East Flemings auction off their wine cellar
East Flanders Province is selling its wine collection. The money raised will be invested in new priorities including cycle paths. The provincial authorities stress that the wines were bought to serve to guests, but add that keeping a wine cellar is no longer of this age.
The collection in the cellars of Province House in Ghent includes wines purchased between 1970 and the year 2000. It has been valued at several thousand euros.
Kurt Moens of the East Flemish provincial executive explains that his forebears made wine purchasing trips in the Seventies: “They drew lots because one executive member had to stay at home. I have to stress this doesn’t happen anymore.”
The wines have proved a good investment. 950 bottles were auctioned last month raising 24,000 euros. The cash will be used to make further good investments in items like cycle paths that fit in with today’s policy priorities.
A further 1,700 bottles are still to be auctioned. Wine steward Pieter Fraeyman says the wines were purchased by people who knew what they were doing: “I see many famous names. I would estimate their value at up to 7,000 euros.”