Page 37 - DiVin092017

From chimney sweeper
to top winemaker
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Ludwig Kreuzberg from Der- nau went on a professio- nal zigzag path, and it was rst of all not clear that
he would eventually end up as a winemaker. As a trained chimney sweeper, he climbed many roofs in his homeland, and he believed that he would nd ful lment as a graduate engineer after completing his studies.
Hermann-Josef Kreuzberg, the grandfather of Ludwig, founded the company in 1953 and, as an established wine-grower in the Ahr Valley, he was also active as an authorised representative in the Dernauer Winegrowers Association. His own winegrower‘s house helped him sell wine and also brought in a decent income. His son „Jupp“ took over the winery from him. The winegrower‘s house and wine res- taurant developed into a hotspot in Dernau; Musicians and music enthusiasts came from near and far and at the centre of it all was winemaker „Jupp“, the embodi- ment of a cheerful Rhenish soul. Music and entertainment in the vineyard itself: At weekends, the guests brought their instruments and the sound of guitars, singing, accordions rang out in turn from the winegrower‘s house. For 40 years, „Jupp“ ran the company with his family and also made a name for himself on the radio as a good entertainer.