Webb's Fine Wine Auction raises $47,000 for Christchurch

Simon Ward, Head of the Fine Wine Department at Webb's invited New Zealand wine producers to donate wines for the 28 March auction. The response was outstanding, with over 100 lots donated and the majority of these wines coming from an association of wineries in Burgundy, France (Mosaïque Bourgogne International).

As Simon suggests; "the main reason we have seen such extraordinary level of support from Burgundy in France, is that the wine industry is very much a relationship driven business and great friendships are often formed when New Zealander's go overseas to work in within the wine industry and leave a lasting impression".

The highlight of the sale was a bottle of 1975 DRC Romanee-Conti which achieved $12,500. Here is their explanation for donating this wine: This bottle of Romanée-Conti 1971 is one of the few that we have in our personal cellar. So we want to support our NZ friends, and it is with pleasure that we offer this bottle, and we hope it will achieve a very high price! I have myself a special relation with NZ where I had 2 times pleasure to "fish-fly" in what is worldwide considered as the most beautiful rivers of the world! Aubert de Villaine, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti.

Here are some other explanations that were given on receiving the donated wines:

'Why we contributed a magnum to the auction? In the early days of harvests of Domaine Dujac, we could hire anyone we wanted to harvest- and we had a host of New Zealand volunteers. We found them to have terrific sense of humors and willing to endure the rigours of picking cheerfully. In 1975 when our first child was born, one of the girls offered to stay on as an au pair. This started a long chain of young women who looked after the little Seysses for a few months each over a number of years. They are now all grown up and mothers themselves- I still correspond with several of them. Our donation is tribute to them. They were excellent ambassadors for New Zealand'. Mme Rosalin, Domaine Dujac

'After a memorable 6 months journey in NZ in 2009, I've been very shocked after the earthquake. I've been so welcomed on this island; I met many nice people there, they were very friendly and generous. I hope this auction will help inhabitants to recover. Be sure that during the rugby world cup I'll be supporting very strongly the all blacks. I choose this wine because it is like your rugby team, big, powerful and with a big personality' Jean François Mestre, Domaine MICHELOT

A total of $47,561.00 was raised for the Red Cross Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Participating wineries:

Rippon Vineyard, Felton Road Wines, Quartz Reef, Spy Valley, Burn Cottage Vineyard, Surveyor Thomson Wines, Northburn Station, Greylands Ridge, Stewart Elms, Rockburn , Mondillo, Mosaïque Bourgogne International.

Webb's would like to thank all the participating wineries with a special thanks to Lois Mills of Rippon Vineyard and Sophie Meunier-Confuron at J.J.Confuron, Burgundy.

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