The biggest wine selection in the 29 year history of the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction will go under the hammer at Spier in the Stellenbosch Winelands on Saturday, 5 October 2013, and real time, online bidding will once again open the floor to previously untapped world markets.
Variety, great diversity of styles and unusual cultivars are the signature of this year’s auction featuring no less than 59 singularly crafted wines including an impressive lineup of white wines that have stood up well to critical acclaim from prominent South African wine commentators.
Online bidding was introduced successfully on a trial basis at the 2012 auction in partnership with UK auction giant, ATG, and with internet auction purchases trending globally, online sales are expected to increase this year. Through the www.the-saleroom.com portal, wine collectors and dealers can now bid online from anywhere in the world as if they were on the auction floor.
The prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild Auction is recognised as South Africa’s leading wine auction open to the wine trade and the general public. The bumper 2013 auction lineup features small volumes of unique wines all crafted exclusively for the auction by members of the Guild. With the biggest white wine selection ever and 667 more cases on offer than the previous year, the 2013 auction promises more variety and unusual wine styles.
This year’s auction wines, all poised to become rare collector’s pieces, include 36 red wines, 18 white wines, 2 Méthode Cap Classiques, one dessert wine, a Port and a potstill brandy making up the tally of 3 184 cases (6 x 750ml case equivalent).
Local buyers made up the bulk (87%) of the sales at the 2012 Guild auction and whilst the auction boasts a regular following of trade buyers headed by Alan Pick of The Butcher Shop and Grill in Sandton, the biggest spender for the past 11 consecutive auctions, the majority of buyers purchase Guild wines for their own private collections and enjoyment.
Francois Rautenbach, an active bidder at the annual auction for the 5-star Singita game lodges and their exclusive guests, considers Guild wines investment wines and buys them because of “their proven track record, limited volumes and the reputation of the winemakers at the cutting edge in South Africa”. Another top end trade buyer, Cobus du Plessis of Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient Boutique Hotel near Pretoria, buys Guild wines to cater for the diverse tastes of local and international guests with a wine list that shows “diversity, depth and irreproachable quality”.
Amongst the private bidders, Johannesburg businessman Mutle Mogase, has been buying Guild wines since 1989 for his own private cellar based on their “quality and exclusivity”.
The 29th Nedbank CWG Auction, conducted by Henré Hablutzel of Hofmeyr Mills Auctioneers for the 16th consecutive year, is open to the public and will be held at the Spier Conference Centre in the Stellenbosch Winelands on Saturday, 5 October 2013. Prospective buyers who are unable to attend the auction, can either register in advance and take advantage of the Guild’s telephonic and proxy bidding facilities, or register free of charge with www.the-saleroom.com to bid online on the day. Online registration opens two weeks prior to the auction once the catalogue has been posted on the site.
The Final Pre-Auction Tasting for prospective auction buyers will be held on the eve of the auction at Spier at 18h00 on Friday, 4 October 2013. Tickets cost R350 and can be booked via www.webtickets.co.za.
For further details visit www.capewinemakersguild.com or contact the Guild Office on Tel: 021 852 0408 or info@capewinemakersguild.com
