Sales at South Africa’s 2003 Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild auction were 12% lower than 2002’s record levels, reflecting weaker demand from foreign buyers due to rand strength, generally weaker local and foreign economic conditions and a fall-off in top-end tourism, according to the organisers of the annual event.
This also takes account of 4% fewer cases being auctioned compared to 2002.
The auction, which was held at Spier in Stellenbosch on Saturday, recorded total sales of R2,7 million. Every year the members of the CWG make special wines in small quantities especially for the event.
This year the equivalent of 2 594 six-bottle cases came under the hammer. With prices falling away, the average price for a case of six was R1 035 (R172 per bottle), down 12% from last year’s record R1 181 rand (R197 per bottle).
Chris Keet, chairman of the NedbankCWG, said he had expected prices to come off the boil at this year’s auction.
“It was inevitable that the strong rand would affect prices at the auction. We didn’t have as many foreign buyers this year as we would have liked and local buyers were more cautious as tourism levels are expected to be down this season due to a weak world economy. This correction has not interrupted the trend over the past six years, which remains positive.”
Although the Guild was satisfied with the great support from local buyers, it was determined to sustain its efforts to attract foreign buyers to the auction, Keet added.
“We continue to chip away at our foreign markets by promoting Guild wines at various international tasting events, which we believe contributes to improving the image of SA wines abroad in general.”
The largest buyer at the auction this year was again The Butcher Shop and Grill from Sandton, with purchases of R235 000, followed by Opifex Wines from Sweden, Tala Private Game Reserve, Makro, Rouseu Kaapse Wijnen from Belgium and Well International from Japan, all of whom purchased in excess of R100 000. Local buyers accounted for 72% of sales with 28% bought by foreign buyers compared to the 69%/31% split in 2002.
The highest price per six-bottle case was paid for Beyers Truter’s Kanonkop Pinotage 2001 at R3 000, followed by Gyles Webb’s Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001 at R2 150. But the star of the day was undoubtedly Andre van Rensburg, whose Vergelegen Schaapenberg Auction Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2002 fetched an average price of R2 060 per case, by some way the highest of the day and by far the highest ever for a white wine in the history of the auction.
This was followed by the Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 at an average of R1 805 rand and the Vergelegen Auction Reserve 2000, a Bordeaux-style red blend at R1 690.
The generosity of the bidders saw R142 350 being raised this year for the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust, which supports wine industry worker communities and their families. Together with Nedbank’s donation of R100 000, almost a quarter of a million fand was added to the Trust’s funds.
The Charity Silent Auction raised R90 350 from specially packaged rare wines from each of the Guild’s 35 members. The top bid of R6 700 was made for a Salamanzar (nine-litre bottle, equivalent to a 12-bottle case) of Simonsig Tiara 2001.
The Charity Auction raised R52 000 by auctioning three 12-litre bottles of wine during the auction itself. Each wine was created from blends of wines made by each of the Guild members. – I-Net Bridge