Wine enthusiasts will have the opportunity to bid on one of the most diverse selections of wines ever to go under the hammer at the 2026 Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Auction later this year.
Now in its 42nd year, this prestigious event showcases rare and unique wines produced exclusively for the auction in small quantities by Guild members and has become a benchmark for excellence over the past four decades.
South Africa’s leading art and wine auction house, Strauss & Co, will be facilitating the 42nd Cape Winemakers Guild Auction on 2 and 3 October in Cape Town.
The 2026 virtual live auction will be held on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October at Strauss & Co, Brickfield Canvas in Cape Town, with 58 wines selected to go under the hammer. Bidders will be able to compete for 34 red wines (1 364 cases), 22 white wines (780 cases) and two Cap Classique wines (76 cases) across the two days.
Every wine in the auction has been carefully selected to showcase the very best of the Cape Winemakers Guild. Following independent quality testing, the wines are blind tasted by specialist panels of Guild members before earning their place in the auction. This year’s event will be facilitated by Strauss & Co, South Africa’s leading art and wine auction house.
All auction wines will be offered across two sessions: Friday, 2 October 2026, from 12:30 to 19:00, and Saturday, 3 October 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00. Those who cannot attend in person will have the opportunity to bid online in real time via the Strauss & Co website, by telephone or by commission bid.
All bidders must create a bidding account and register on the Strauss & Co website. Registration opens in August. Click here to create your bidding account.
“Over the past 42 years, the Guild has continually evolved, with the Protégé Programme taking center stage as our proudest asset. Yet, every year, as the auction approaches, we are once again excited by the exceptional wines that will be on offer,” says JD Pretorius, Guild chairman, ahead of the 2026 event.
“Expect one of the most diverse selections of wines ever to go under the hammer, ranging from a Grenache Blanc from the Swartland to a Syrah from the Ceres Plateau. Highlights include the first Hamilton Russell wine on auction in more than a decade, a welcome return from Kaapzicht with an old-vine Chenin Blanc, and the first-ever CWG wines from winemaker Lukas van Loggerenberg. We’re incredibly proud of this diversity in style and region and can’t wait to share these limited wines with the world over the coming months,” Pretorius adds.
If you would like to view this year’s CWG Auction wines listed in alphabetical order, please click here.
Notable firsts and auction highlights
Last year the CWG auction raised a record-breaking R17 215 000, with 86 successful bidders. Of the sales, 64% went to South African buyers. A total of 1 912 cases (6 x 750ml) were sold at an average price of R1 501 per bottle.
The auction was first held in 1985 and has since built up a prestigious and loyal following of private wine collectors, wine enthusiasts and trade buyers who return year after year to place their bids.
The 2026 auction features several firsts for the Guild and its members. These include, but are not limited to:
- Emul Ross’s first wine on the auction: Hamilton Russell Vineyards CWG Chardonnay 2025.
- Samantha O’Keefe’s first Viognier, Lismore Child of Venus Viognier 2025, under the hammer.
- Niels Verburg’s first white wine – a field blend – at the auction: Luddite Glorious Confusion 2025.
- Pieter Ferreira’s first CWG auction wine under his own label, the Pieter Ferreira Cap Classique Blanc de Noirs Pinot Noir 2019.
- Danie Steytler’s first wine on the auction: Kaapzicht The Auction 1947 Chenin Blanc 2025. His father was an esteemed Guild member.
- David Finlayson’s first Grenache Noir under the hammer: David Finlayson Wines Sleepless Nights Grenache Noir 2024.
Admission and tasting
The CWG auction is open to everyone, but an entry ticket is required for in-person attendance. Only registered bidders with a bidding account may place bids. In-person tickets are priced at R1 000 per session via Quicket and include admission to the auction, snacks and hospitality during the session, and the opportunity to taste the CWG members’ wines.
The traditional pre-auction tasting, previously held before the Friday session, has been replaced with an informal walk-around tasting of all auction wines, poured and presented by the winemakers. This will take place on Friday, 2 October, from 10:00 to 12:00 at the auction venue, Brickfield Canvas, in Cape Town. Please note that samples are limited and cannot be guaranteed for the full duration.
Masterclass tastings
There are still tickets available to this year’s two CWG masterclass tastings held in Cape Town and Johannesburg – a rare opportunity to taste all the 2026 CWG auction wines. The wines will also be presented and poured by the winemakers themselves, making for a memorable experience. Seats are limited.
The masterclass tasting in Cape Town will be held in the Grand Ballroom at the Westin Hotel on Thursday 20 August. Doors open at 14:30 for a 15:00 start, concluding at 18:00 and tickets are R1 500 per person.
There will be bubbly on-arrival and snacks served until 19:00 after the formal tutored tasting has been concluded. Click here to buy your tickets on Quicket.
The CWG masterclass tasting in Johannesburg will be held on Wednesday 26 August at Strauss & Co in Houghton. Tickets are R1 500 per person. Please arrive at 13:30 for bubbly and registration. The formal tasting will start at 14:00 sharp. Please click here to buy your tickets on Quicket.
Come share a bottle, good food and great company
The CWG will host its annual 2026 CWG Bottle Share Dinner on Friday, 2 October, at Tannin on Bree in Cape Town. The evening begins at 19:00, with great wine, good food and even better company on the menu.
Guests are invited to bring one bottle of wine each – something rare, cherished, or simply a bottle they have been waiting for the right moment to open. The wines will be shared, discussed and enjoyed around communal tables, accompanied by a three-course sharing menu of small plates.
Tickets are R750 per person and include the sharing menu. Any drinks beyond the bottle of wine you bring will be for your own account. Places are limited. Click here to buy your tickets.
Support the next generation of South African winemakers
The annual Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme Auction – the sister event to the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild Auction – will once again be presented as an online auction on the Strauss & Co platform from Friday, 20 August, until 18:00 on Tuesday, 6 October.
The auction offers an exceptional selection of exclusive lots, including rare vertical collections, unique wine experiences with Cape Winemakers Guild members, and wines crafted by this year’s four graduating Protégés. Every bid contributes directly to the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme, with all proceeds reinvested to support and develop the next generation of South African winemakers.
For more information, visit www.capewinemakersguild.com, email info@capewinemakersguild.com, or phone 021 852 0408 to speak to the auction team.
