CWG Auction gives Nederburg a run for its money
8 October 2007

Winemakers' sales up 41 percent

Nederburg Auction organisers, who for decades have punted their as the showcase of SA wine, and this year moved into the ‘spring’ time slot, previously claimed by the Cape Winemakers Guild for its own annual auction, will certainly have to have a good rethink. After the fairly lacklustre show in Paarl two weeks ago, the CWG sale came up trumps with a jump of 41 percent in sales, despite fewer wines available.

The CWG can now, with some justification, claim a higher level of importance to its auction. All the members’ promotional hard work had paid off. (Getting high ratings published for the auction wines from as fancy a voice as the US’s Wine Spectator was no mean feat, and pretty useful in the vanity stakes.) With a total of R5 086 500, the takings came within R48 000 of the Nederburg sales total.

The 22nd Cape Winemakers Guild Auction, held in Somerset West, had 39 wines in 2 310 cases of six available. The average price per case of six was just over R2 000.

The highest case-price for a white wine was R2 200, paid for Kevin Grant’s Ataraxia Chardonnay 2006. As could be expected, Louis Strydom’ Bordeaux-style Engelbrecht Els CWG 2005 was the top red, with a best.-case price of R4 600. Teddy Hall’s Rudera Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest Auction Reserve 2005 sold at R4 000.  

For the second consecutive year, Gary Jordan had the best. sales, bringing in R453 600 for the Jordan Chardonnay Auction Reserve 2006 and Jordan Sophia 2005.

Local buyers accounted for 82% of the total value of sales, with Alan Pick of The Butcher Shop & Grill in Johannesburg the biggest spender for the 6^th consecutive year, with R1 643 600. Overseas buyers spent just over R900 000 this year. (All amounts mentioned here exclude VAT at 15%.)

Parallel to the splash-out on the specially-labelled wines, bidders also contributed to charity, raising R87 450 in the silent auction and the two-lot charity auction, in aid of the CWG Development Trust. Founded in 1999, the trust assists with education, training and empowerment of young people from previously disadvantaged wine farming communities and includes the Protégé programme established last year to develop young winemakers. The funds raised at the auction brings to R502 940 the total amount raised by the CWG this year.