23.4.13 Tio Pepe is Back!

Tio Pepe is back adorning the Puerta del Sol in Madrid. The square witnessed many madrilenos coming to admire him after his absence, subsequent restoration and move to No. 11 in the square. The official switching-on will take place on the 8th of May.

Back in all his glory! (Imagen Diario Jerez)

25.11.13 Tio Pepe Sign; New Look for Canasta Cream

It seems that the Tio Pepe illuminated sign will not now be in its new position in the Puerta del Sol, no. 11 in time for Christmas. It is currently in a warehouse in the Poligono Azque in Alcala de Henares on the outskirts of Madrid, where serious restoration work is being undertaken. According to Gonzalez Byass, it will be mounted in its new position “in a few months”. It was put in the square originally in 1937 after GB had applied to Madrid Council to erect it to celebrate the bodega’s centenary in 1935. The fee for the licence was 796 pesetas! Every component of the sign is being restored with the minutest care with modern finishing techniques.

Williams & Humbert’s Canasta Cream Sherry, the best-selling sweet Oloroso in Spain, has had a facelift. The new design is not so different from the original, but has a slightly more modern feel, both in the label, and the shape of the bottle. According to Eduardo Medina, marketing director of W&H, “the presentation has changed very little in recent years, and we saw a need to update it, with a contemporary and vibrant design which would still be faithful to the brand’s roots and which could still be identifiable to our customers. The new design will be available in Spain by the end of the month.

New bottle is on the left

30.7.13 Tio Pepe Sign; Barbadillo Nomination

Remember the famous illuminated Tio Pepe Sign? Well, at last it has a new home! Madrid town council is about to award planning permission for it to be erected at number 11, Puerta del Sol. The sign has been homeless since the owners of number 1 Puerta del Sol (the old Hotel Paris, and soon to be Apple’s Madrid HQ), on which it has been situated since 1936, decided they no longer wanted it there. The new site, on the corner with Calle Preciados is owned by the department store El Corte Ingles. Everyone is now happy that the iconic sign has a secure home.

The sign at its old location

 Bodegas Barbadillo has been nominated for “Best Spanish Bodega” by Guia Peñin for the 2014 edition, for maintaining the highest quality in a large number of brands. Three other bodegas have been nominated: Artadi (Rioja), Descendientes J Palacios (Bierzo) and Sierra Cantabria (Rioja), and we will have to wait until Wednesday 9^th October to know the result.  This will be announced at the XIV Salon de los Mejores Vinos de España, promoted by Peñin, Spain’s leading wine guidebook. The Salon, which is the top event in the world of Spanish wine, with over 3,000 Spanish and foreign professionals in attendance, will also see the announcement of El Mejor Vino Revelacion del Año. To date, 140 of the very top bodegas have confirmed their attendance.

4.6.13 Sherry Sales; Tio Pepe Sign; Feria in Chiclana

April boosts Sherry sales after a quiet 1^st quarter.

Sales are still falling, albeit at a slightly slower rate. The various fairs which take place in Spain in April have helped with a slight increase in sales of 0.8% to 4.4 million litres, but exports show a drop of 6.2% to 7.4 million litres. Exports account for about two thirds of Sherry sales.

The Tio Pepe sign now has a new home. 

Its new address is no. 11 Puerta del Sol, where it will witness once again the bells at New Year. The Madrid town council and Gonzalez Byass have been working tirelessly towards this successful outcome.

Chiclana's annual fair starts soon 

The Fiestas de San Antonio will begin on Wednesday the 12th at the recinto ferial (fair ground) Las Albinas. No fewer than 493,000 light bulbs are being installed to illuminate the festivities.

