14.8.13 BBC in Jerez; Salt & Wine Museum Chiclana

The Cine Club de Jerez and its president, Jose Luis Jimenez, have been assisting the BBC in a new television programme, part of Michael Portillo’s new series on train journeys; Great Continental Railway journeys.  Jose Luis has given them access to the oldest existing cine films, from the 1920’s, of the “Wine Train”, which took butts of wine to be loaded onto ships for export. Last May a television crew led by Michael Portillo, who is of Spanish descent, came to Jerez to record backgrounds and interviews. The purpose is to highlight the importance of Jerez in the development of the railways, as the wine needed to be transported quickly and efficiently. The film will also explain how the train – or “maquinilla” as it was known – functioned.  It plied the urban lines with butts of Sherry from the main bodegas down to the quayside at the Trocadero in Puerto Real. This was the first line in Andalucia – and one of the first in Spain, and was still in use till the mid 1960’s.

From Vizetelly, 1875

"La Maquinilla" (JL Jimenez)

Construction of Chiclana’s new Museum of Wine & Salt will start in early September. The work is part of an on-going project by the town council to revitalise the town centre, and the location of the new museum is an old bodega in the Calle Concepcion at the central Plaza de las Bodegas. It is hoped that the work will be completed in four months, and that the museum will represent not only a reminder to the locals of their history, but a valuable tourist destination. Chiclana was once endowed with extensive salt pans, most of which are now lost.

The old bodega which will become the new Museum of Wine & Salt

13.6.13 Vineyard Tourism; GB & Instituto Cervantes; Alvaro Domecq; Bodega Management Changes; BBC in Jerez

Yesterday the local government presented the first phase of its special plan for development of vineyard tourism to the Sherry trade at the Hacienda Vistahermosa of bodegas Luis Perez. The mayoress, Maria Jose Garcia Pelayo told the 200 people  present that the aim is not only to preserve the countryside, but also to create economic and touristic development of the area in the hope of creating wealth and employment.

The idea is to promote the initiative with Sherry as the central theme and create activities which are considered to be in the public interest at, for example vineyard houses, bodegas and associated industries, equestrian centres, school farms, health, religious and educational centres, as well as inns, hotels, restaurants.

This is a suitable legal framework to define all the possible activities, which would eliminate the need for individual projects.  It would also help the infrastructure, strengthening countryside and environmental values. Present at the meeting were representatives of the growers and cooperatives, Fedejerez, the Consejos Reguladores of Sherry and Brandy, the hotel and catering trade, Wine tourism, Equestrianism, and any business with an interest in rural tourism and viticulture.

Jorge A Grosse MacDougall of Gonzalez Byass and Victor Garcia de la Concha of the Instituto Cervantes have signed an agreement of collaboration. The bodega will support the institute in its work to promote Spanish language and culturerge A Grosse MacDougall world-wide in the 102 countries in which GB does business through various initiatives of a cultural, academic or institutional character. Tio Pepe itself is a part of Spanish culture and a languagewith 500 million speakers throughout the world.

Tourism professionals in the province of Cadiz have decided to recognise the great work done by Alvaro Domecq Romero to promote the brand “Jerez” over decades. They have organised an event at the Sherry Park Hotel on the 20^th June at 8 o’clock, in the Salon Guadalete. Alvaro has confirmed he will be there.   

             

Alvaro Domecq with some of his wines

Lola Rueda of the organising committee said that he was and is an entrepreneur, ahead of his time, having realised projects which have brought wealth and employment to the province over many years. “He is admired and respected by tourism professionals as someone who is passionate about Jerez”

Horses and wine were the basis of his brilliant career. For 26 years he was a hugely successful rejoneador, in 1973 he organised an equestrian spectacular which became the Real Academia, later he created A Campo Abierto, a horse and cattle spectacular at his cortijo los alburejos  In 1999 he acquired the old bodegas of Pilar Aranda, and began a career in Sherry, Alvaro Domecq SL.

Poor results have led to surprise management changes at Barbadillo and Caballero. Manuel Valdecantos leaves Barbadillo, being replaced by Victor Velez, and Jon Martinez leaves Caballero, replaced by Luis Luengo. Manuel Valdecantos leaves at a delicate moment, being the main spokesperson for the Sanlucar bodegas against the Fino/Manzanilla changes to the reglamento proposed by Fedejerez.

The BBC has been filming in Jerez and various other places in Andalucia for a documentary on Flamenco. They filmed activities at the academy of Ana Maria Lopez at the oldest Flamenco club in Jerez, Los Cernicalos in the Calle Vicario. No news about when the programme will be screened.