Thursday 8 January 2015

7.1.15 Sherry on Screen – Again

Sherry is in the cinema again, in two films. In the recent and excellent Mike Leigh film about the great English artist JMW Turner, “Mr Turner” drinks plenty of Sherry, sometimes with his friend, the famous English importer John James Ruskin, played by Stuart McQuarrie. In Richard Laxton’s film “Effie Gray” Ruskin is played by David Suchet.

Turner receiving Sherry
Ruskin, father of the famous Victorian writer, artist, writer, social thinker and philanthropist John Ruskin, was the leading shipper of Sherry in the early XIX century. Between 1805 and 1808 he worked for Gordon & Murphy shipping Duff Gordon wines, and then for Ruskin, Telford and Domecq shipping Haurie/Domecq wines, making a fortune (£157,000-in old money) selling fine quality wine and earning a reputation for honesty.

Turner at Ruskin's
Sherry is offered at his house at 54 Hunter Street, London when Mr Turner visits, and again at a dinner for Effie Gray, the fiancée of Ruskin’s son John (though he had always loved Pedro Domecq’s daughter Adele about whom he wrote lovely poetry).


(Info kindly supplied by José Luis Jiménez)

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