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The World’s Best Vineyards has announced this year’s top 50 wine destinations for 2024, showcasing wineries that provide unforgettable wine experiences, and promote wine culture. The prestigious event was attended by winemakers and vineyard owners from around the globe. The top spot in 2024 went to Bodegas De Los Herederos Del Marqués De Riscal, Rioja, Spain. VIK from Chile also jumped up by one place to 2nd on the list, claiming the World’s Best Vineyards Continent Winner – South America.

Third place was awarded to Creation, up from their 4th place in 2023. The estate was also named the World’s Best Vineyards Continent Winner – Africa. The global academy of voters acknowledged the estate for crafting gourmet tasting menus that perfectly complemented its wines and their educational insight into the winemaking process and vineyard management.

“This award is a great honour,” says Carolyn Martin co-founder and marketing director of Creation Wines, “and an acknowledgement of the journey we began over 20 years ago.”

“While we knew instinctively that nature would be our guiding force in making fine wines, it was soon clear that to fulfil our dream of becoming the most loved and most innovative estate in the country, we would need to embrace every aspect of what it means to be truly sustainable.”

For Creation, sustainability is all about connections: to a pristine environment, to their people, to guests and to the community. This circle has widened to include scientists, nutritionists, organic farmers, and specialists in wellness. One of their key projects involves a partnership with Stellenbosch University, which focuses on how to predict and manage the response of ecosystems to climate change, a global concern.

These connections extend to sourcing hyper-local producers who share the estate’s ethos of “what grows together, goes together.” Creation actively promotes these products and skills to a wider audience.

“Sharing our resources not only helps to boost these businesses, but feeds into the growing reputation for this corner of the Western Cape as a gastronomy destination,” says Carolyn.

Guests to the estate’s Tasting Room are immediately emersed in nature from the moment that they arrive and are encouraged to explore trails around the Hemel-en-Aarde estate and experience the world of Creation with imaginative menus.

“The Global Wellness industry has grown exponentially, and we are increasingly conscious of how food and nutrition has become a vital part of sustained good health. Where food is ethically sourced, how it is made and presented is now interrogated. Our anti-inflammatory sensory flexitarian menus offer our guests multiple ways to enjoy their dining experience. The sequence and combinations of what we eat impacts our internal sense of wellbeing. Our ‘sensorial’ wine tasting experience creates an eternal sense of connection to our land – and it is a jacuzzi for the brain!”

Growing fine wines led by viticulturist, wine maker and cellarmaster J C Martin and his team has extended to growing “fine people,” a natural extension of the estate’s ethos.

“We have opened the way for accelerated learning for potential sommeliers and sent our chefs top-rated restaurants worldwide. On their return they infuse our dishes with imagination and flair,” says Carolyn. “We also encourage our chefs to introduce unique, indigenous tastes and traditions to the Creation experience.”

Creation has chosen their teams from our surrounding community and ignited in them a passion for excellence from the work in the vineyards to the hospitality in the tasting room. “We are proud that we have been able to promote many young people from the vineyard to the cellar, from our Tasting Room to management,” says Carolyn.

Creation has also supported the Pebbles Project since its inception, enabling children from farming communities to access quality education programmes and health, nutrition, and social work services. Today suitable graduates are invited to join the Creation team and turn jobs into careers.

“While awards are gratefully accepted, they are reminders that we need to grow and innovate at every turn. And that we are increasingly in the spotlight for every part of our journey from vine to wines. Every dawn brings a new challenge, but innovation is a way of life here. This is about how we manage every challenge and opportunity to make a difference,” says Carolyn.