The 2015 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction

With South Africa’s currency down more
than 20% against the U.S. dollar in the past year, this year’s Cape Winemaker’s
Guild auction in Stellenbosch offers international wine lovers a prime
opportunity to snap up some scarce and distinctive South African wines from that
country's most talented makers.
The 31st annual CWG auction will be held at the Spier estate on
Saturday, October 3. The limited lots of wines on offer at the annual CWG event represent,
in theory at least, the best of South African winemaking. This year, the number
of auction lots as well as the total number of cases on offer have been reduced
slightly, with the 46 Guild Members focusing more than ever before on quality
and diversity over quantity.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1443111919357-Guild+members+are+a+who%27s+who+of+South+Africa%27s+most+talented+winemakers+-+Copy.jpg"> Guild members are a who's who of South Africa's most talented winemakers 

The CWG wines have always been specially
crafted to showcase the potential of South African wines to the trade and
private buyers.&nbsp;This year’s line-up, most of which I tasted in New York at
the beginning of September, includes a few offbeat blends and varietal
bottlings never offered previously. My tasting began with a stunning set of
Sauvignon Blancs, including a couple from the hot, very dry 2015 harvest, which
producers were already excited about during my recent April tour of the Cape. The
Chardonnays I tasted were also impressive, and the reds were consistently
excellent as well. As a group, this year’s collection was the strongest I have
tasted to date.

Most of the auction bottlings are
extremely limited--typically just a half barrel to two barrels of wine--and are
sold in lots ranging in size from 12 to 120 bottles. The 2014 auction, for
example, featured a total of 2,833 cases (each the equivalent of six 750 ml. bottles),
with prices ranging from $114 for a case of 6 bottles to as high as $704 (my
figures represent conversions from South African rand prices at the
then-current exchange rate). In other words, some very fine—and unique—wines can
be had at remarkably moderate prices.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1443112067461-CWG+Auction+2015+004l+-+Copy.jpg"> 

For more information, interested
bidders should contact General Manager Kate Jonker at +27 (0)21 852 0408 or
kate@capewinemakersguild.com for further details and instructions on how to
obtain a copy of the Purchasers Card and Bidding Schedule. 

-- Stephen Tanzer

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