.: Cape Winemakers Guild 2022 tutored and public Tastings

The prestigious 2022 Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction will be held on Friday, September 30th from 17h00 to 20h00 and on Saturday, October 1st from 9h00 to 15h00. It will be Virtual and Live from the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, hosted by Strauss & Co. Should you wish to attend and bid or watch the auction live on line and bid from anywhere in the world, please contact them to register, browse or bid. www.strauss.co.za

The CWG Online Protégé Auction will be from September 26th to October 3rd at 19h00

Consult the Strauss website for details

We are always extremely grateful to be invited to the tutored tasting
of the wines that will appear at this year’s Cape Winemakers Guild auction

The tasting was held on August 25th at the Westin Hotel in Cape Town

Members of the wine industry, media and other interested parties are invited
and each winemaker presents her/his wine at the tasting

Gordon Newton Johnson, this year’s CWG Chair began the tasting. He said, "There is reason for optimism in 2022 as we reconnect and search for balance after the intrusion of the Covid pandemic. The industry has endured much over the past few years, yet continues to inspire creativity, transcend in excellence and capture the imagination of the wine world. The CWG is the embodiment of these virtues as they seek to be the vanguard of positive change and progress in the industry. The membership is ever evolving to exemplify the diversity and dynamism of our wines and the people who dedicate themselves to this art"

The pourers were all final year students from Elsenberg College, the future of winemaking!
And they were very practiced at pouring. It is a rather fast tasting,
although this year the winemakers did add more information and so took longer
which gave us time to taste properly and make notes

We tasted in the order of the winemakers’ photographs, from left to right:
Silverthorn Big Dog VIII Cap Classique 2017
De Grendel Wooded Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Bartho Eksteen Wine Estate Vloekskoot Sauvignon Blanc, wooded 2021
Beaumont Family Wines, Hope Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2020
Mullineux The Gris Semillon 2021; Warwick White Lady Auction Chardonnay 2020
Paul Cluver Wines the Wagon Trail Chardonnay 2021

Lynne made detailed notes and can report that this was probably the most consistent tasting we have attended over the years; the quality of all the wines is excellent and we scored very highly across the board. It will be an exciting auction

Of special note for her were the Vloekskoot Sauvignon Blanc, Paul Cluver Wagon Train Chardonnay, Newton Johnson Windansea Pinot Noir, David and Nadia Grenache Noir, Saronsberg Inner Circle, Boplaas Daniels Legacy, Strydom The Game Changer Cabernet Franc/Merlot, De Trafford Perspective, Delaire Graff Cabernet Sauvignon, Simonsig Heirloom Shiraz

Best wine on the tasting for her, scoring full marks was the Raats Family Stella Nova Cabernet Franc: Instant quality and savouriness on the nose draws you in, with incense oak and good fruit in the background. Rich on the palate, dark berry fruit shines and fills the mouth, then a dark savoury zing, wonderful long flavours, almost emotional

Jeremy Walker of Grangehurst and Jeff Grier of Villiera seriously involved in tasting

As before L to R:
Lismore Estate Vineyards Valkyrie Chardonnay 2021
Gottfried Mocke Wine Projects Chardonnay 2021
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Windansea Pinot Noir 2020
Bouchard Finlayson Pinot Noir 2019
David & Nadia Veiling Grenache Noir 2021
Luddite Oupa Mourvedre 2021
Ernie Els Wines CWG 2019

Francois Rautenbach of Singita Lodges and Johan Krige, CEO of Kanonkop, discussing what and how much to buy?!

As before L to R
Saronsberg Inner Circle 2019
Carl Schultz spoke for Boplaas Family Vineyards CWG Daniel's Legacy 2020 (Carel Nel was overseas)
Strydom Family Wines, the Game Changer Cabernet Franc Merlot 2017
Spier Frans K Smit CWG Special Edition 2018
De Trafford Perspective 2020
Hartenberg Wine Estate CWG Amphora Merlot 2020
Raats Family Wines Stella Nova Cabernet Franc 2018
David Finlayson Wines Edgebaston Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2017

Neil Ellis Wines Jonkershoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Miles Mossop Wines Maximillian 2019
Savage Wines Auction Syrah 2020
Simonsig Heirloom Shiraz 2020
Cederberg Teen Die Hoog Shiraz 2020
Kanonkop CWG Pinotage 2019

Richard de Vos and Norma Ratcliffe

Following the tasting we could go back to the foyer to taste some other wines entered into the auction
and a very good spread of finger food was provided

Carl Schultz of Hartenberg and Margaux Nel Coetzee of Boplaas

Erika Obermeyer and David Finlayson

Then back to the Convention Centre for the public tasting
Lynne was having problems with her arthritic hip, so she opted to go home to rest

which meant a rather long walk for John through Convention Centre 1, right on the other side of the complex

crossing the Heerengracht via the curved bridge

and into Convention Center 2

The CTICC brings s huge amount of business to the Cape and needed to be expanded in 2018

They had a tough time being closed for business during the 2 Covid years,

but successfully acted as a hospital and a vaccination centre

when the pandemic was at its peak and hospital beds were in short supply

The wines on the silent auction were on show for people to bid on

all these very special wines are from previous auctions, and signed by the winemaker

The proceeds go towards supporting the Protégé programme

The auction wines were on the counters around the hall and the winemakers were showcasing their wines. Some also had wines from previous auctions to taste, as well as their contribution to this year's auction