A group of foodies has been invited to a tasting of Creation Wines in a glass box penthouse overlooking the bright lights of Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg.

The combination of a hint of ginger, a whisper of cumin and the most subtle taunt of garlic to delicately flavour the duck, which is washed down with Creation pinot noir.

Deep ruby in colour, the intensely fragrant red berry aromas mix imperceptibly with elegant vanilla and a whiff of wood spice.

Our main course is flash-fried pink salmon on a bed of fennel. It is perfectly paired with Creation viognier - pale gold, clear and shiny in the glass. It's abundantly fruity yet refined on the nose with fragrant white peach aromas mingling with a rich, creamy character.

The crisp minerality and bouncy natural acidity has been retained in the bottle from the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge in Hermanus, where the Creation vineyard was established in 2002 by the Swiss-trained winemaker Jean-Claude Martin and his wife, Carolyn.

There are nine wines in the range and the wine farm is the first producer in the area to make a single variety viognier and a semillon wine. The semillon is light, straw yellow with glints of green.

It has an invigorating, salty bouquet that tastes of the fresh sea breezes caressing the Creation vineyards, and is complemented by hints of green fig and petits pois.

September 2010 saw the local release of Creation's second label, Whale Pod, including the cabernet sauvignon and merlot, with waves of blackberry, whiffs of blackcurrant and the distinctive stamp of good toasted oak. Our hosts say it is delicious with seafood bisque or bouillabaisse.

The ultimate extravagance, though, is the Creation Wine and Éclat de Chocolat Pairing.

Three of Creation's wines - the viognier, merlot and syrah/grenache - have been paired with three chocolates, the Creation passion, resonance and charisma.

The chocolates are distinguished by their high cocoa content, with the beans originating from Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Madagascar and Sao Tomé.

"Thechocolates have been specially blended by a celebrated local chocolatier to complement the wines," says Martin.

For info call 028-212-1107 or 072-673-1880 or e-mail: info@creationwines.com