This year’s lots with a sporting theme include:
- The Monaco Grand Prix Lot. Talk about the "Grand Prize"! This clearly has to be one of the lots to beat all lots! The bidding for this one is expected to be as fierce and as contested as a Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg F1 race with the victor walking away with three glorious days in Monaco for two with VIP tickets to watch the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix and seats so close to the action you could almost be in the pits.
Also included is attendance at a glittering reception to be held at the palace in Monaco, two nights the beautiful Château Gassier which nestles in 40 hectares of vines at the foot of the Mount Sainte-Victoire, just a few kilometres from Aix en Provence. A further two nights in the 11th Century village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape near Avignon and, to top it all, dinner at the Michelin star Nice-based restaurant JAN, which is owned by South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen.
- Still on the motor racing front, how about the ultimate Jaguar Track Day – a lot for the ultimate petrolhead who will get to experience Jaguar’s new all-electric I-PACE, together with the ultra-high-performance F-TYPE SVR, at an exclusive, once-off Jaguar Track Day. The event will be hosted at a private track at the Franschhoek Motor Museum on the L’Ormarins Estate. The special day will be facilitated by Jaguar’s globally trained lead instructor and experience driving team and will include lunch and exclusive Jaguar merchandise for up to 20 guests.
- If motor racing doesn't rev your engines, then how about The Nederburg & Tour de France Lot? The successful bidder will get to spend an incredible five days following the final route of the race and be part of the magnificent grand finale as cyclists race to the finish line on the Champs-Élysées. In addition to being wined and dined along the way and meeting some of the Team Dimension Data pro-cyclists, the recipient will also get the opportunity to cycle in the French Alps to experience some of the 2019 route sections that the riders will be facing, and watch the race from the side of the road with other spectators for an all-encompassing tour experience.
The trip includes luxury accommodation, business class return flights, all transfers and trains in Europe, VIP hospitality and all meals and refreshments. Not enough? Then how about also receiving a state-of-the art Cervelo road racing bicycle and a rare six-bottle collection of Nederburg Private Bin R163 Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (awarded the Arcadia trophy for the best Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2016 International Wine & Spirit Competition)?
- Another option for cycling enthusiasts is VIP and premium all-day hospitality at the Grand Finale of the Cape Epic, the iconic race in which the world’s top athletes battle it out to be first across the finish line after eight days of untamed African mountain biking. The lot includes exclusive backstage access to the awards ceremony, a limited-edition signed yellow jersey, a helicopter flip for two offering a rare bird’s eye view of the world’s premier mountain bike race and the beautiful Paarl/Franschhoek Valley, and, for the adventurous, the opportunity to join in a ride with the exclusive Epic Trippers group in Stellenbosch to get a taste of the action.
- If golf is more your game, then the bidding will be frenzied for the Nedbank Private Wealth Lot, which includes a double pair of hospitality tickets to the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in November; a luxurious stay for four at The Palace of the Lost City and a VIP invitation to the beach party to mingle with players and celebrities. (The other half of this lot includes a luxurious weekend getaway for eight at the exclusive
Ndlulamithi Game Lodge and four cases of Paul Cluver's Seven Flags wines).
The action kicks off on Friday, March 1, at the Norval Foundation in Constantia with The American Express Cape Wine Barrel Auction, followed by the main event, The Cape Wine Auction, sponsored by Nedbank Private Wealth, taking place the following day on Saturday, March 2, at Buitenverwachting.
All monies raised this year will go to 22 carefully selected beneficiaries who make a profound impact on education and the lives of children in the Cape winelands. Last year's auction raised over R17 million and the organisers are determined to better that figure this year.
For more, go to http://www.thecapewineauction.com/