Largest bottle of English sparkling wine to be sold at auction
Britain's biggest ever bottle of English sparkling wine, produced by Kent-based winery Chapel Down and signed by artists including Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin is set to be sold at auction in September.
The 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar of Chapel Down's Blanc de Blancs 2007 sparkling wine will be sold at Christie's ‘Out of the Ordinary' auction on 3 September to raise funds for Catalyst Endowment campaign, which aims to raise money to support the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate in Kent.
The bottle has been signed by four leading British artists, including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley and Edmund de Waal.
Each artist has accompanied their signature by a sketch which pays tribute to their career and practice, including a shark by Damien Hirst, a self-portrait by Tracey Emin, an outline of a male figure by Antony Gormley, and a list of previous installations by Edmund de Waal.
The bottle has an estimated price of £10,000-£15,000. All proceeds raised from the sale will significantly contribute towards Turner Contemporary's Catalyst Endowment Fund, which must reach a £1m target by March 2015.
As part of a scheme to make arts organisations more sustainable, every £1 raised will be matched by £1 funding from the Catalyst Endowment Fund, which is supported by Arts Council England and DCMS.
Chapel Down CEO, Frazer Thompson said: "We are very proud to have our award winning wine associated with some of the country's finest contemporary artists. We love trying to do things differently, to surprise and delight our customers, and this [bottle] is a great example of that. Turner Contemporary has done a terrific job in helping to regenerate Kent. We like to feel that our rolling vineyards are doing the same and, perhaps, helping to inspire a new generation of artists."