Since our establishment in 2002 Creation has been hosting an ever-increasing number of visitors – no less than 27 000 over the past year. In the process we’ve discovered that the new generation wine lover is fascinated by wine. They want to know about the terroir, the various cultivars and how the wine was made. They furthermore want to learn how to serve their wine: the temperature, the glassware, the food pairing.
But who IS this ‘new generation’? Well, at Ceation we apply the term to all contemporary wine lovers – regardless of age, nationality, race, cultural group or gender. In fact all who embrace wine as an integral enhancement of their lifestyle. In their hunger for wine knowledge the new generation wine lover has become quite demanding – and at Creation we love catering for them!
That’s why ongoing staff training has always been a priority. Every member of our team is offered the opportunity to further his or her knowledge and this in turn leads to growing and evolving the South African wine industry as a whole.
At Creation we firmly believe that wine tourism and industries closely related to wine tourism such as hospitality, are key in growing the image of South African wine internationally. In 2012 South African tourism grew by 8%; double that of the international growth rate. What’s more, wine-related tourism employs about 59 000 people in South Africa while it is estimated that 1.2 million South Africans work in the broader tourism and hospitality sectors.
To this end Creation has recently launched the Creation Wine Academy, an informal training programme offered to employees in the hospitality industry. The aim is to equip the next generation South Africans within this sector with a broad understanding of the product and also the long and rich heritage of South African wine and its place on the world wine stage. The programme ranges from grape cultivars and the winemaking process to wine appreciation and etiquette.
Creation is going all out to making its resources and knowledge available to all South Africans – consumer and industry player alike – helping to ensure that a whole new generation joins us on this exciting, innovative journey.
