Having raised over R125m for children’s charities in the Cape Winelands since its inception in 2014, this year’s Cape Wine Auction will be held on Muratie Estate in Stellenbosch on 3 February, aiming to better the sum of R8m raised by the previous year’s event.
The Cape Wine Auction, recognised as one of the world’s pre-eminent wine-themed charity auctions, will once again auction various donated lots comprising luxurious wine, food and hospitality experiences for auctioning, with all proceeds going to various charities aimed at bettering the lives of the children and youth residing in South Africa’s famous Cape Winelands.
Attendees of this year’s Cape Wine Auction will be able to bid on spectacular curated lots donated by various wine farms, including island stays on Benguerra Island, Mozambique and Corfu in Greece. Alluring South African experiences on auction include accommodation in Ellerman House in Cape Town followed by a visit to the bush where guests will be hosted at the Silvan Safari Lodge in Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. Closer to Cape Town, a Constantia lot offers an immersion in the culture and hospitality of the oldest wine region in South Africa and - like the other offerings – experiencing the best wines of South Africa forms a major part of this package.
Paul Clüver, chairman of the Cape Wine Auction trustees, says that next year’s auction will for the first time offer lots comprising barrels of wine from leading South Africa producers bottled under a unique Cape Wine Auction label.
“Various top Cape producers have each donated a barrel (225l) of wine for the Cape Wine Auction, allowing attendees to bid on the 300 specially labelled bottles of wine each barrel contains,” says Clüver. “This allows buyers an exclusively branded collection of these producers’ wines not available on any other platform.”
Barrels to be auctioned this year include Kanonkop Pinotage 2020, Glen Carlou Gravel Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Paul Clüver Seven Flags Chardonnay 2022, Rupert & Rothschild Baroness Nadine Chardonnay 2023 and Diemersdal The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2023, just to name a few According to Clüver the Cape Wine Auction was born out of a desire to tangibly uplift the children and youth residing in the Western Cape winelands in co-operation with a number of recognised charities actively involved in education.
“Since the first Cape Wine Auction in 2014 this has grown into one of the world’s leading charity wine auctions, with every cent raised going to the identified charities who play such a vital role in addressing the educational needs of disadvantaged rural communities in the Winelands,” says Clüver.
“These charities not only assist in providing education and educational facilities, but also offer social support to the children and youth benefitting from them. This includes providing meals to children and young people, as socio-economic factors in these communities result in disturbing levels of malnutrition. And we all know that a hungry child cannot be taught.”
Clüver says the current economic conditions faced by South Africans, especially poorer communities, make the work of fund-raising institutions such as the Cape Winelands more important than ever. “Everyone is feeling the effects of inflation and decreased public sector budgets,” he says. “For us in the wine industry it is more important than ever to underscore the South African ethos of rolling-up our sleeves and going to added lengths by raising funds to benefit those in need.
With our focus on education, the Cape Wine Auction not only provides current short-term support in allowing children access to education and nutrition but gives the youth a vital springboard from which they can enter productive adult lives with dignity. This will not only benefit the communities in the Cape Winelands, but South Africa as a whole.” For further information visit: www.thecapewineauction.com