The prescience of Wosa (Wines of SA, the exporters’ mouthpiece) in publishing their medium rare book Cape Wine Braai Masters was once again demonstrated last night when the Nederburg Auction replaced their traditional slap up dinner at Bosman’s Restaurant at the Grande Roche with a gourmet braai at Plaisir de Merle.

On the subject of venue, Nederburg cellarmaster Razvan Macici regards Plaisir as part of the greater Nederburg since “we buy so many grapes from them. We’re even planting more Sauvignon Blanc up the mountain above the 600m contour.” But hopefully they did not uproot any vines for their braai wood like Buitenverwachting.

Clare Mack, Razvan Macici and Nonnie Dedekind

What a pity then that neither Razvan nor his right hand man, Tariro Masayiti (nickname Maserati), will be entering the Diners’ Club Winemaker of the Year Competition this year where the category is the Big Greenie. After the recent Woman Winemaker of the Year fiasco, corporates have decided to keep a low profile. Although their decision will somewhat invalidate the competition. For who can call themselves Winemaker of the Year in a category where two of the strongest contenders do not enter. It’s all becoming a bit like the controversial Franschhoek Winewriter of the Year Competition where the strongest candidates (Emile Joubert and Wosa blogger Fiona McDonald) don’t enter.

Razvan pronounced himself “ecstatic” at the first day Auction haul which resumes today. Perhaps the largest change at the 36th Auction was the arrival of Anthony Barne from UK auctioneers Bonhams, wielding a mean gavel. Tony takes his task so seriously, he was the first to leave Plaisir de Braai. And when he did so (in a top-of-the-line white BMW) cosmopolitan blogger Clare Mack noted the temperature plummeted five degrees.

Looks like these Masters of Wine can even change the weather and getting rid of them entirely would probably solve the pesky Global Warming problem. Or could it be that those other Masters, the Nederburg Braai Masters, had let the fire go out? Surely not, as the Auction is red hot.

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