Bodegas:Eduardo Delage SL

Eduardo Delage Atané (1898-1953) was born in Jerez, the son of a French couple who lived in Seville. He married Pilar Ferraro Roquero and in 1919 founded a bodega in the Calle Clavel, 3, in the same street as Emilio Hidalgo. He was successful in business and he became president of the Provincial Union of wine, beer and alcoholic drinks. From 1941 – 1943 he was mayor of Jerez.

Eduardo Delage and his wife Pilar Ferraro (foto:Gonzagadelage.blogspot.co.uk)

The firm had a huge range and exported many wines. Their UK agent was John Martin of London who imported wine under the London Dry, London Milk and London Cream labels. Eduardo does not seem to have any connections to the famous Delage luxury sports car firm.

Eduardo’s uncle, Antonio Atané Palomino, was known as a spirits producer but was killed when a steam boiler in his new distillery exploded in 1907. Eduardo himself was killed in a nasty car crash on the road between Jerez and Cádiz. Two of his 10 sons, Rafael and Eduardo, took over the bodega. A district of Jerez full of decent blocks of flats was named after him.

Rafael Delage (foto: Gonzagadelage.blogspot.co.uk)

Some wines and spirits were bottled as a sous-marque under the name RD Ferraro, the name of Eduardo’s wife, and also ED or Antonio Atané, providing  different labels for different importers. This practice is not uncommon in the wine trade where the same wine or a different blend is bottled with a different label so that various importers can offer it to their customers without competing over price. The bodega disappeared sometime in the late 1960s.

(from the archive of Jose Luis Jimenez)

Among the many brands were the Eduardo Delage range, Manzanilla Reina Mora, Manzanilla Olorosa Farolera, Manzanilla Predilecta, Gran Ginebra Holanda, Brandy Histórico,

The Delage bodega (foto: Gonzagadelage.blogspot.co.uk)