Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Global buyers descend on Winelands for auction
A RECORD number of international buyers have registered for the Cape Winemakers Guild Auction at Spier Conference Centre in Stellenbosch which sees 52 individually crafted wines go under the hammer.
Between 10 and 80 cases of each wine are being sold in small lots today. All the wines were made exclusively for the auction, adding to their rarity and appeal.
The Cape Winemakers Guild said 26 international buyers had registered for the event, the highest number yet recorded. Most were from Europe but buyers from Dubai, Hong Kong, Namibia and the US were also bidding.
Foreign buyers generally buy between 10 and 25 percent of the wines on offer. Last year 22 international buyers took 16 percent of the wines on sale, at a total cost of R 1 912 200. Last year the cases sold at an average price of R4 588.
The 2 429 cases of wine being auctioned today include 32 red wines, 15 white wines, three methode cap classiques, a potstill brandy and a port.
Winemaker Beyers Truter of Beyerskloof has 30 cases of his Traildust pinotage 2014 up for auction. The wine is described in the tasting guide as “a big structured pinotage with intense dark fruit flavours.”
Neil Ellis of the eponymous wine estate has 60 cases of his Insignium 2013 on sale, a blend of 70 percent tempranillo and 30 percent grenache grapes.
Winemaker Andrea Mullineux of Mullineux is showcasing her Trifecta syrah 2013. The wine promises a “brooding structure, perfumed freshness and lush mid-palate,” according to the tasting notes.
A spokesman for Wesgro, the province’s investment and trade promotion agency, said there’d been several relatively recent investments in the Western Cape wine industry.
● In 2012 South American wine group Vina Concha ya Toto invested R222.6m in the Cape’s wine industry.
● In 2013 Indian billionaire Analjit Singh acquired three wine farms in Franschhoek – Dieu Donne, Von Ortloff and Klein Dessenberg.
● In 2013 China made its first investment in the Cape Winelands through Perfect China’s purchase of the Val de Vie Estate. Perfect China now holds the majority share in Perfect Wines South Africa.
● Earlier this month French wine distribution company AdVini acquired a “significant share” of the Ken Forrester wine brand.
jan.cronje@inl.co.za