22.9.15 Ruiz Mateos Will Embargoed, Paternity Suit

A High Court judge, José de la Mata, has placed an embargo on the inheritance from their father to six of his sons who are facing charges in the “Nueva Rumasa Case”. He has ordered the notary to send him a copy of the will as soon as it is opened. With this cautionary measure the judge is seeking to protect the interests of 4,110 investors in Nueva Rumasa whose shares are worthless. Not only have the six not yet paid €30 million bail, but the court is suspicious that those not already in jail are enjoying the use of property related to Nueva Rumasa companies in an attempt to hide its ownership.

Their inheritance will probably be worthless. Years ago the Nueva Rumasa founder gave his sons the companies belonging to it, and the only thing left is the €2 billion he had hoped to get from the government as compensation for the expropriation of Rumasa, but that is most improbable - he has been claiming it for 30 years already.

Adela and her mother, Jose Maria Ruiz Mateos (foto:elmundo)

Separately, the family of Ruiz Mateos has been legally prevented from cremating him until the result of a paternity suit is resolved. A girl called Adela María Montesdeoca, whose mother is Mexican and who lives in Chicago brought the case in the hope of recognition before Ruiz Mateos died. He had cut off all communication with them and they will presumably not inherit anything.

6.9.15 José María Ruiz Mateos Very Ill

José María Ruiz Mateos, who has been in hospital for over a fortnight in El Puerto de Santa María after he fell and broke a hip, is gravely ill. Already 84 and suffering from Parkinsons, he has also contracted pneumonia. The doctors have managed to fix the hip without complications and are treating the pneumonia with antibiotics, but he is nonetheless very ill and his family are all at the hospital centre fearing the worst.

27.6.15 Ruiz Mateos Home; Sherryfest New York

José María Ruiz Mateos has been released from prison on health grounds after his doctor submitted a report citing Parkinson’s disease. The 84 year old had been taken from the prison after one night to the Gregorio Marañón hospital after his condition worsened. His family have taken him back to his matrimonial home in Madrid.

New York has enjoyed the return of Sherryfest which ran from the 23^rd to the 25^thof this week. After the event’s success in 2012 it has moved around other cities in the USA, Canada and Spain. The Big Apple seems to have a thirst for Sherry which is winning great popularity among experts and wine lovers, chief of whom is Peter Liem, who initiated the 2012 event with the support of the Consejo Regulador.

L-R Peter Liem, Antonio Flores, Cesar Saldana at Sherryfest NY

The formula works, and the city was inundated with all things Sherry including seminars, tastings and gastronomic events. The Grand Tasting beat the previous record of 500 tasters leaving Peter Liem in no doubt as to how popular Sherry is becoming. The tasting featured 20 bodegas showing 140 wines, and top bodegueros were on hand such as Paola Medina (Williams& Humbert), Montse Molina (Barbadillo) and Lorenzo García Iglesias of Tradición.

Consejo Director César Saldaña participated in sessions aimed at young restaurant professionals and wine lovers on subjects like Crianza Biológica, Palos Cortados, VOS and VORS Wines and the Diversity of Sherry. They were delighted to try wines hitherto unavailable in the USA and in the opportunity to try them with menus prepared by the restaurants. In César’s words “Sherryfest is a magnificent example of the interest these great wines are awakening in professionals all over the world. It is very satisfying to have such a professional and young audience which has real admiration for the quality we produce and its great potential in world gastronomy.”

13.2.15 Ruiz Mateos; Misterio del Palo Cortado

José María Ruíz Mateos is in the news again. He and his son Francisco Javier have been ordered by a court in Madrid to pay out €92 million to reimburse creditors for shares in Nueva Rumasa made worthless by the company’s collapse.

The patriarch and his son, in trouble again (foto:reporterosjerez)

At the same hearing, the businessman Ángel de Cabo and his right hand man Iván Losada, who had bought Nueva Rumasa, were absolved since the removal of funds had happened before they bought the firm. A nephew of Ruíz Mateos was also absolved as he was not involved in any wrongdoing, but just worked for the company.

The film “El Misterio del Palo Cortado” premiered in Berlin last night. More than 200 people managed to get tickets before the “sold out” signs went up on the first day of sale. A curious mix of cinephiles and oenophiles watched the film as well as professionals from the world of sommeliers and gastronomy who had been invited by the bodegas and the Consejo. The Spanish Ambassador was also present.

