Cape Winemakers Guild – 2020 Auction Wines

BY NEAL MARTIN | SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Who doesn’t love an auction? The feverish atmosphere as zillionaires outwit each other via barely imperceptible gestures that silently drop another wad of cash for that treasured lot that must be obtained at whatever cost and mysterious anonymous telephone bidders that I imagine are hermit-like baddies from a Sixties Bond movie, holed up in their secret Alpine lair accumulating priceless works of art to enjoy once they have taken over the world. Then there is the witty repartee of the gesticulating auctioneer, breathlessly cajoling his audience to open their purses wider and smack of the gavel and the jubilant cry of “SOLD” upon which everyone exhales.

Auctions have been a fundamental part of the fine wine world since their introduction by the late Michael Broadbent at Christies in 1966. Dotted around the world, they are mountain springs from which mature wines flow into cellars, or languish unsold if the reserve is too high (or a Burgundy winemaker interrupts the bidding to allege fakery.) South Africa has its own annual auction that is perhaps less well known, but plays an important part in the industry and a vital role nurturing new talent.

The Cape Winemakers Guild was founded in 1982 to share and pass on knowledge and values to young aspiring winemakers. The Guild currently comprises 45 members that join by invitation only. I am not alone in claiming that just a decade ago, the CWG was staid in their selection and had begun losing touch with a dynamic wine industry. Perusing the latest list of members, I find familiar names such as Mark Kent of Boekenhootskloof and Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira of Graham Beck alongside new talent such as Samantha O’Keefe of Lismore, Donovan Rall, Duncan Savage and not least the indefatigable Andrea Mullineux, the incumbent CWG chair. Apart from building this pool of knowledge and support they oversee two vital initiatives. Firstly, there is the Protégé Program, designed to nurture new talent irrespective of race or gender whereby final year students at Stellenbosch University and Elsenburg Agricultural College are invited to apply. Since 2006, 24 young people have passed a three-year internship, 16 of which currently hold roles in major wineries or have set up their own projects. There is also a Development Trust Program that since 1999 has helped train over 3,700 cellar hands. These have both played in important role in diversifying the wine industry and shifted it away from the stereotypical image of it being exclusively white and male.