A bottle of Mt Rosa's 2008 pinot noir, signed by United States golfer Tiger Woods, sold for just over $NZ10,000 at a charity auction in China to raise money for the Christchurch earthquake reconstruction.
The Otago Daily Times understands the highest price paid for a bottle of New Zealand wine was $US10,000 ($NZ12,445) when a six-litre bottle of Goldwater New Dog Marlborough 2003 sauvignon blanc sold in 2005 at a charity auction as part of the Houston Rodeo International Wine Competition in Texas.
The jeroboam of Mt Rosa wine - containing the equivalent of about four litres of wine - was donated by New Zealand company JD Brothers and Mt Rosa Wines Ltd.
David Wu and Jeff Crawley, of JD Brothers, an international trading company specialising in exported and imported products between New Zealand and China, approached Woods at the Chinese Golf Open last year and asked him to contribute by putting his signature on the wine bottle.
Mt Rosa co-owner Jeremy Railton said he was honoured Woods agreed to sign the bottle and the Mt Rosa staff were "thrilled" one of their wines had attracted such a high price.
"But even more than that, we're stoked that the money is going to such an amazing cause."
Only 25 jeroboams of the 2008 Mt Rosa pinot noir were made by the boutique vineyard in Gibbston valley, near Arrowtown.
New Zealand consul-general and trade commissioner in Guangzhou Patrick English said the wine was of a high standard, but the added value was the signature.
"A golf enthusiast bought it.
"The wine auction and fundraising gained great support from the Chinese community and enterprises and we really appreciate this."
The sale of the wine added to the total of $NZ397,398 raised at the charity event in Guangzhou and the total funding from Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing fundraising events will go to earthquake relief.
Chinese companies Huawei and China Southern Airlines donated $NZ250,000 and $NZ100,000 respectively.
