Martin Fuller from the Cape

News from the Cape Winelands
© by Martin Fuller
Nederburg Auction
It is auction time in the Cape. On the 7 and 8 April the Nederburg Auction will be held in Paarl, South Africa. The Nederburg Auction has become the premier event on the South African wine calendar since its inception in March 1975. An annual event, the auction has become recognized as one of the worlds top auctions and certainly catching up to the famous Hospice de Beaune, Kloster Eberbach and Napa Valley auctions.

There are three main objectives of the auction ;

• to incentivize better standards of wine making in the Cape
  
• to develop an international awareness of Cape Wines
  
• ensure a fair distribution of fine rare wines

Another objective, unwritten and spoken of only in soft murmurs, is that it is a very professional public relations exercise of the Nederburg Wine company. More of that later.

Forming a part of the auction is the Charity Auction which follows after the formal auction has been completed. Proceeds of this auction are distributed to various charitable organizations including the Hospice Association of South Africa. The highest bid ever achieved was in 1992 for a magnum of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Reserve 1979 for R230,000, approximately $80,000.

This year a record number of 64 participants (from top wineries, Estates and Co. - Operatives). All wines go through a strict selection process prior to acceptance onto the auction, being individually tasted by a tasting panel. Approximately 85 400 bottles of wine (inclusive 375 ml, 500 ml, 750 ml, and 1.5 ml bottles packed and auctioned in case lots) will go under the Patrick Grubb wielding hammer. Patrick is an ex Sotheby's wine division auctioneer in London. He will be hoping to achieve higher prices than last year which had red wines being hammered at an average of R875.00 per case (about $145) and white wines at R600 ($100).

This year Nederburg have teamed up with Cybercellar who will take the auction into a new on-line dimension. Cybercellar will offer live Web cam feeds whilst also entering bids on the wines. Buyers will be able to bid in a post auction event through Cybercellar or have them bid on their behalf during the main auction. The site lists the selection of auction wines and their reserve prices encouraging people to e-mail inquiries and to make advanced bidding arrangements with them on various wines.

However, when all is said and done, money spent, rare and fine wines acquired, loads of delicious foods consumed, copious amounts of wine drunk, fashions donned and hopefully appreciated, buyers, guests and hangers on will roll home and Nederburg will be able to pat themselves on the back after another well organized PR exercise completed. Interesting to note that of the total wines that will fall under the hammer, near on 75 percent will be from Nederburg; but it often takes a strong horse indeed to pull a lumbering, creaking cart and the industry as a whole will I'm sure be quietly thankful to Nederburg for opening ever wider the window of their wines to the world at large.

March 25, 2000