East London’s Rotary Club of Gately’s first wine auction more than 30 years ago raised R5,000.
Contributions to last week’s Gately wine auction came from Gately wine lovers and their friends and acquaintances, who raided their own cellars to provide lots to bid on.
The auction raised more than R1,050,000, the second time in a row it has broken R1m, all of which goes to charity.
SA’s foremost wine taster and wine judge, Michael Fridjhon, has been given a few nicknames by East London’s wine lovers — “wine wizard” and “master of the gavel” are the two that best describe his more than 20-year association as the volunteer auctioneer.
“The auction is the longest-running wine sale in the country,” Fridjhon says in his foreword to the catalogue.
“It is the only national wine fundraiser where all the proceeds are destined to enhance the quality of the lives of its charity beneficiaries.
“It is a tribute to the generosity of those who have donated the wine and those who purchase it.
“Wine is the manifestation of generosity — it is a gift of nature, the transformation of fruit into a beverage which unites people in the community of food, drink and conversation.
“It is an expression of what
it is to be human, because to make it well requires art and science, an understanding of
the process by which grapes become wine, and the aesthetic sense to make a decent job of
it.
“The auction is also the manifestation of the dedication of the members of the wine committee who bring back from the Cape this cornucopia of vinous treasures every year.
“Every bottle offered for sale at this auction epitomises the best of the human spirit — everyone who bids at this auction engages in an act of giving and receiving, transforming the largesse of the community of wine producers into tangible projects which bring hope to the lives of thousands of people.”
Among the East London beneficiaries are Masithethe, Reach for a Dream, Gompo Crèche, Guardians of Hope, Choc, Robyn Goode, McClelland Adult Centre, St Bernard’s Hospice and Patch Child Abuse Centre.
Wineland’s charities are Huis le Roux (Robertson), Pebbles Project Changing Lives, Die Herberg Kinderhuis and Surf For Life, which teaches young people from tough backgrounds about the joy of riding the waves.
In the Gately president’s foreword, Mathabe “Matt” Mlilo says: “our country faces rising costs, steady population growth and economic fluctuations, all of which require compassion and support from the haves for the have-nots”.
For more than 30 years, SA’s winemakers, mainly from the wine-growing estates in the Western Cape have donated wine to the annual auction.
The funds raised from generous bidders go to organisations that care for communities in need.
The big turning point came when Fridjhon was introduced to the club by his friend, Stef Kriel, also a Gately Rotarian, and Fridjhon offered to auctioneer the next auction.
With Fridjhon wielding the gavel, the spend moved from R200,000 up to R500,000.
Many people feel Fridjhon’s rapport with bidders, his auctioneering style and his immense knowledge of the industry add 30% or more to the turnover.
The auction has had its share of relatively poor years.
In 2019, it broke the R800,000 barrier and seemed on its way to achieving R1m in the next few years, but Covid-19 shattered that ambition and the 2020 take was R200,000 short of the previous year’s total.
Aside from Fridjhon’s gavel skills, what is less well known is that he funds his own travel costs and donates a valuable wine-related lot as the closing bid on the auction.
