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Stellenbosch - New record prices were reached for both red and white wines at the 31st Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction this weekend.
The average price per case was up by almost 10% on last year at the auction, which took place at the Spier wine estate outside Stellenbosch.
The auction achieved total sales of R11 815 800, just short of the R11.9m 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 AA Badenhorst Family Wines Graniet-Berg 2013 setting a new auction record of R7 000 for a case of six.
Tsogo Sun was the biggest buyer for the second consecutive year with total purchases of over R2m. Other top buyers included The Butcher Shop and Grill, Restaurant Mosaic, 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,” said 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 R1.6m 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,” he explained.
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 Syrah Auction Reserve 2013 sold for R10 000, Etienne Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon Auction Reserve 2011 for R9 600, and Beyerskloof Traildust Pinotage 2013 and Rust en Vrede CWG Estate 2012 both on R9 200.
Among 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 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 bulk of the wines, 84%, was snatched up by local buyers with 16% bought by foreigners – 6% more than last year. Among 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.
