This
premier wine auction was held on Saturday, October 1st this year at Spier wine
farm in Stellenbosch and broke all records. It is so heart-warming to sit
watching the faces of the winemakers as their wines come under the gavel and
get superb prices. Some were in wonderment, some astounded, some amazed,
delighted , even surprised and very few were disappointed. It is open to the
public as well as the wine industry. The CWG was formed 34 years ago as a forum
for members to share knowledge, winemaking ideas and to taste the great wines
of the world to benchmark and improve their own wines. Membership is by
invitation, to winemakers recognised for their high standards of craftsmanship,
who have been responsible for producing outstanding wines for a minimum of five
years and are actively involved in operations in the cellar from harvest to
bottling
If you are a bidder and arrive at 9am you can
taste the wines on auction before it starts
Breakfast is provided: Tiny Danish pastries. And
wine and finger food is provided in the members room throughout the day for the
winemakers, bidders and media. There is also a constant supply of bubbly
available for celebration and enjoyment
Egg and bacon quiches
Beef and horseradish mini croissants
Smoked salmon bagels. (Lynne didn't see those!).
And some fruit sticks
The auction gets under way
Teddy Hall and his wife Doreen listening intently
Kimi Blackadder smiling at the prices
The very experienced auctioneer, Henré Hablutzel from
Hofmeyr-Mills, always moves things along at a rapid pace, peppered with some
amusement
Tulbagh watches. Pierre Wahl of Rijks and Dewald
Heyns of Saronsberg
The winemakers always sit right at the back. Lots
of discussion going on
Broadcaster Guy MacDonald and Bronwyn
Stephanus Eksteen, National Wine Buyer at Shoprite Checkers Group, looking pensive
John Loubser of Silverthorn, waiting to hear the
winning bid
Frans Smit of Spier wonders how that wine got such
a high price?
Bruce Jack looks incredulous
Charles Hopkins of De Grendel is intent
No age limit for attending the auction, although there is possibly one on the bidding. CWG Chair Miles Mossop’s daughter Kika. His five
star Chenin blanc dessert wine is named for her
She was there with her mother, Samantha
Judy Brower of wine.co.za, like us, was amazed
PRO Emile Joubert "Really? No! That
much!"
Must be near the lunch break. The auction room was
packed full, but mostly at the back
Time to hear about the 2016 Auction Charity Item,
the proceeds of which go to the CWG Protégé Programme, with some of the beneficiaries on the stage. This year it was a
selection of 40 magnum bottles from every Guild member, packed in crafted
wooden boxes and sold as one lot. It sold for R150 000. A bargain
at only R3
750
a magnum
PRO Gudrun Clark, one of the hard workers behind
the organisation of the auction, was checking the social media coverage. The
auction did trend
Michael Nel, GM of the Twelve Apostles Hotel, had
some success in getting lots they bid on
Time to celebrate: Johan Malan of Simonsig looking
delighted, appropriately with some bubbly. He got good prices for the Cuvée Chêne Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc 2007
Corlien Morris of Wine Menu in Johannesburg shows
her paddle. She is sitting with Sue Proudfoot of Wine Concepts, Kloof Street,
Cape Town
Oh the suspense is just too much!
Linda Harding of Squashed Tomato checking the
social media
Love those happy smiling faces. CWG Chairman Miles
Mossop with David Finlayson both received great prices for their wines
Abrie Beeslaar of Kanonkop looking quizzically at
John
The Le Riche family waiting for their lots to come
up
This was the final total reached on the day
Miles Mossop makes the closing speech
Time to go and look at the lots in the Silent
Auction, the only place we thought we might be able to afford something and
where we could put something back into the industry that supports us. All the
proceeds go to the CWG Protégé Programme. This is on a bottle donated by a
creative winemaker, Bruce Jack
David Trafford (Sijnn wines)and his wife Rita discussing
the auction with Carl Schulz of Hartenberg. Carl’s CWG Auction 2014 Cabernet
Sauvignon went for up to R10 000 per lot, and David’s for up to R6 600
On the central table was one lot of a signed
bottle of CWG Auction wine from every member
You wander around, find a wine you want to bid on
and make the highest bid. It can be topped by someone else so you do have to be
determined. A lot of bids happen right at the end of the auction
Lynne and others considering what to bid for. Not
all the lots are wine, some offer meals and visits to the farms, with the wine
There were lots of very tempting lots and on some
the bids were enormous
A glass of wine while you shop helps
Ta da! We managed to get 2 lots this year, both
from the Hemel en Aarde. This one is a double magnum of Kevin Grant’s Ataraxia
Pinot Noir. Just big enough for Lynne's big birthday next August, we think
And a magnum from another of our favourite
winemakers, Gordon Newton Johnson; his Chardonnay in a magnum. SO happy
Beyers Truter, Abrie Beeslaar and our friend, Deon Oliver, having fun with mates at the end of the auction
© John & Lynne
Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016
