Copy has been provided by Destinate on behalf of The Cape Winemakers Guild
We are pleased to have been asked to reveal the 2026 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction wines.
Wine enthusiasts will have the opportunity to bid on one of the most diverse wine selections ever to go under the hammer at the 2026 Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Auction, which is set to take place on Friday, 2 and Saturday, 3 October 2026, at a new venue: Strauss & Co, Brickfield Canvas in Woodstock, Cape Town.
Now in its 42nd year, this prestigious event showcases rare and unique wines produced exclusively for the auction in small quantities by Guild members and has become a benchmark for excellence over the past four decades.
The 2026 virtual live auction will be held on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October at Strauss & Co, Brickfield Canvas in Cape Town, with 58 wines selected to go under the hammer. Bidders will be able to compete for 34 red wines (1 364 cases), 22 white wines (780 cases) and two Cap Classique wines (76 cases) across the two days.
Every wine in the auction has been carefully selected to showcase the very best of the Cape Winemakers Guild. Following independent quality testing, the wines are blind tasted by specialist panels of Guild members before earning their place in the auction. This year’s event will be facilitated by Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading art and wine auction house.
All auction wines will be offered across two sessions: Friday, 2 October 2026, from 12:30 to 19:00, and Saturday, 3 October 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00. Those who cannot attend in person will have the opportunity to bid online in real time via the Strauss & Co website, by telephone or by commission bid.
All bidders must create a bidding account and register on the Strauss & Co website. Registration opens in August.
Click here to create your bidding account.
"Over the past 42 years, the Guild has continually evolved with the pursuit of excellence being our guiding light. We are particularly proud of the Protégé Programme, which has come to embody our vision for a more inclusive and diverse South African wine industry," says JD Pretorius, Guild chairman. "As the 2026 Auction approaches, we are once again humbled by and thrilled to introduce an exceptional range of wines that will be on offer."
“Expect one of the most diverse selections of wines ever to go under the hammer, ranging from a Grenache Blanc from the Swartland to a Syrah from the Ceres Plateau. Highlights include the first Hamilton Russell wine on auction in more than a decade, a welcome return from Kaapzicht with an old-vine Chenin Blanc, and the first-ever CWG wines from winemaker Lukas van Loggerenberg. We're incredibly proud of this diversity in style and region and can't wait to share these limited wines with the world over the coming months,” Pretorius adds.
If you would like to view this year’s CWG Auction wines listed in alphabetical order, the list is at the end of this page.
Notable firsts and auction highlights
Last year the CWG auction raised a record-breaking R17 215 000, with 86 successful bidders. Of the sales, 64% went to South African buyers. A total of 1 912 cases (6 x 750ml) were sold at an average price of R1 501 per bottle.
The auction was first held in 1985 and has since built up a prestigious and loyal following of private wine collectors, wine enthusiasts and trade buyers who return year after year to place their bids.
These include, but are not limited to:
Emul Ross's first wine on the auction: Hamilton Russell Vineyards CWG Chardonnay 2025.
Samantha O'Keefe's first Viognier, Lismore Child of Venus Viognier 2025, under the hammer.
Niels Verburg's first white wine – a field blend – at the auction: Luddite Glorious Confusion 2025.
Pieter Ferreira's first CWG auction wine under his own label, the Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique Blanc de Noirs Pinot Noir 2019.
Danie Steytler's first wine on the auction: Kaapzicht The Auction 1947 Chenin Blanc 2025. His father was an esteemed Guild member.
David Finlayson's first Grenache Noir under the hammer: David Finlayson Wines Sleepless Nights Grenache Noir 2024.
Admission and tasting
The CWG auction is open to everyone, but an entry ticket is required for in-person attendance. Only registered bidders with a bidding account may place bids. In-person tickets are priced at R1 000 per session via Quicket and include admission to the auction, snacks and hospitality during the session, and the opportunity to taste the CWG members' wines.
The traditional pre-auction tasting, previously held before the Friday session, has been replaced with an informal walk-around tasting of all auction wines, poured and presented by the winemakers. This will take place on Friday, 2 October, from 10:00 to 12:00 at the auction venue, Brickfield Canvas, in Cape Town. Please note that samples are limited and cannot be guaranteed for the full duration.
Masterclass tastings
There are still tickets available to this year's two CWG masterclass tastings held in Cape Town and Johannesburg – a rare opportunity to taste all the 2026 CWG auction wines. The wines will also be presented and poured by the winemakers themselves, making for a memorable experience. Seats are limited.
