The Bag in Box saga has not gone away. The appeal lodged at the High Court
of Andalucía by the bodegas which wish to
use this contentious container is still awaiting a final ruling. Meanwhile
the deal between Bodegas Argüeso and the Coop Virgen de Palomares
in Trebujena by which the latter is filling Manzanilla “La E” into BIB for sale
as Fino from Trebujena is creating tension in trade relations and doing nothing
to help the ongoing efforts to resolve the area´s various issues.
It seems that this deal was done
solely to be able continue selling wine in BIB, which is legal in the
production zone, but is skating on thin ice as for one reason it risks consumer confusion as “La E” is a popular
Manzanilla which has suddenly become Fino, and from Trebujena. Further, it
seems that the owner of Argüeso, Francisco Yuste, has been
supplying small barrels to points of sale marked “Manzanilla La E” which
contain BIB marked “Fino La E”.
As a result of a complaint to the
Consejo Regulador in which an unnamed bodega urgently requests a precautionary suspension
of the issuing of DO seals for “Fino La E” and for its sale to be prohibited, the
matter will be debated at the next plenary meeting. The Consejo invited the Coop
president for talks on the matter but he prefers to keep his council till after
the plenary.
Virgen de Palomares is one of the
cooperatives which would like to be included in the ageing zone, but this is at
odds with its decision to fill “LA E” into BIB and is worrying the other coops
including the one in Chiclana. There they want to remain in the production zone
so as to be able to sell wine in BIB.
