56 wines in CWG Auction

In terms of the new criteria, Guild members can decide whether or not to submit a wine for the auction, provided it is deemed free of any technical defects through chemical and microbiological analysis. This year 39 of the 43 Guild members have either one or two wines on auction making up the tally of 56 different wines which includes 38 red wines, 13 white wines, 2 Méthode Cap Classiques, a dessert wine, a port and a potstill brandy.

"There is something for everyone at the auction this year, which we can put down to the revised auction selection criteria, allowing our members the opportunity to experiment a little more and try something different from what they normally produce. We have already seen some interesting wines come through such as Grenache and Touriga Nacional to name but a few," says Guild chairman, Louis Strydom, who has submitted his Ernie Els CWG 2009 for the auction.

Local wine enthusiasts can taste the auction wines at auction showcases at the CTICC in Cape Town at 6pm on Thursday 11 August and at 6pm at The Atrium, Nedbank Sandton in Johannesburg on Thursday 1 September.

For further details, go to www.capewinemakersguild.com.