Proudly produced by Antonio Saura and directed by José Luís López Linares, the film is the result of a few years’ research and hectic months of filming in such diverse places as Jerez, the Basque Country, Barcelona and Madrid. It is an important documentary which includes personal and professional contributions from those involved in bodegas, vineyards, cooperages and haute cuisine which combine to form a kaleidoscope of the experience of those involved in this most unique and singular wine universe.

The Spanish team toast the film in Berlin (foto: reporterosjerez)

At the end of the screening, the audience were able to enjoy some Sherry with food specially matched to the wines by the award-winning five Michelin Starred Spanish chef, Paco Pérez. He carefully chose the food to “make the Sherry shine”. “Making a film is an art, but so is making Sherry, and the menu demonstrates this.” Varied and sophisticated creations, made from crab and grouper fish as well as ice cream, were accompanied by emblematic Sherry brands such as Valdespino, Tradición, González Byass, Equipo Navazos and La Guita. Palo Cortado was, of course the main protagonist, but people were also able to try Manzanilla, Fino, Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez.

César Saldaña, director of the Consejo, was delighted with the attendance at the film and pointed out that it showed how important Sherry is in our culture and it engenders fascination in people of very diverse ways of life. He said that the film is a powerful tool to show Sherry to new generations of consumers through the lens of optimum quality.

Filming in Jerez

Antonio Saura said that the film arose from a crazy idea but that we are convinced that it will help spread the word about Sherry throughout the world. Many film festivals are interested now which shows the quality of the work, but above all the wine. There is no better example than Sherry of a product which needs time to reach fullness.  Being in Berlin signifies the removal of many barriers, in the ten years of its culinary cinema section this is the first film not to be inspired by a restaurant or a chef. It is the first about wine to be shown in Berlin.

The film’s director, José Luís López Linares, said that the film had 89 minutes in which to make the public fall in love with these unique wines, the starting point for a beautiful relationship of love and pleasure for the senses. The film team is a living example of how captivating is the world of Sherry. In fact they went from “No thanks, I don’t drink Sherry” to “Why isn’t there more Sherry on the table?”

The Rumasa Saga: part 2

Jose Maria Ruiz Mateos was an entrepreneur to his fingertips, and he started up all over again in 1990 using funds he had managed to keep from the taxman. Nueva Rumasa, however, was a group of companies and not a holding company as had been Rumasa, and he issued millions of shares, promising returns of 8%.  He began buying up companies in a variety of sectors including construction, a football team, property, food companies, and of course bodegas.

He bought Garvey for a second time in 1997, Jose de Soto (which was now owned by Garvey), Valdivia, Zoilo Ruiz Mateos (again) and CAYDSA, an old firm in Sanlucar whose name was changed to Teresa Rivero after his wife, and non Sherry bodegas Cavas Hill in Penedes, Marques de Olivara in Toro and Campo Nuble in Ribera del Duero. In 2004 Ruiz Mateos was diagnosed with Parkinsons and gradually delegated management of the group to his six sons - though he was pulling strings in the background - but they proceeded to run it corruptly and irresponsibly. In 2005 Jose Maria was jailed for 3 years for concealment of assets.

By 2010 ten of the biggest of the group´s companies (out of around 100) were declared bankrupt with debts totalling 700 million euros owed to investors - many of whom would lose their life savings - and the tax man. Four of the group´s own executives raised a court action alleging fraud, so Jose Maria and his sons found themselves back in court.

In September 2011 a company called Back in Business owned by a valenciano Angel de Cabo and which specialises in buying up and restructuring ailing firms bought Nueva Rumasa for 1.5 billion euros in a "very complex process". The details of the deal were not released but a promise was made to meet all commitments to shareholders and the workforce. There may be interest from competitors in buying component companies which might offer hope to the approximately 9,000 workers, and indeed some of the food companies have already been sold.

It now seems that the courts are highly suspicious of Back in Business, and suspect that the "complex process" was an exercise in obfuscation of dodgy dealings. Certainly all six sons are in jail having been convicted of fraud, money laundering, concealment of assets and non payment of tax. Jose Maria died in September 2015