Karma at Creation Wines: Biodiversity on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

No doubt about it: Creation is an apt name for a winery perched high up on what is known as the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge.

Not only does our name encapsulate ‘Heaven and Earth’, it alludes to the fact that we are the first to grow wine on our little piece of paradise. Our name furthermore acknowledges the natural beauty that surrounds us, but perhaps more than anything else it reflects our commitment to constant innovation.

But how do we marry our trendsetting ways with our deep commitment to conserving the amazing biodiversity of our farm? This is where our own modern-day interpretation of ‘Karma’ comes into play. Karma is the law of cause and effect and one of the universal laws of Karma, known as the Law of Creation, states:

Life doesn’t just happen, it requires our participation. We are one with the Universe, both inside and out. Whatever surrounds us gives us clues to our inner state. Be yourself, and surround yourself with what you want to have present in your Life.In observing Karma, as we see it, we closely interact with our environment, appreciating the exceptional winegrowing conditions prevailing on our unique enclave on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and acknowledging the role Mother Earth plays in our success. To confirm this harmonious relationship, Creation is a member of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI). We are committed to conserving our natural heritage by implementing long-term biodiversity as well as sustainability programmes, and that includes the preservation and protection of the indigenous flora as well as the precious wildlife on our farm.

 

What’s more, we comply with the sustainability guidelines laid down by the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) scheme and all our wines boast the proud ‘green seal’. Environmentally sensitive and responsible wine production has always been close to our heart and the IPW seal offers us the opportunity of communicating our commitment to eco-friendly wine production.

In observing the principles of Karma we also embrace the Kaizen employee trainee programme which means development and evolution through small incremental improvements as well as systematic and permanent solutions to every challenge.  

Ever innovative and in the spirit of Karma, Creation has also recently launched our own Wine Academy. This informal training programme is aimed at employees in the hospitality and tourism industries but also reaches out to a wider target market. ”By providing education and training to the next generation of South Africans involved in the tourism and hospitality industries we can effectively grow the wine industry’s sphere of influence and in the process help to create jobs,” says co-owner and marketing director, Carolyn Martin.    What does our ‘Karmic approach’ mean to us and our clients? One of the natural consequences of this philosophy is that energy is focussed on positive action. This may be an internal or external action but it is important that the focus is not on outside competition. “It is bad Karma (and ineffective and inefficient) to expend energy on, for instance, taking business away from others, when positive actions and positive energy attract people so much more easily,” says Carolyn.Of the 30 000 people that visited Creation in 2013, many were return guests. Each guest that returns is a little bit of good Karma, and judging by the size of the Creation family, each ‘little bit’ adds up to quite a lot!

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