17 Feb 2016 Bottle of SA wine earns R1.3m on auction

Sello Rasethaba, a South African businessman and executive director at Mediterranean Shipping Company, bought the bottle of 2014 Touch Warwick Cabernet Sauvignon, produced at the Warwick estate near Stellenbosch.

The latest edition of the annual charity auction was held on February 13 at the Klein Constantia wine estate in Cape Town.

The bidding for the 750ml bottle opened at R50 000 with over 100 hands in the air. As auctioneer Dan Nicoll reached the R800 000 mark, the tension in the room mounted, leaving just four contenders to battle it out.

In the end it was Rasethaba who made history and coughed up the R1.3-million – the highest price for a bottle of wine in South Africa at an auction.

It raised R15-million which will be used to promote education and skills training in the Cape winelands.

About the wine

It is the joint creation of Warwick winemaking partners, Mike Ratcliffe of Warwick and TBo ‘Touch’ Molefe, Metro FM DJ and businessman, who have been united by a passion for excellence and a love for greatness in wine. 

“The Touch Warwick philosophy is to build a wine brand that truly represents the merging of South African cultures. This is a reflection of corporate SA post-Mandela, a partnership of two families coming together and pooling their resources,” they say.

Rasethaba, as the winning bidder, became the proud owner of the first ever bottle of Touch Warwick Cabernet Sauvignon, but included, too, was a bespoke three-day wine and golf tour to the Western Cape for ten players.

Source: www.iol.co.za