Issued by: GC Communications, on behalf of Cape
Winemakers Guild
South African wines
triumphed at the 31st Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction at
Spier in the Stellenbosch Winelands over the weekend with new record prices for
both red and white wines and the average price per case up by almost 10% on
last year.
Showing its prowess once
again as a showcase of top South African wines the auction achieved total sales
of R11 815 800 just short of the R11,9 million in 2014 despite smaller volumes
with 264 fewer cases this year.
A case of six bottles of
Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2012 fetched the highest price ever paid for a red wine
at the auction with a top bid of R12 200. White wine prices also soared with AABadenhorst Family Wines Graniet-Berg 2013 setting a new auction record of R7
000 for a case of six. Records tumbled from the very first wine to go under the
hammer and the auction continued its winning streak with keen bidding until the
very end.
Tsogo Sun was the
biggest buyer for the second consecutive year with total purchases of over R2
million. Other top buyers included The Butcher Shop and Grill, RestaurantMosaic, Rouseu Wijnen of Belgium, Singita and a number of private collectors.
“The auction results
this year are testament to not only the quality of South African wines but also
to the progress our wine industry has made. The perceived value of our auction
wines as borne out in the high prices achieved again this year are a further
endorsement of the excellent reviews the industry received after Cape Wine
2015,” says Andries Burger, Chairman of the Cape Winemakers Guild.
He pointed out that the
Cape Winemakers Guild had a much broader focus than just its annual auction:
“Through our auction events we have been able to plough back into the industry
by raising over R1,6 million this year alone to support transformation and the
development of talented young winemakers and viticulturists through the Nedbank
Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust and our Protégé Programme.”
This year no less than
six red wines fetched higher prices than last year’s record of R8 600 per case.
Hartenberg CWG Auction Shiraz 2013 peaked at R11 000, Boekenhoutskloof SyrahAuction Reserve 2013 sold for R10 000, Etienne Le Riche Cabernet SauvignonAuction Reserve 2011 for R9 600, and Beyerskloof Traildust Pinotage 2013 and
Rust en Vrede CWG Estate 2012 both on R9 200. Amongst the whites four beat last
year’s record high including Ataraxia Under the Gavel Chardonnay 2014 at R6
400, the AA Badenhorst Family Wines “Geel-Kapel” Muscat de Frontignan 2013 at
R6 000, and Jordan Chardonnay Auction Selection 2014 at R5 800.
The auction, conducted
by Henré Hablutzel of Hofmeyr Mills Auctioneers for the 18th consecutive
year, attracted a total of 153 buyers comprising 131 local and 22 foreign
buyers. In total 2
569 cases (6 x 750ml equivalent) were sold at an average price of R4 599 per
case and an average price per bottle of R767.
The lineup of 55 wines
included 34 red wines, 17 white wines, 3 Méthode Cap Classique and a dessert
wine.
The bulk of the wines,
84%, was snatched up by local buyers with 16% bought by foreigners – 6% more
than last year.Amongst
the foreign buyers, the most bids came from Germany followed by Belgium,
Denmark and the Netherlands.
Over and above the main
auction, a record amount of R231 500 was raised on the day in aid of the Cape
Winemaker’s Guild Protégé Programme, a mentorship initiative for young,
upcoming winemakers and viticulturists. This year’s special item sold at the
Charity Auction, a one-of-a-kind 18-litre 2013 Members’ Reserve comprising a
blend of top wines from all 46 members of the Guild, was purchased for R40 000.
For further information
visit www.capewinemakersguild.com or contact the Guild Office on Tel: 021 852 0408 or email info@capewinemakersguild.com
