Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Friday 30 October 2009

Pancho you can run but you can't hide......

Esteban Cabezas, marketing manager for The Wine Academy of Spain (right), and a representative from Jerez

The 2nd European Wine Bloggers Conference has opened in Lisbon late this afternoon. The first tasting on the programme is a presentation of Vinoble and a sweet wine tasting with wines from Spain and Portugal. Despite Pancho Campo MW having a conviction for fraud and an unserved prison sentence in Dubai, the owners of the bi-annual Vinoble, have seen fit to give the contract for organising the 2010 to Pancho Campo and his Wine Academy of Spain.

I'm sure that the presentation and tasting would have been worthwhile and interesting but I, for one, am going to have nothing to do with Vinoble until Pancho provides detailed answers to the questions I have been asking.

Pancho Campo had been expected by the EWBC organisers to do the presentation instead Esteban Cabezas, marketing manager for The Wine Academy of Spain but clearly didn't show. Many must have wondered – "Where's Pancho?"

In the absence of (Doctor) Pancho, Esteban Cabezas, marketing manager for The Wine Academy of Spain, stepped into the breach and did the presentation. I gather from bloggers at the presentation that Esteban did his best but was nervous and easily flustered by questions. Not surprising as this sort of presentation probably isn't normally his role. Not Esteban's fault if his boss hasn't the cojones to fulfill an engagement.

The people from Jerez must also be wondering what the point of hiring Pancho Campo MW was to promote Vinoble 2010 if he sends his assistant, so that Pancho doesn't have to face awkward questions.


Pancho Campo MW: From the Interpol site

PS (31st October): Had a very quick chat with Esteban (The Wine Academy of Spain) at lunchtime.
Jim: "When you see Pancho please tell him I'd like some answers."
Esteban: "He knows."




Related stories:
Vinoble:
This is the town hall budget: €157k
http://www.diariodejerez.es/article/jerez/408281/vinoble/sale/por/primera/vez/concurso/y/mitad/precio.html

Consejo are also chipping in 50 grand.
http://www.diariodejerez.es/article/jerez/516828/salon/vinoble/tendra/concurso/su/programacion.html

Evolution of the budget over the years: 2004 €2m; 2008 €500k
http://www.diariodejerez.es/article/jerez/414353/la/alcaldesa/no/cree/vinoble/sufra/por/recorte/presupuesto.html




Some comment on winefuture, Pancho Campo and Vinoble
http://www.verema.com/foros/foro-vino/temas/645717-wine-future-parecia-cantado?page7

Unfortunately this thread is now closed. The Spanish press closing ranks perhaps .........
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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wish I could have gone to Lisbon too. Wine bloggers should really meet at regular intervals to share info not only through computers, but face to face - and drink together!

About Mr Campo

Can you cross a border when there's an interpol red alert & warrant about you?
By the way, is the Spanish police looking for him? Or is he safe as long as he stays in Spain because is a Spanish citizen (when he pleases)?

Hervé

Anonymous said...

Pancho Wanted.
That's true. Police in Spain maybe decline the capture os him.
But it is true others want to capture the Jose Couso's killers who was in room 1403 in the Palestine Hotel. The US Army tank "disparó" too strong.
These killers are also wanted but they live in the USA.
Cordially

Jim's Loire said...

Anonymous – I don't think that Spain has an extradition treaty with the UAE but as Pancho appears to have travelled around quite a bit neither Interpol or the UAE appear to be making huge efforts to capture him.

José Couso was a Spanish journalist killed in Baghdad allegedly by the Americans to silence him.

Unknown said...

Hi
as far as I know didnt exist order of arrest to Pancho Campo (in Spain)
Who is against Pancho Campo?

PANCHO CAMPO, THE ONLY SPANISH MASTER OF WINE, NEW COMMISSIONER OF VINOBLE.
Last June, the mayoress of Jerez, Pilar Sánchez, held a meeting with the new commissioner of Vinoble, Pancho Campo, which was the first meeting between the Mayoress and the company Wine Academy of Spain, that is the one in charge of organizing Vinoble 2010 after having won the public concourse made to that effect.
The new commissioner is considered one of the most recognized wine experts at national and international levels. In fact it is the first and only Master of Wine from Spain, a prestigious title that is considered the summit in specializing in the wine world, exclusive recognition granted by the Institute of Masters of Wine in the UK; currently 276 people have this title since it was establishment in 1953. It is also the founder of the Spanish Wine Education Program for the international promotion of the Spanish wine.
Together to the objective of the Mayoress of Jerez, Pilar Sánchez in "maintaining the quality of the Fair or even increase it", Pancho Campo has set his own goals that goes from maintaining the Event as a reference in the wine world, to enhance commercial part of the Fair. In this way the commissioner notes that "one of the big impulses for this new edition will be located in the commercial part of Fair, where exhibitors have to think that is worth to come to Vinoble because is where business are truly made".
Making the Fair more mediatic and promotional is another purpose for 2010, "to disseminate not only Vinoble values but also the city itself".
Although the Fair has seen in all its editions a huge success and there for a change in its structure is not referred in the plans of the new commissioner
Pancho Campo is delighted with this new Project that rises as "a fantastic challenge in which I and my team are very keen to work".

Anonymous said...

Yes, right. Someone here below said no order of arrest for Pancho Campo, so why to come to discuss this? The key question is why Wine Academy keeps silence on this matter? But the same situation for Pancho Campo in Spain than for Couso's killer in USA. Protection of the citizen.

Jim's Loire said...

Don. There is an arrest warrant for Pancho Campo in Dubai with a red notice on Interpol.

As Anon notes: 'The key question is why Wine Academy keeps silence on this matter?'

If Pancho Campo continues to avoid events and situations where journalists might ask awkward questions his efforts to promote Vinoble will crippled.

Also the longer Pancho refuses to answer legitimate questions, the more it damages his credibility, The Wine Academy of Spain and Vinoble.