HAVE FUN, BE GENEROUS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Cape Wine Auction is the prime fund raising event in the Cape Winelands and this year was no exception, raising a whopping R15 359million, over $US1million.

Founded six years ago by wine industry mover and shaker Mike Ratcliffe, this auction has to date collected on impressive R90million since inception, the money going directly into funding education of children in the Cape Winelands.

This year the event took place on Saturday, 2 March at Buitenverwachting in Constantia, while The American Express Cape Wine Barrel auction was held the day before at the Norval Foundation nearby.

• The day’s highest bid of R3million went to 3 bidders for the Marovasa Be Experience, a week-long stay for 16 in a pristine, secluded paradise on the northwest coast of Madagascar.
• The highest price for wine was R1million for the Man & Soil Lot, the Ashbourne Emul Ross and Eben Sadie Pinotage Project.

100% of all donations go directly to the 22 beneficiaries, many of which are organisations I have covered on this blog over the last few years including Community Keepers, The Pebbles Project, Partners for Possibilities and The Pinotage Youth Academy.

These beneficiaries are all leaders in their field within the education landscape, doing amazing work taking care of the physical and emotional needs of the youth in the Cape Winelands and supplementing their schooling with much more than just soup kitchens and clothing banks, but impacting the lives of these children in a multi-dimensional way so that they can in turn positively impact their futures.

The event is sponsored by Nedbank Private Wealth and takes place annually over 2 days at a different wine estate each year where rare wines are auctioned off along with gourmet, art and travel experiences. It is a fun day, but with a serious mission, and the impact of these funds is being felt across the Cape Winelands.

For more information on The Cape Wine Auction visit www.capewineauction.com

- Julia Moore