A tasty drop or two under the hammer

It's the Hugh Grant of wine. Suave and totally engaging, apparently. Or at least that's how its maker Peter Robertson has described his 2003 Brookfields Cabernet.

The description has been used to pique punters' interest in this year's Hawkes Bay Winemakers' Charity Wine Auction next weekend.

Mr Robertson has donated 12 magnums (double bottles) to be auctioned by Master of Wine and Melbourne-based auctioneer, Andrew Caillard.

This is the 14th year of the auction. Proceeds will go to the Cranford Hospice in Hawkes Bay, which is reliant on receiving at least $100,000 from the auction each year to stay afloat.

The auction was modelled on the famous Hospices de Beaune, a charity wine auction held in Beaune, France, since 1851.

Unlike the famous French auction, the Hawkes Bay auction remains relatively small, although numbers have grown slightly in the last couple of years since it was separated from the region's annual wine festival.

Lyn Bevin, executive officer of Hawkes Bay Winemakers, said she would like more people to attend the auction.

"This would in turn create more competition for the lots and raise the prices and the overall amount raised," she said.

"If we just put more lots in for auction then the event takes hours and hours, which people do not enjoy.

"The key is getting more people to attend to push prices up.

"Now that it has changed to a lunch we are getting more attendees and it takes about three hours to work through the food and wine courses as well as the auction," she said.

"People can also talk with winemakers."

All of the wine to be auctioned comes from Hawkes Bay is donated by the winemakers.

This year, for the first time, some lots will include wine-related items rather than wine. One such item (lot 10) is a trip for four to California's Winesong auction.

The lot includes flights, three nights accommodation and a tour of wineries with North American wine writer Norm Roby.

Another auction lot this year is for an architect- designed wine cellar.

However it is the wines - particularly the quirky ones - that are of most interest - to the buyers, Ms Bevin said.

This year Church Road Winery has donated a Marzemino from the 2004 vintage (Marzemino is a northern Italian grape variety).

As well as the usual line-up of chardonnays, cabernet sauvignons and merlots, there are malbecs, a zinfandel and several cabernet francs.

The auction will be held on Queen's Birthday weekend, June 4-5, at Black Barn, Havelock North.

Hawke's Bay Winemakers' Charity Wine Auction
Telephone 0800 4 HBWINE (0800 442 9463).