26.9.16 First of Union Demonstrations; Latest Sherry Educator Course

The first in a series of trade union demonstrations took place today in front of Bodegas Fundador. Another is scheduled for Wednesday in El Puerto de Santa María. Despite Fedejerez responding to union complaints, the unions still feel there is a gulf between the positions of the two sides in the dispute over the XXV Convenio de la Vid. Both sides say they are happy to sit down and talk, but there is little sign of that happening.

The XIV Sherry Educator Course took place last week with 31 wine professionals in attendance from no fewer than 11 countries. The Consejo Regulador introduced the course 14 years ago to train these professionals as ambassadors who would promote and spread knowledge about Sherry around the world. During an intensive 3 days they visit vineyards and bodegas, attend high level lectures and tastings, and sit an exam. Since the course began nearly 600 people have become Sherry Educators and their names are listed on the Consejo website: www.sherry.wine through which local Educators can be contacted if the need arises for a Sherry tasting or advice.

12.3.16 26 New Sherry Educators; González Byass Buys Rias Baixas Bodega

The XIV Sherry Educators course concluded successfully yesterday bringing to over 500 the number of restaurant professionals, sommeliers, wine educators and journalists to have completed the course. The latest group were from Spain and countries as far away as Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. The knowledge gained from this course will allow them to become ambassadors for Sherry in their respective international markets.

Sherry Educators at Barbadillo's La Arboledilla bodega

This highly respected and much enjoyed course takes place twice annually, once in Spanish and once in English, and looks in depth at all aspects of Sherry production from the vineyard to the bodega with tastings along the way. If you are interested, details can be found at www.sherry.wine

González Byass has bought the bodega Pazo de Lusco in the Galician DO Rias Baixas. The firm is now present in no fewer than nine DOs in Spain. Pazo de Lusco consists of five hectares of vineyard planted to Albariño, a XVI century manor house with stables and a chapel.

18.4.15 27 More Sherry Educators; Giant Tio Pepe Bottles; Feria de la Manzanilla 2015

The XIII Sherry Educators course has come to a successful conclusion. Over the15th, 16^th and 17^th April, 27 people participated: restaurateurs, wine educators, sommeliers and wine journalists from all over Spain.

The title “Formador Homologado del Vino de Jerez” requires professional candidates who have a high level of wine knowledge, as in practice they are an extension of the Aula de Formación del Vino de Jerez, the education side of the Consejo Regulador in destination markets, and thus ambassadors for Sherry.

Some of the Educators doing the right thing (foto:+jerez)

An intense programme on winemaking with seminars, tastings and vineyard and bodega visits was undertaken to obtain this prestigious title. The course which takes place twice annually, is regarded as one of the best of its kind.

Two Tio Pepe bottles 2.58 metres high have arrived to greet travellers at the duty-free in Madrid airport terminal 4 and 4 satellite. The bottles are made from expanded polystyrene, wood and polyurethane resin and are unmissable.

Tio Pepe in action (foto:lavozdigital)

The poster for this year’s Feria has been presented by the mayor of Sanlúcar, Víctor Mora alongside the artist who created it, Mikel Urmeneta. The Feria will be celebrated from the 2^nd till the 7^th of June.

The mayor (l) with the artist and his poster (foto:sanlucar.tv)

5.10.14 Jerez Now has More than 600 Sherry Educators

The Consejo regulador has concluded the 2014 Courses for Sherry Educators. It is eleven years now, since the educational courses began, during which well over 500 top level professionals of more than 20 nationalities have received this prestigious title which they use regularly in their educational work.

The objective of the course is to promote the title to educators who are specialists in the wines of the region and who act in extension to the work of the Consejo in different markets, imparting rigorous quality education which develops knowledge and understanding of the value of these special wines.

In order to receive accreditation as Sherry educators, participants attend an intensive course over three days and must pass a theoretical as well as practical (blind tasting) exam. This October, twenty-five leading professionals such as sommeliers, oenologists, distributors and journalists from eight countries participated in the seminars.

Sherry Educators and trainers at Vina La Canariera (foto reporteros jerez)

Those aspiring to the title of Sherry Educator received practical and theoretical sessions designed to deepen their knowledge of the history of Sherry, the role of the Consejo Regulador, the types of Sherry, as well as the production and ageing methods, keeping and enjoying the wines of the region. The castle of San Marcos in El Puerto de Santa Maria, which belongs to Grupo Caballero played host to the session on history, there was a visit to Grupo Estevez' vinification plant, and lessons in running the soleras at Bodegas Tradicion.

Vina La Canariera, belonging to Gonzalez Byass, was the host to the practical class on grafting and pruning in the traditional "vara y pulgar" (finger and thumb) method. Later, once the exams had been passed, the Consejo president, Beltran Domecq and director Cesar Saldana presented the certificates, after which there was a magnificent celebratory dinner at bodegas Williams & Humbert.

24.9.13 More Sherry Educators

23 new Sherry Educators have been appointed after this summer’s course. They come from all sorts of related backgrounds, such as sommeliers, writers and restaurateurs, and are from 13 different countries. They undertook a three day intensive course of total immersion in the Sherry business consisting of theoretical and practical sessions, seminars, tastings, bodega and vineyard visits in the three main Sherry towns, ending with an exam for the title. The Consejo Regulador has been running these courses very successfully since 2004, two every year, one in English and one in Spanish. The idea being to disseminate knowledge of and enthusiasm for Sherry.

8.11.12 21 New Sherry Educators

The Consejo Regulador reports that last month 21 people from various branches of the wine and food trade and from 13 countries have achieved Sherry Educator status (Formador Homologado del Vino de Jerez), bringing the total number of Educators to over 300 since the initiative was established in 2004. Every year there are two courses; one in Spanish and one in English.

After an intensive 3 days of total immersion in theoretical and practical seminars, tastings, visits to vineyards and bodegas they underwent a final evaluation to obtain their title.