Creation Wines in South Africa’s sought-after Hemel-en-Aarde wine region proudly celebrates its place among the 50 top wineries selected at the inaugural 2019 World’s Best Vineyards (WBV) awards.

Over 1 500 nominated wineries from a total of 17 countries were represented and the winners were chosen by a prestigious international voting academy. The stated aim of the WBV list is to raise the profile of wine tourism and to encourage visitors from all over the world to explore the world’s best wineries. The selection was based on an aggregated ‘total experience’ and Creation was one of only three South African wineries to qualify for the list.

The name ‘Creation’ is a tribute to the riches Mother Nature has bestowed upon the scenic estate. It is also a reference to the fact that the land had never been planted to vines before 2002 when owners Jean-Claude (JC) and Carolyn Martin arrived on the farm.

Having meticulously considered soil, climate and aspect JC, a qualified winemaker and viticulturist, selected the cultivars best suited to the terroir – and had the foresight to plant only virus-free clones. This investment has a significant impact on the quality of the grapes as well as the sustainability of the vineyards. “Planting to grow old is part of the Creation philosophy and while we wait for our vines to age we participate in South Africa’s unique Old Vine Project. Our first vintage of Old-Vine Chenin Blanc grown in a Paarl vineyard will be released soon and we look forward to the time when our own vineyards will be part of the project,” says JC.