27.1.16 Fedejerez Proposal Approved

In a very tense Consejo plenary yesterday the proposal of Fedejerez to modify the wording of the regulations to eliminate misinterpretation in relation to BIB was approved. Earlier the Junta had said the rules could be interpreted as allowing BIB to the catering trade, but suggested a proposal to change them as a simple way to make them clear. This would ratify the decision taken at the plenary of 29^th September, and approved by 95% of the sector, that all DO Sherry should be sold only in glass. The Junta will have to give this the green light, but the representative of the rebel s, the Association of Artisan Bodegas of Sanlúcar threatened to take action against those who had voted in favour. He complained the Consejo had not issued suitable DO labels for BIB, but the response was that until the rules were clear they could not do so. They are clear now.

Though the BIB affair took up most of the time at the meeting there was still time for other matters. The Consejo will arrange an extraordinary meeting to approve the agreement on calling the elections as soon as they receive the decree from the Junta, which regulates all the DOs in Andalucía. It looks as if the elections will take place at the end of April or the beginning of May.

There was also time to approve the budget, which will be 2.4 million Euros, 1.45m of which will be spent on promoting Sherry in the principal export markets. This budget is 4.6% less than last year due to falling sales as the trade pay a levy to the Consejo as a proportion of wine sold. Over the coming weeks staff at the Consejo will be presenting their proposals to generate public funds, especially from the EU before the window closes in February.

30.9.15 Consejo Meeting on BIB; "Red Duchess" Archive

In a bitter debate yesterday at the Consejo Regulador, approval for the use of the bag in box (BIB) was again refused. Much of the three hours of the meeting was taken up with this highly controversial matter and another, proposed by Fedejerez, to restrict sales of bulk Sherry except in exceptional circumstances. The latter will be discussed at greater length at another meeting, but one wonders how this might affect tabancos. In a strongly worded statement Evaristo Babé, Fedejerez president stated that BIB is “manifestly illegal” and lamented the lack of “immediate measures” from public administrations against this “fraud which is going on every day.”

Some of the Archive of Medina Sidonia

Nicknamed the “Red Duchess” for her anti-Franco activities, the Duquesa de Medina Sidonia, who died recently, was a member of a very old and noble family in Sanlúcar. A previous duke led the Spanish Armada in 1588, and the family has built up a huge archive of great historical importance, consisting of over six million documents, some from the XIII century. It is one of the two most important in Europe. To conserve it the duchess established the Fundación Casa Medina Sidonia, to which she donated the archive which was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural, based in the Palacio de los Guzmanes in Sanlúcar.

The duchess died in 2008 and did not include the archive in her legacy as she had already given it away, but her heirs think differently and are disputing the will in court, and that could mean breaking up the archive which is priceless but has a notional value of €60 million. A large platform of citizens, writers, historians, the Junta de Andalucía, the Diputación de Cádiz and Sanlúcar Town Council has been established to try and ensure this doesn’t happen. The case begins today.

29.5.13 Fedejerez Postpones Voting on Fino/Manzanilla Proposal

The Jerez bodegas association, Fedejerez, has decided to postpone the vote on this contentious issue until the next Consejo meeting on the last Tuesday of July, in order to allow more time for dialogue and a potential solution to the problem. It is not clear whether they would have had sufficient votes to have the proposal passed, though a simple majority could have been achieved, according to  Evaristo Babe, president of Fedejerez, though not necessarily in the interests of the Consejo.

He said the meeting took place in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, yet there was an air of tension. He defended the proposal and his wish that it could be put to the vote, in contrast to the majority who wished it to be removed from the table, especially the Vinateros de Sanlucar, who wished it could be scrapped. Manuel Valdecantos of Barbadillo, on behalf of the Sanluquenos, recalled the historic rights of Sanluquenos to produce Fino.

Finally, Fedejerez acceded to the postponement of the vote until the next plenary meeting at the behest of Beltran Domecq, who in view of the lack of consensus and the sensitivity of the issue, asked for one last effort at dialogue.

During the next two months, the Sherry trade will sit down and negotiate a solution to the conflict, for which they have asked the Junta de Andalucia, a silent witness so far, to help. The positions of the two camps, however, seem irreconcilable.

In the face of criticism from the trade about the timing of the proposal, Babe declared that the date was pre-set from the expiry of the moratorium three years ago. Everyone knew that it was ending, and a decision has to be made now, so we are keeping in touch over the next two months while we seek more consensus.

Some sources say that Fedejerez is not interested in changing its proposal, and will spend the next two months seeking support for it, and if they don't get it, they are bent on bringing it to the next plenary meeting for its approval, even if only by one vote.

The independent growers also seek a solution which does not harm anyone's interests. Francisco Guerrero, president of Asevi-Asaja said that there is no solid base for the assertion that you can't age Fino in Sanlucar, when it has been allowed for the last 35 years since the implementation of the DO Manzanilla.

The president of Aecovi, Carmen Romero was pleased that the decision had been delayed, as the job of the Consejo is to benefit all, not to serve as a battleground for bodegas. "We must find unanimity or a good majority, or it will be bad for the trade, and worse for its image at a good time for sales. Let's be optimistic, and not seek out confrontations."