bread and wine

An indulgent recipe and a pinot to match

on my way to the sleepy seaside town of Hermanus on a gloomy winter’s day, I visited Creation Wines for a leisurely sensory lunch. Situated in the Walker Bay wine region and resting high up on the scenic Hemel-en-aarde Ridge, it’s a hidden gem. While the mountain views provide a picturesque and calming backdrop, a memorable food-and-winepairing affair awaits inside at its Tasting Room. During the afternoon, we indulged in tapas, beautifully presented and paired with the estate’s awardwinning wines. In between courses, we strolled through the Creation Fynbos Garden, taking in sculptor Nanette Ranger’s work. Creation Wines founders Jean-claude and Carolyn Martin had always dreamed of becoming winemakers. Carolyn shares with Glamour how her journey began.

G: What attracted you to winemaking?

Carolyn Martin: I was born in a red Ford Anglia, at the farm gates of my grandparents’ wine estate in the Stellenbosch wine region. My dad, Walter Finlayson, had to play midwife.

My earliest childhood memories are of my grandparents’ farm and, more specifically, of my grandmother Eleanor. I conducted my first wine tasting aged five, when I was unable to find grandma to attend to her visitors. I knew the guests had to be taken care of, and I reasoned that I’d heard enough to get by. From Hartenberg, we moved to Blaauwklippen and then to Glen Carlou Wine Estate where I deepened my knowledge and love of wine.

G: How were you introduced to the Walker Bay Wine Region?