18.8.14 Tio pepe Roundabout Inaugurated

The new Tio Pepe roundabout is finished and was inaugurated tonight by GB president Mauricio Gonzalez Gordon and the mayor of Jerez Maria Jose Garcia Pelayo. It is situated close to the Corte Ingles department store on the Avenida Tio Pepe, and is made from high-grade stainless steel, measuring 9 metres in height. Here is yet another reason to visit Jerez!

(foto: + Jerez)

30.7.14 Tio Pepe Roundabout; Sherry sales 1st Semester 2014

The new Tio Pepe roundabout is nearly ready. The work of sculptor Chiqui Diaz, selected from four candidates by 6,000 people online, is in place and work is almost complete. The roundabout is at the start of the Avenida Tio Pepe in Jerez leading out to the airport. The fact that the voting came in from all over the world shows how international the interest is in Tio Pepe and Sherry itself.

(foto + Jerez)

Sales of Sherry for the first 6 months of 2014 have not reflected the buzz of the European City of Wine status, at least not in volume. While there is stability in the Spanish market, exports are down 5.3%. Figures from the Consejo show that while volumes are down, average prices are up, which compensates in part for the drop in volume. 16.5 million litres were sold representing a fall of 1 million litres against last year.

Among the export markets the worst result was in Britain with a worrying fall of 9%, down 3.2 million litres in volume. European sales in general are a touch over 9.2 million litres, a drop of 6.6%. Holland imported 2.9 million litres, down 2.86%, and Germany 1.6 million, down 5.3%. The USA is down 18% on sales of 701,675 litres and Asia is down also, especially Japan with a drop of 35%, importing only 62,000 litres.

Public toast in C/ Lanceria (foto Diario Jerez)

The Consejo attributes the poor export results, particularly in the UK, to the increase in price and tha lack of the usual promotions by major brands of the sweeter styles of Sherry associated with the older generation. This mature market which represents some two thirds of UK Sherry drinkers has had it good for a long time, but now we are seeing the rise of new consumers, younger people with more disposable income and who are prepared to spend more on good wine.

The only good news is that the Spanish market only dropped 0.45%, and the 11 million litres sold in the last 12 months make Spain the principal market, ahead of the UK.

17.7.14 Lustau Oenologist Award; Balbaina Vineyard Walks; Tio Pepe Roundabout

Manuel Lozano has done it yet again! The Lustau oenologist is the winner of the International Wine Challenge best fortified wine maker for no less than the sixth consecutive year.

(Foto +Jerez)

The Historic Patrimony department of El Puerto de Santa Maria council has organised a walk through the rural roads and casas de viña (vineyard houses/presshouses) of the pago Balbaina at 8.00 pm on Friday. The walk of about 8 kilometres will show people their vineyards and their history. It will be repeated on the 22^nd of August. This would be a great tourist attraction.

Work has begun on the new Tio Pepe statue to be erected on a Jerez roundabout. Preliminary works such as cabling and signalling are underway, and the new statue should be in place soon.

22.3.14 Latest on Tio Pepe Roundabout; Possible Tax on Spanish Wine

Production of the new sculpture for the Tio Pepe roundabout is under way. Made from high grade stainless steel, Chiqui Diaz’s design will be nine metres high. He has started by moulding the sheet steel into shape, after which he will assemble the piece and then apply patina to the steel, giving it various colours and degrees of polish. Some of it will be mirror-polished to reflect what is going on around the roundabout and interact with the surroundings. It won’t be long now before the roundabout, close to the Corte Ingles store in Jerez, is adorned with its Tio Pepe.

The Spanish Government is proposing to apply a tax on wine. A commission of experts was appointed to look into fiscal reform, and one of their proposals is to raise the tax on wine. This is already in place in fact, but at a rate of zero. France has also done this, but tax is applied at a very low rate on wine and fermented beverages.

The minister for agriculture, food and the environment, Miguel Arias Cañete, who has spent much time in Jerez, has declared his opposition to the idea. He wants to see Spain able to compete with other producer countries, and anyway, sales of wine in Spain are falling. The FEV (Federacion Española del Vino) has also declared opposition to the plan.

16.1.14 Tio pepe Roundabout; Mayor Visits La Guita; State of Old Diez Merito Bodega

The competition to choose which Tio Pepe should stand on the Tio Pepe roundabout in Jerez is finally over. The winner is the Tio Pepe designed by sculptor Chiqui Diaz, chosen by over 6,000 people from all over the world – but mainly Spain - who voted for the four finalists online on the Tio Pepe facebook page. Soon, the new Tio Pepe will preside over the Avenida Tio Pepe.  Great marketing, eh?!  Anyway, the roundabout will look quite like this:

The Mayor of Sanlucar, Victor Mora, visited the bodegas of La Guita in the Calle Misericordia today to inspect renovation and improvement works which have just been finished. Responding to an invitation from the president of owners Grupo Estevez, the mayor toured the bodega in the old quarter of Sanlucar and saw the repair work to the façade as well as interior improvements.

In this historic building from the XVI century there was once the most important hospital in Sanlucar, known as the Hospital de la Santa Misericordia, or later as the Hospital de San Juan de Dios. From 1867-8 the building was converted to bodega use, and has been a bodega ever since. Interestingly, the old doorway of San Juan de Dios is still preserved.

The Andalucia Party has asked that the local government restore the old School of Industrial Relations building (formerly the Diez Merito bodegas, right opposite the railway station) to avoid further deterioration, and give it a cultural and social use, if the Junta de Andalucia’s projected health centre doesn’t materialise. The building is now presenting a danger to children and is infested with rats. The party has asked the council to pressurise the health service to do what it has promised to do many times, and make it into an extra-hospital emergency centre for the use of citizens of Jerez.

Vote for Tio Pepe Roundabout!

Just a reminder. You have till the 30th November to cast a vote for the best Tio Pepe statue to be placed on the roundabout. Here is a picture of the roundabout itself, and you can see the candidates on my post of 25th October. You can vote on www.rotondatiopepe.com