So in cracking the two-dozen year mark, the organisers are ready to ramp things up where the offerings and excitement are concerned.
"We've really encouraged the wineries this year to put their thinking caps on and unleash their creativity to put together their auction lot donation," says Bish.
"There's really a blue-sky ceiling in terms of their value to the consumer. Make no mistake, these wines are amazing. Many of them will be coming from 2013, the vintage of the century.
"So this is the one chance where people can easily get together with a few mates or corporates can come on board and bid for a piece of history.
"When you buy an auction lot, you can sit there proudly as you open that bottle and say 'this is the only place where we can taste this wine. Our syndicate bought this and it's not available anywhere else in the world'."
The wines will be offered alongside art and travel lots, with internationally acclaimed local artist Martin Poppelwell donating a yet-to-be-unveiled painting to the auction and the Reef House and House of Travel donating a trip to Vanuatu.
Artist and specialist corrugated-iron sculptor Jeff Thomson is teaming up with photographer Richard Brimer and Bish to produce a special combined art and wine lot also.
Information on how easy it is to register to bid and to form a bidding syndicate can be found on the new site www.hawkesbaywineauction.co.nz. The site will be regularly updated with the announcement of new auction lots.
The event is moving back to the Hawke's Bay Opera House Plaza, with the Hastings District Council not only donating the space, but also providing support to close part of Hastings St in order to erect marquees to house the pre-auction tasting festival.
The organisers are eager to lay down the red carpet for all ticket holders and bidders on the day.
"It'll be just the most magical venue," says event organiser Annabel Tapley-Smith. "The plaza area is such a great space and we are amping to get in there, to get decorating and make it look amazing."
Bish also says they aim to hold every auction at that same venue, as the history and pedigree of the auction has natural synergies with being housed in a well-recognised Bay building.
And it is open to anyone.
Tapley-Smith says there is no other local event like it.
"Where else can you pay just $30 and get up close and personal with our local legend winemakers, taste their incredible wines, ask questions, learn their stories, eat gorgeous food, enjoy great entertainment on the red carpet all in one central city spot?"
Now part of the F.A.W.C Summer series, the event will start at 2.30pm on November 14, and unfold into two hours of relaxed wine tasting in a gala-style atmosphere, followed by a rigorous, fun, fast auction from which people will be able to walk away with amazing wine lots or buy bottles of the special red and white wines blended exclusively for auction patrons.
Organisers worked hard on securing high-value sponsorships to ensure the event and those associated with it will run on a break-even basis.
"That means that all of the funds raised from the auction will actually go directly to the beneficiary, Cranford Hospice. They won't need to be used to pay for the running costs of the event," says Bish.
The funds will be channelled through to Cranford via the newly set up Cranford Foundation Trust.
"We are a separate entity to Cranford," says the trust's Alison McEwan, "and our sole objective is to obtain funds to help them operate, so it is delightful that the funds raised by this and future wine auctions will be coming directly into our foundation and given to the hospice."
Hawke's Bay Winegrowers executive officer James Medina says they are giving the event "100 per cent support.
"There's renewed energy among our members to help this event become an institution, not only here in this country but internationally. We are very proud to support it."
Bish says the event connects primary producers, through to secondary processing, through to the business community, the arts and cultural communities, and "it just wraps up everyone in Hawke's Bay into a very worthy project to provide palliative care to our people.
"There are some exciting ambitions for the future of palliative care in Hawke's Bay. It's not just about maintaining the status quo, it's about improving those services as we go forward and that's what we are here to help Cranford do."
A wider audience was being targeted.
"While it's a Hawke's Bay event, we know it has national and international appeal, and that means we need everyone's help to make sure we're pulling people from all across NZ and invite overseas contacts to bid online or by phone."
Bish urged wineries and sponsors to reach out to their customers and contacts to become involved and get them here. With accommodation and restaurant partners offering special rates specifically for the event, there's every incentive.
"We need that fresh, competitive bidding base to bring the auction to a whole new level and to really make this event fly."
