The recent Cape Wine Auction at Nederburg was slightly surreal. It was strange attending an event at a venue familiar from all the Nederburg auctions over the years, yet it was dramatically different.
The Cape Wine Auction is poles apart from the erstwhile Nederburg auction. The latter was established in 1975 as a trade event. To crack an invite, you had to be a seller of Nederburg wines — so liquor store owners, hoteliers, restaurateurs, club owners, retail buyers and the like. It was unashamedly commercial, with a very small charity portion thrown in.
Not to say philanthropy wasn’t notable. In 1992 the Nederburg auction made headlines when the late Graham Beck outbid Hans-Joachim Schreiber, then owner of Neethlingshof and Stellenzicht, for a single magnum of Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1979 — paying R230,000 for the 1.5-litre bottle.
The Cape Wine Auction, which began in 2014, is pure philanthropy. It raises money for educational charities within the greater Winelands. Every cent goes towards well-vetted projects, including the Pebbles Project, Kayamandi Legacy Centre and the Anna Foundation, that make a tangible difference in children’s lives. With the Saturday takings of R10.6m for the barrel and experience auction, the total raised in 12 years now stands at R152.8m.
The Nederburg auction of yore became a victim of its side attractions. The annual fashion show with designers Gert van de Merwe, Jenni Button, Amanda Laird Cherry, Jenny le Roux and others pirated buyers from the auction. The pool of bidders available to auctioneer Patrick Grubb, master of wine and former head of Sotheby’s wine department, withered as models strutted the catwalks in diaphanous outfits. (Grubb, who died in 2024, held the unique distinction of being auctioneer for 33 consecutive years — and never failed to compliment at least one lady’s extravagant millinery finery every year. Chuckles would always follow his dry observation from the dais: “What a marvellous hat, madam.”)
This is purely a personal observation, but it appears that despite its title, wine is something almost secondary to the Cape Wine Auction. Just 12 producers formed part of the barrel auction, with bidding a touch desultory when compared with the brisk experience auction during lunch.
The top seller was the De Grendel barrel, knocked down for R220,000, bringing the barrel auction tally to just over R2m
The wines on offer — a barrel’s worth — included gems like Newton Johnson Chardonnay 2024, De Wetshof Bateleur Chardonnay 2025, 2019 Reserve Pinotage from Rijks in Tulbagh, Hamilton Russell’s excellent Ashbourne Pinotage 2025, De Grendel’s Sir David Graaff 2017 blend and Creation Pinot Noir 2024. Warwick Blue Lady Cabernet Sauvignon, Cederburg Shiraz, Spier Creative Block 5, Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay, Domaine des Dieux Rosé Cap Classique and Nederburg Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon were the other lots on offer. The top seller was the De Grendel barrel, knocked down for R220,000, bringing the barrel auction tally to just over R2m.
The real money was coaxed out of pockets by the velvet-jacket-clad Dan Nicholl, who delivered pithy bons mots throughout. Though unable to attend the event, board of trustees head Paul Cluver wrote that he was “deeply humbled by the extraordinary generosity of our donors and the bidders whose wholehearted support made this success possible”.
The final “marquee” lot, donated by Heineken, which owns the Nederburg brand, was knocked down for R1.3m — and suitably marked by the firing of a confetti cannon. The grand prize granted the winning bidder a four-night VIP experience at the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix.
Not only does the winning bidder, entrepreneur Senzo Tsabedze, gain access to the VIP F1 Paddock Club, but he’ll also be able to stroll the pit lane, take track tours and have exclusive meet-ups with some of the racing fraternity’s personalities, along with world-class hospitality and luxury accommodation.
With bidding stalling at R600,000 for the week-long stay in a Classic Collection villa by the Hideaway Club, Nicholl smoothly offered the same deal to the underbidders — essentially selling the lot three times over. With multiple luxurious destinations in Europe, Asia and Africa and the lure of a dedicated concierge service, who wouldn’t jump at the offer?
Closer to home, the Côte du Cap Experience raised R420,000 for “a coastal escape for eight guests, including private flights from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay and a four-night stay at the ultra-luxurious Côte du Cap villa”. Also included are concierge services and a private chef to add to the appeal of the “sweeping 360° ocean views”.
Skills development and educational initiatives remain at the heart of the Beck family’s philanthropic initiatives. I can only imagine what Graham Beck would have contributed were he still alive.
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