B’Bos trout tartare with dill mayo, an alluring orange and green presentation, and seared trout, cured with salt and kombu (kelp), atop pickled fennel salad. The broken heart melba toast is (gluten-free) made with amaranth grain. The wine is the Creation Ridge Chardonnay, in the title of Absolutely Brilliant Chardonnay, a play on the old ABC adage attached to this wine; this is a far better application, and makes me grateful every day that Chardonnay-making has evolved the way it has.
Chapter 3: Cool climate Chenin Blanc makes its appearance alongside a pincho, a spear with quail egg, white anchovy wrapped around sun-dried tomato, and a Nocellara olive. My word, I could eat a platter of these and drink the entire bottle of wine, given half the chance.
Chapter 5 (4 having already been discussed above): Dessert. Sweet or savoury. The Creation Elation bubbly is Pure Joy with the cheese – Belnori Phantom Ash and Belnori sheep’s gouda with Cape seed Melba, macadamia and sauerkraut. Interesting. I was more concerned with my Sweet Temptation – raspberry crémeux with spiced bratzeli, and raspberry–thyme sorbet. Pretty in pink. Dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free if you can believe it. Creation has been a champion of plant-based dining for quite some time, and well ahead of the trendy curve. If you look back you’ll see almost all the dishes are like this, with the only other substitutes being tofu for the white anchovy, and aubergine with hummus, avocado, corn and walnuts instead of the fish. The cheese will be Fauxmage and respect to the person who thought of that name.
These dishes are available à a carte, as are the wines, as well as other dishes for breakfast and lunch. There’s a Young Adult menu (and I’m assured this can be ordered by anyone who identifies as such), and even a menu for your well-behaved on-a-leash pooch. For more information and to book, click here.
