Melvyn Minnaar
On the vervedeficient, dull social calendar of the new South Africa that generates but a few memorable PR parties these days, the annual Nederburg auction in Paarl still seems to hold its own after 27 years.
If you’re still looking for women in serious widebrimmed hats, this is?where you’ll find them. If you want to see whether your favourite winemaker boasts a silk tie, you’ll meet his match on that flashy Saturday morning?when all who manage to procure a precious name tag arrive to be seen. And to lunch.
In recent years, dark faces have increased and the wraps have hinted a few?ethnic beads or stripes from time to time, but the general feel of this?massive, hugely expensive marketing exercise is often one of surreal?invention.
When the allblack, brilliant young opera chorus broke out in Verdi midway?through lunch, the welldressed table companions simply kept on nattering.?
Guests either couldn’t care for song while quaffing the somewhat expired lunch wines, or the hosting company’s efforts at inducing a bit of culture?simply went over their wellgroomed heads.
The hum in the air was one of comfort and contentment. What was expected was achieved for 1 600 guests, buyers, media and hangerson.
As to the earnest side of this highclass amusement the auctioning of?wines at high prices the organisers gleefully reported another year of?records: R6?449?640 all in all for 144 wines from the largest number of 70 participants.
Although auctioneer Patrick Grubb could get Ray Edwards of Spar to buy 1?532?cases to the value of R1,?2million (19% of total sales), he had no?foreign buyers, except for two cases going to the United Kingdom. The lack of overseas?interest should be setting off alarm bells for an event that labels itself?as ”international”.
In general prices went up marginally to R957 a ninelitre case, compared?to last year’s overall average R928. White wine increased to R702 from last?year’s R639 and red wine to R1?157, up from last year’s R1?146. The top?price for a dry white was R1?050 for six bottles of 1998 Vergelegen?Chardonnay Reserve.
Zelma Long, the dynamic winemaker from Napa Valley, California, was the guest speaker. She broached a touchy subject when she called on the local wine fraternity to stand together and present a united front to the world.
”Don’t compete with each other; compete with the rest of the world. They, not your neighbours, are your competitors.”
A plus of the Nederburg auction is that it makes money for good causes. The charity auction raised R258?200 for the Hospice Association of?South Africa. Flamboyant wine personality Hans Schreiber paid R200 000 for a?300litre barrel of 2001 Nederburg pinotage made by the newly appointed?cellar master, Razvan Macici.
A few hours later the socialites departed to await their invitations for?next year’s party of people, fashion, lunch, photographs and television ?oh, and yes, wine …