Creation Wines

Creation began with a blank piece of land.

Jean-Claude and Carolyn Martin founded Creation in 2002 on a remote piece of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge that had never been planted to vines. They started with virus-free vineyards and built the cellar from the ground up.

JC is a Swiss-trained winemaker and Creation’s cellarmaster, with a focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Carolyn grew up in a South African wine family and leads the creative side of Creation, especially the way wine, food, art and hospitality meet.

What made Creation special was how we built the dinner together. Carolyn walked me through the wines and the landscape behind them—the Atlantic air, the minerality and the texture. From there, we developed the menu with the kitchen team around ingredients including trout, abalone and duck.

In service, I asked each cook to own a dish. Chef Eleanor ran the pass while I worked with the team on the food. I told everyone to slow down when things felt rushed, communicate and only serve food they were proud of. By the end of the night, it felt less like a guest-chef appearance and more like a real collaboration.