‘I’ve been on walking tours around the world, but none were like this one,’ I thought as I strolled behind my guide in the elaborately decorated hat. This was Stanford of all places, a little village some 20km east of Hermanus in the Western Cape, but it reminded me of that excellent book by author Rebecca Solnit.
Writing in Wanderlust: A History of Walking (2002) she said a city is “a language, a repository of possibilities, and walking is the act of speaking that language, of selecting from those possibilities.” Stanford is no city, but the walk was conceived in the context of a much bigger picture: how rural, small-town economies comprising artisans and artists are inseparable from healthy agriculture.
There are several fascinating stops along the way of this walk, but the link they all share is that they are either supplier or customer of Creation Wines and its restaurant in the nearby Hemel-en-Aarde wine region. It connects the dots in a way most walking tours perhaps don’t.
The concept of the Creation Collaboration Route was conceived by Carolyn Martin, dynamic co-owner of Creation along with her winemaking husband, JC. Recently, Stanford was added to the Hermanus leg of the route in partnership with local guide, Susan Mann.
Internationally, Creation is well known, having recently been named Africa’s Best Vineyard for the fifth time and being ranked third internationally by the World’s Best Vineyards awards. At home it is redefining rural economic empowerment by sourcing locally, nurturing community talent, and prioritising dietary wellness.
We meet at the home of Christine Stevens, author of the Harvest book series. We’re here to sample her infused vinegars and teas. The large table on her veranda is lush with sprigs of fynbos and herbs, glassware, and full jugs and bottles awaiting decanting. Beyond, the sunny garden is alive with bumblebees and a myriad of other tiny creatures among the blooms.
“In this day and age, aroma is stifled. We don’t smell anything,” Christine says, as she sends another sprig around for us to rub and sniff. We’re entranced sampling an impepho-and-oregano drinking vinegar and an iced flower tea alongside Creation’s Rousanne and Grenache Blanc blend, as well as the Chardonnay.
Our appetites primed, we were happy to be met at the next destination by artist Jero Revett, aka The Wild Wanderer, with a kitchen dishcloth slung over his shoulder. From the passage, the delightful cooking aromas greeted us.
Jero is renowned for his octopus prints using the creature’s own ink, which he later discovered to be very similar to the ancient Japanese art of Gyotaku. “It all started when I was a grommet [surfer slang for youngsters] snorkelling in the rock pools of False Bay,” he says. Today, his works adorn walls in his Sun Salt Sea gallery and around the world. They are also part of chef Liam Tomlin’s collection and will soon be exhibited at Creation too.
After Jero’s starter of octopus risotto (what else?) prepared according to an old recipe from his Italian wife’s family, we stroll off again to Madré Malan’s eponymous Eat Out-starred restaurant on Queen Victoria Street. Served with Creation wines, we enjoy small plates of Baardskeerdersbos trout, niçoise salad, bone marrow, and game.
Then it’s off to Lyle Bewsher at Go Slow Bakery & Deli. The quiet-spoken chef once ran a large production bakery before fleeing the northern provinces for somewhere quieter. “Go Slow is more about an ethos than being a business,” he says. He and his family landed in Stanford, where they converted a spacious contemporary home with its own small vineyard and veggie courtyard into a boutique bakery and purveyor of charcuterie.
Meat may be a deal-breaker for some, but Creation’s restaurant has one of the most comprehensive menus catering for gluten, dairy and sugar-free preferences, as well as pescatarians and vegans.
It’s with this approach that the walking tours are entwined; part of the philosophy of wellness woven not only into dining but the education of staff at the farm and the very act of nurturing the land. The tasting menu at Creation, which includes wines, is designed as a performance. “We’re trying to redefine what a meal can be,” Caroline continues, “It reaches out to more than our traditional senses to incorporate a holistic perspective of balance and internal awareness too.”
With every new arrival, we’re invited to try a simple adjunct, like listening into the shell of a Giant Periwinkle when tasting an ocean-influenced wine; or running our fingers over thick velvet when tasting another. It’s more than a meal; it’s a performance of mindfulness that echoes a full circle with the introduction of Christine’s ferments and vinegars, or Lyle’s slow bread.
Leaving Creation and overlooking the magnificent valley, there’s the distinct sense of having acquired new knowledge – all learnt through the simple act of walking.
About the tour
- The Stanford tour takes around four hours and comprises a walking/tasting menu with light bites along the way.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring along a light jacket for cooler days. The walk encompasses just five blocks of the village along flat roads.
- Purchases can be made along the way, and the town is small enough to collect your goods once the tour is done. Ideally, you want to schedule a visit and meal at Creation to see the initiative come full circle.
- For more information about the tour, visit Hermanuslocal.co.za or email [email protected].
