CWG introduces new selection criteria for auction

14 Apr 2011

The Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) has introduced new selection criteria for the annual Nedbank CWG Auction which allows all 43 members to have a wine on auction, provided it is free of technical defects and meets the highest standards of wine health measurement. All wines will still be subjected to tastings by Guild members and chemical and microbiological analysis to ensure they meet the Guild's high standards but contrary to previous auctions, the final decision now lies with the Guild member submitting the wine.

Louis Strydom

"We look forward to creating the most exciting and varied selection of fine wines available on auction by harnessing the exceptional talent of every one of our members to raise the quality and international ranking of South African wines," says Guild chairman Louis Strydom, who believes the new selection criteria will encourage members to be bold and to experiment in terms of terroir, cultivar and wine styles.

"As the Guild is a dynamic, growing organisation with tough admission criteria, based largely on experience, recognition by their peers and awards achieved in leading wine competitions, every member is more than capable of producing outstanding wines."

Removing averaging effect

The Guild's management committee introduced these changes after it appeared that the Auction wine selection process had the unintended consequence of encouraging the production of wines that would please the tasting panel and therefore created an averaging effect to the detriment of more unique and unusual styles.

"Winemakers were more inclined to submit very good, but safe wines in order to secure selection in blind tastings, but this inevitably led to a narrowing down of the stylistic qualities of our auction wines," said Strydom.

The 27th Nedbank CWG Auction will be held at the Spier Conference Centre in the Stellenbosch Winelands on Saturday 1 October 2011. The line-up will be available for tastings at auction showcases in Cape Town on Thursday 11 August and Johannesburg on Thursday 1 September.

To attend auction tastings, go to www.capewinemakersguild.com.