Today’s CWG Auction has put last month’s Nederburg Auction firmly in its place. This morning, R1 million was knocked down in the first 30 minutes while by lunchtime, R9 million was disappearing in the rearview mirror. The reasons for the primacy of CWG over Nederburg are obvious.

Here are five:

1) The public bids on CWG wines. At Nederburg, it is retailers and hoteliers who add their own mark ups. As Jan Boland Coetzee commented “the individual is the atom of society.” Nederburg misplaced its atoms years ago;
2) The CWG wines are specially made. The CWG Auction celebrates new wines, Nederburg old wines that have often been on the market;
3) CWG winemakers decide on which wines they will offer. At Nederburg, MWs are flown in from the UK and Japan to choose auction lots;
4) CWG uses a local auctioneer with vast experience. Nederburg fly in their duo of auctioneers as if SA had no one competent;
5) No boring 45 minute opening yawn from carpetbagging UK wino Tim Atkin, one of the crew who chose the Nederburg Auction line-up.

So what is to be done with the tired Nederburg offering? Owner Distell should trim it down and convert the event into a Saturday morning charity affair. After all, Distell shareholders buy their special bottles from the CWG.