Winery Creation
Created from nothing: This married couple runs the best winery in Africa
Jean-Claude and Carolyn Martin (right) had a vision: to make the best wines
© Creation
20 years ago, Jean-Claude and Carolyn Martin stood in the middle of Walker Bay, just two hours from Cape Town. They had a vision: to create good wines. Today their drops are among the best in the world.
20 years ago the country was still fallow. Here in Walker Bay, with a view of Mount Babylon, between Hemel-en-Aerde, meaning between heaven and earth, that is best winery in Africa developed. A place name could not be more symbolic. The options that opened up from a wasteland planting vines must have far exceeded the expectations of Jean-Claude and his wife Carolyn. He is an oenologist and learned his craft at the age of 19, she is South African with winemaking ancestors.
In 2002 they planted the first vines on their newly acquired land. Many factors have to be right for grapes to become good wines. The soil, the temperature, the angle to the sun. Here between Hemel-en-Aerde the climate was just right. The area around Walker Bay is characterized by fresh Atlantic winds. It is cool, sometimes even cold, the sun is high during the day and ensures that the grapes ripen well.
Weingut Creation is particularly scenic with a view of Mount Babylon. If the weather is good, you can even see Table Mountain from up there.
© Creation
Special wines
The vineyards are at 290 meters, the floors are clay and slate, which gives the wines an extra kick. The grapes ripen slowly due to the difference in temperature between night and day. This later gives the wines a naturally high level of acidity and fine fruit that is not known from South Africa. This is another reason why the wines from this region are special. Above all, large Pinot Noirs and fresh Chardonnays grow here, which only develop their full potential in the cool weather.
The couple was inexperienced when they planted the first vines: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon found soil that had never before been planted with vines. They were therefore also able to rely on virus-free plants and work sustainably and ecologically right from the start. New vineyards are now planted with grafted vines. They consist of a rootstock and scion grafted onto it. The scion contains the genetic material of the grape variety, the rootstock contains the material for the root system. It can come from any grape variety, it just has to be phylloxera-resistant and virus-free.
Something new is created here Jean-Claude Martin’s aim is to create the best wines © Creation
Jean-Claude is the winemaker, Claudia is the head of the winery, driving innovation. The wine cellar is also innovative, where the wines are often aged in wood for months. A new addition are concrete eggs, with which Jean-Claude wants to create new wines. Creation is therefore also the right name for the winery. Something new was created here 20 years ago, and something new will continue to be created here. The winegrowers always try to stay technologically up to date. The bottling of the wines is outsourced, for example, when the wines are ready to be bottled, a truck, a mobile bottler, drives up. This saves valuable space.
Last year, the 50-hectare winery was voted the best in Africa, and it is ranked 38th in the world. The Martins bottle up to 400,000 bottles a year, which is enormous. Gourmets will also get their money’s worth in the winery. There are seasonal dishes made with local produce that can be combined as a set menu or as small plates to share. A focus is placed primarily on plant-based food, one moves with the times. There are poke bowls, ostrich steak and artichoke salad. The right wine is recommended for each dish. And then you look up at Mount Babylon and now you understand why you dine here between heaven and earth.