My Latest in Meininger’s Wine Business International:

The Evolution of the Charity Wine Auction

Wine charity auctions on both sides of the Atlantic are changing, as  L.M. Archer and Edward Lewis discover.

Recently, Meininger’s Wine Business International changed managing editors. As a result, an unexpected opportunity arose to collaborate with Edward Lewis on this story about charity wine auctions.

M. Lewis’s contributions include the introduction, keen insights on Bourgogne and Christie’s, plus quotes from Esther Mobley. Mine include interviews with wine industry members quoted herein, such as Sotheby’s strategic entry into the charity wine auction arena, and final thoughts from Napa Vintners and Collective Napa Valley.

Many thanks to the new managing editor, Anja Zimmer, for her help getting this story to publication.

Here’s a peek:

“The tragic conflict in Ukraine has sparked generosity in a wide range of forms, including charity wine auctions in the US and UK, two of which have collectively raised over $200,000.

The link between charities, auctions and wine generally has a long and varied history. Some events like the annual VDP event in Germany and Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction in South Africa focus tightly on rare and specific wines. Some like another South African event, the Cape Wine Auction, raise large sums for good causes by offering lots with less directly vinous content including trips to the Bahamas and “a life-changing sojourn at glorious Villa Saletta in Tuscany” alongside ‘an exclusive stay in the Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons Manor House’, and ‘a curated lot of Stellenbosch Cabernet’. Some are world famous; others are decidedly local in their appeal.

And some, including two of the world’s most famous and longest-established, are changing. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

What do you think? Please feel free to leave your thoughts on the evolution of charity auctions, and/or this collaboration below.

More articles exclusively by L.M. Archer here.