23.12.12 Good News on Tio Pepe Sign

The Tio Pepe illuminated sign has been given planning permission to be installed above the Corte Ingles department store at Puerta del Sol, 11 in Madrid.  Gonzalez Byass applauded the decision taken yesterday by various interested bodies including the Patrimony Commission of the Community of Madrid, but the famous neon sign will not be there in time for this year’s festivities. There remain details to be worked out with the building’s proprietors before a date can be fixed. In the meantime the sign will be restored and its weight reduced. The decision by the Patrimony Commission links with other well - loved signs such as Schweppes, Firestone and BBVA (a bank) after the approval of new regulations governing exterior advertising. Gonzalez Byass  said that 2013 will start with renewed hope of meeting an old friend again, expressing their gratitude for all the spontaneous support and affection generated for the sign.

News from Madrid 22.9.12

The Madrid Tio Pepe sign

Jorge Grosse of Gonzalez Byass has assured Spanish Television that the famous illuminated sign will be back in the Puerta del Sol to light up Chrismas and New Year. This year it will have to adorn a different building, and GB has not yet decided which as it is considering 3 offers. After nearly 80 years it is showing signs of wear and tear, but they are confident it will be restored and erected in time.

Sherry Cooking Classes in Jerez

Bodegas Diez Merito and the excellent Jerez restaurant Carbona in conjunction with the tourist agency Surways have launched a new project with Sherry tourism in mind called Sherry Cooking Classes. The idea is to offer the visitor the opportunity to get to know the wines and gastronomy of Jerez by participating directly in the purchase of raw materials at the Mercado de Abastos, cooking it and also visiting the bodegas to learn about the wines to match with it. The courses are available every Wednesday till November. The director of the Consejo Regulador, Cesar Saldana, along with representatives of the three companies involved attended a launch presentation. Great idea!

Just Add Cheese USA

Just Add Cheese is a new campaign promoted in the USA by the Culinary Collective. For a month it will promote various products from the Jerez area which are available in supermarkets and which can be complemented by cheese. The Culinary Collective has a network of distributors in nearly every state sellin Andalucian products to famous restaurants. Lots of lovely food, but no mention of Sherry...

News from Jerez 7.6.12

First, The Consejo Regulador has released a Sherry Tasting Kit, so one can learn about Sherry any time, anywhere. It consists of a little box containing 6 samples of the various types of Sherry, an explanatory booklet and an interactive CD ROM. It can be obtained by contacting the Consejo at www.sherry.org/formacion.

Second, more news about the Tio Pepe sign in Madrid. An "avalanche" of public, business and political support has been received for the sign to stay put in the Puerta del Sol, No.1. Over 20,000 have voiced protest online so far. Coca Cola has offered Gonzalez Byass a site on their Madrid HQ at Barajas if they have to move it and GB are considering the offer, but are going to try their best to keep it in the Puerta del Sol, ideally in its original site. Another offer has been received from an estate agent also in the Puerta del Sol.

Madrid's Tio Pepe sign

Some years ago the Spanish Government listed the Osborne bull signs to be found all over Spain as of cultural importance, as long as any advertising was removed from them. Everyone still refers to them, however, as the "Osborne Bulls", so they are still effective as advertisements.

Perhaps the Government could consider a similar approach to Madrid's Tio Pepe sign. Even if the words "Tio Pepe" were removed, the bottle figure with red sombrero and jacket holding a guitar still conjures up the brand to any Spaniard - and not a few foreigners.

Sherry news from...er..Madrid 5.6.12

A campaign is under way on Facebook and Twitter to stop the removal of the iconic illuminated Tio Pepe sign which has adorned a rooftop at Madrid's Puerta del Sol, No.1 since 1936. It has been removed to facilitate repair work on the Hotel Paris. While the owners of the building on which the sign stands are not particularly bothered about renewing the contract, the new tenants, who will be Apple, are unlikely to want it competing with their own sign, but are keeping quiet on the issue. If you wish to voice your own protest, go to:

activismoonlinechange.org

The sign was erected just after the cenenary of Gonzalez Byass, and has become a much loved landmark of Madrid. The ex mayor of Madrid said it was like Madrid's Eiffel Tower. It weighs 70 tons, so moving it is not undertaken lightly.