Landshut, near Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Our first stop was an Italian Specialty Food and Wine Shop in Landshut, where a private client and Rotary member organised a tasting of 13 Creation wines for 30 friends and colleagues. After the white wines, the wonderful lady at the stove served a wonderful Seafood Platter which was pure harmony with the Chardonnays, and after the red wine tasting, she served a delicious Venison Stew which was perfect with the Pinot Noir. After this tasting, we received orders for 89 bottles of Creation wines, inclusive of nine magnums of the Reserve Syrah!
Hotel Schönblick, Eichenberg, Austria
To enjoy a tasting with JC at family-owned Hotel Schönblickon top of the Pfänder Mountain, with views across Lake Constance to the Swiss and Austrian Alps, is already a tradition for the hotel’s Hehle family as well as their guests. The hotel serves Creation Rosé by the glass and has several Creation wines on its extensive wine list.
Of the 30 guests who enjoyed the wines, food and JC’s presentation, about half had already been to South Africa, and many had even visited Creation, with quite a few planning to meet us (Michael and Susanne) in the Tasting Room in February 2025. Janina Lucin, a sommeliére who once worked a harvest at Creation, was also in attendance. She travelled eight hours by train to be at the lunch!
The father-and-son Chef Duo of Karlheinz and Jeremias Hehle, both certified Wine Academics and South Africa fans, served a memorable lunch accompanying four white and four red Creation wines perfectly. All the dishes were prepared very carefully to harmonise with the wines, with ingredients sourced 100% from small farms in this mountainous area.
Schloss Brunnegg, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Harry’s Weinwelt – Vinothek is located in Schloss Brunnegg, a castle dating from the 15th century, just outside Kreuzlingen. What a gorgeous location for a Creation Tasting! It was also a “home-game” for JC, where he could speak in his Swiss mother tongue!
JC presented four white and four red wines to a very interested and diverse group of young and older wine aficionados. There were 30 guests in attendance, some of whom travelled from Germany and enjoyed a stay in the very comfortable rooms and apartments.
The tasting/presentation was accompanied by a delectable Italian Snack of salumi, speck, crusty bread, olive oil and great cheese. Perfect with the Creation wines! Afterwards, we had orders for 50 bottles of Creation wines…
One of the guests was Peter Bührer, who is on the board of the Schaffhausen CH Wine Friends, a wine club with over 400 members. He was so impressed with the wines, and of course with JC, that he immediately suggested having a tasting in Schaffhausen on 15 October 2025! (Since this will be part of a Programme that is distributed to all members in March, there will be good attendance!)
Conclusion
In all three tastings, there was great feedback about the wonderful style of JC’s presentations. Many guests mentioned that it was the first time they had ever really grasped and understood what a vigneron was describing and explaining! Merci et chapeau, JC!
On the last evening, we had a surprise get-together for JC, with friends and neighbours, braai, wine and cheese. Most in attendance had previously been to Creation.