The masterclass tasting in Cape Town will be held in the Grand Ballroom at the Westin Hotel on Thursday 20 August. Doors open at 14:30 for a 15:00 start, concluding at 18:00 and tickets are R1 500 per person.
There will be bubbly on-arrival and snacks served until 19:00 after the formal tutored tasting has been concluded.
Click here to buy your tickets on Quicket.
The CWG masterclass tasting in Johannesburg will be held on Wednesday 26 August at Strauss & Co in Houghton. Tickets are R1 500 per person. Please arrive at 13:30 for bubbly and registration. The formal tasting will start at 14:00 sharp.
Please click here to buy your tickets on Quicket.
Come share a bottle, good food and great company
The CWG will host its annual 2026 CWG Bottle Share Dinner on Friday, 2 October, at Tannin on Bree in Cape Town. The evening begins at 19:00, with great wine, good food and even better company on the menu.
Guests are invited to bring one bottle of wine each – something rare, cherished, or simply a bottle they have been waiting for the right moment to open. The wines will be shared, discussed and enjoyed around communal tables, accompanied by a three-course sharing menu of small plates.
Tickets are R750 per person and include the sharing menu. Any drinks beyond the bottle of wine you bring will be for your own account. Places are limited.
Click here to buy your tickets.
Support the next generation of South African winemakers
The annual Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme Auction – the sister event to the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild Auction – will once again be presented as an online auction on the Strauss & Co platform from Friday, 20 August, until 18:00 on Tuesday, 6 October.
The auction offers an exceptional selection of exclusive lots, including rare vertical collections, unique wine experiences with Cape Winemakers Guild members, and wines crafted by this year's four graduating Protégés. Every bid contributes directly to the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme, with all proceeds reinvested to support and develop the next generation of South African winemakers.
For more information, visit www.capewinemakersguild.com, email info@capewinemakersguild.com, or phone 021 852 0408 to speak to the auction team.
Please see the full list of Auction wines below
2026 CWG Auction Wines in Alphabetical Order
Wine Name
QTY Cases
38 x 6 x 750ml
Ataraxia Echo of Earth Pinot Noir 2025
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Bartho Eksteen Vloekskoot Sauvignon Blanc - Op Hout 2025
40 x 6 x 750ml
20 x 6 x 750ml
Beaumont Family Wines Hope Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2025
20 x 6 x 750ml
50 x 6 x 750ml
Boschkloof CWG Auction Epilogue Syrah 2024
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
David & Nadia Veiling Chenin blanc 2025
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
De Grendel Rietfontein Syrah 2023
40 x 6 x 750ml
30 x 6 x 750ml
De Trafford Cabernet Sauvignon 2024
40 x 6 x 750ml
30 x 6 x 750ml
Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Cabernet Franc - Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
50 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Erika Obermeyer Wines Auction Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
30 x 6 x 750ml
30 x 6 x 750ml
Ernie Els CWG 2023
40 x 6 x 750ml
30 x 6 x 750ml
Frans K. Smit Sentinel White 2025
38 x 6 x 750ml
30 x 6 x 750ml
Jordan CWG Chardonnay 2025
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Kaapzicht The Auction 1947 Chenin Blanc 2025
38 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Kershaw Wines Vertiginous Pinot Noir 2024
44 x 6 x 750ml
44 x 6 x 750ml
Le Riche CWG Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
54 x 6 x 750ml
30 x 6 x 750ml
Lismore Child of Venus Viognier 2025
40 x 6 x 750ml
50 x 6 x 750ml
Luddite Glorious Confusion 2025
36 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Mullineux "The Gris" Old Vines Sémillon 2025
30 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Neil Ellis Wines Knight in White Satin
30 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Paul Clüver Wines Auction Selection Pinot Noir 2025
30 x 6 x 750ml
30 x 6 x 750ml
Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique Blanc de Noirs Pinot Noir MCC 2019
36 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Raats Family Wines Stella Nova Cabernet Franc 2022
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Rock of Eye CWG Auction Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
50 x 6 x 750ml
Savage Wines Auction Syrah 2024
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Solo Wines by Carl Schultz CWG Auction Merlot 2023
40 x 6 x 750ml
36 x 6 x 750ml
Storm Wines Bokkeveld Shale Pinot Noir 2024
36 x 6 x 750ml
Strydom Family Wines Paradigm 2023
50 x 6 x 750ml
Survivor CWG Pinotage 2023
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Thorne & Daughters Sand Castles 2025
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml
Van Loggerenberg CWG Auction Syrah 2025
40 x 6 x 750ml
40 x 6 x 750ml