Patrick Grubb

A name synonymous with the Nederburg Auction is that of Patrick Grubb, who was the auctioneer at this event for 31 consecutive years, 1975 to 2005 – a feat recognised in the Guinness Book of Records. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2005 Auction.

Mr Grubb, now an independent wine consultant, headed the Wine Department and was a director of British auction firm Sotheby’s until the end of 1984. As a member of the British Institute of Masters of Wine, he has also become world-renowned as a wine taster.

Patrick Grubb’s association with South Africa started at birth. His grandfather was a Kimberley mine manager and his father was born in Pietermaritzburg. At the age of 17, Patrick made his first acquaintance with wine, and it was in consequence of this experience that he joined a French wine company in Bordeaux three years later, in 1952. His rise in the wine industry was meteoric; in 1958 he became a member of the Institute of Masters of Wine – at 25 the youngest member ever admitted.

Buyers, participants and guests admired and enjoyed his expertise, the clear and well-modulated voice with which he conducted the proceedings, the wit that he brought to the serious business of wine selling and his manifest confidence and efficiency -= not to mention his unique choice of words in appraising the wines.   If Nederburg has become synonymous with the term ‘wine auction’ in South Africa, no less has Patrick Grubb become identified with both.

Stephan Welz

Stephan Welz conducted the Auction for four consecutive years, from 2006 – 2009.  Mr Welz is an auctioneer of international repute, well-known for his connections with Sotheby’s International and in South Africa. He played a pioneering role in respect of wine auctions in South Africa, being involved in the planning of the very first Nederburg Auction and later arranging and conducting the first public auctions of privately held wines in South Africa.

Anthony Barne MW

Anthony Barne MW from Bonhams in London took up the hammer for the first time at the 36^th Nederburg Auction in 2010.  He is only the third auctioneer in the history of the Nederburg Auction to play this vital role, following in the footsteps of the legendary auctioneer Patrick Grubb and Stephen Welz.

Anthony made the small step from the army to the wine trade in 1978, having developed the interest while serving on the Governor of Gibraltar’s staff.

His wine trade career started in a wine shop, followed by a brief spell working at Domaine Thenard in Burgundy and Seppelts in South Australia. His career until 1992 was in mail order and wine buying, first with Hicks & Don, where he passed the Master of Wine exam in 1985 and for whom he still acts as buying consultant, and then Harveys of Bristol.

Since then he has been a wine auctioneer, currently working for Bonhams in London as UK Head of Wine. As an auctioneer, Anthony’s main pre-occupation is with the classic wine regions of France and also Vintage Port and Madeira, but he has many other interests including Austria, for which he is a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

The impression made  by the tastings that he did of the Nederburg Auction entries both in 2010 and 2011 have turned him into a walking (and talking) advertisement for the wines of South Africa.