Single bottle raises £60k at Cape Wine Auction

South Africa’s Cape Wine Auction has set an all-time event record for a single bottle of wine, raising £57,000 (ZAR1.3m) for a bottle of Touch Warwick 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Presenter Dan Nicholl, swimmer Ryk Neethling and insurance tycoon (and owner of DeMorgenzon wine estate) Wendy Appelbaum at the Cape Wine Auction (Photo: Chrisrebok Photography)

Hosted at Klein Constantia Wine Estate in Cape Town, the 2016 AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction raised a total of ZAR15m (£657,000) for the Cape Wine Auction Trust.

All money raised will be used to fund projects that improve life skills, education and training for underprivileged children in the Cape Winelands.

The auction presented guests with the chance to bid for 40 once-in-a-lifetime lots, with packages featuring rare wines, luxury holidays, private chefs and sommelier courses.

In attendance were well-known personalities such as swimmer Ryk Neethling, fashion designer David Tlale and DJ TBO Touch.

“The 2016 AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction once again proved why it is a globally identified auction event,” said Mike Ratcliffe, trustee of the AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction Trust and managing director of Warwick Wine Estate and Vilafonté.

“We are so fortunate to have a supportive presence from international audiences and media who are willing to be part of a great cause – which allows us to promote the education of underprivileged youth in the Cape Winelands.”

The auction was the third sponsored by AfrAsia Bank. The amount raised for charity has risen on each occasion. As reported in the drinks business, the 2015 event raised ZAR 10.5m.

Around 19 projects in the Cape Winelands community are set to benefit from the funds a chance at enabling the youth with workshops, leadership skills and motivation to find independence and confidence in the learning available to them.

Trustees Wendy Appelbaum, Ken Kinsey-Quick, Siobhan Thompson, Michael Jordaan and Mike Ratcliffe were all in attendance throughout the weekend and were “overwhelmed” with the response and engagement of the guests, a statement said.

Touch Warwick Cabernet Sauvignon is a luxury winemaking joint-venture between Mark Ratcliffe of Warwick Wine Estate in Stellenbosch and DJ TBo ‘Touch’ Molefe.

A statement said the Touch Warwick ‘philosophy’ was “to build a wine brand that truly represents the merging of South African cultures”.

The winning bidder for the Touch Warwick 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon also received a bespoke three-day wine and golf tour to the Western Cape for 10 players for their money.

The trip includes a luxury wine tasting tour and private dinner at Warwick and a selection of other high-end wineries, personally hosted by TBo ‘Touch’ Molefe and Mike Ratcliffe.