#Campogate: Jay Miller's 'free-lance speaking engagement' in Navarra

Jay Miller's free-lance speaking engagement in Navarra – 'not an official trip for The Wine Advocate': Campo MW 
Miller tasting in Navarra 2011

From the statement by The Wine Academy of Spain: 10.12.2011

'The Wine Academy of Spain categorically denies the acussations (sic) against Pancho Campo and Jay Miller'

'Navarra

a. The FENAVIN event was so successful and received so much exposure that several organizations contacted TWAS asking if it could organize a similar format in other parts of the country. During the mentioned wine fair the President of the CRDO Navarra had a meeting with our Commercial Director and with Jay Miller to organize a large event with an identical format coinciding with the festivities of San Fermín in Pamplona.

b. It was made clear to DO Navarra that this was not an official trip for The Wine Advocate and wineries could not and would not be asked for money if their samples were chosen for the guided tasting.'

 Further comment would be superfluous.

Jay Miller's free-lance speaking engagement in Navarra – 'not an official trip for The Wine Advocate' Campo MW  

Miller tasting in Navarra 2011

  

Campogate: 'Not an official Wine Advocate trip, it's a freelance' Campo claims

'

Pancho Campo MW: 'Collaborates with Robert Parker and The Wine Advocate organizing their visits to Spain.' 

(from Campo's biography on The Institute of Masters of Wine website)

Pancho Campo MW has defended his actions in The Baltimore Sun: 

'Campo said in that exchange (the Madrid emails) he wasn't arranging a visit by Miller to any wineries, but rather that he was negotiating fees for Miller to host a seminar. The speaking engagement — not Miller's first — had nothing to do with The Wine Advocate, and the governing body for the local wine region, not any wineries, paid for it.

"It was not an official Wine Advocate trip, it's a freelance," Campo said. "When he does appearances on his own, those have nothing to do with The Wine Advocate."

See article here: Wine critic's representative defends deals

If all of these trips – Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Valencia were freelance when did Miller have time to do his day job – reviewing Spanish wine for The Wine Advocate and erobert?  

Campos claims are contradicted by Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate and emails.

Jay Miller: 'Miller says he did go to the wineries in question and plans to write about them.' The Baltimore Sun 6th December 2011.* 

The Wine Advocate: email received 6th December 2011 13.51 (GMT)

Dear Mr. Budd,

Yes, Jay will be writing reports on the wines he recently tasted in Spain. However, depending on timing and space limitations in the paper copy, those reports may only appear on the eRobertParker.com web site.

Sincerely, Joan Passman, Secretary, The Wine Advocate

Emails from regional organisers, The Wine Academy of Spain and Pancho Campo MW:

All make it clear that during Jay Miller's proposed visits to Madrid, Murcia and Valencia he will be tasting, assessing and rating wines following the criteria dictated by Robert Parker and The Wine Advocate. The email sent by Pamela Beltrán (2.11.2011) 14.05 of DO Valencia is particularly clear:

'As reported, we can confirm Jay Miller's visit to Valencia, which will take place on the 28, 29 and 30 of November. During his three-day he will accompanied by Pancho Campo (president of The Wine Academy, the company currently responsible for organizing and coordinating the visit). Miller is planning a wine tasting of each of the three D.O.s of Region for The Wine Advocate, the magazine run by Robert Parker. The details of this tasting are specified below.'

and: 

'Tuesday, November 29 - VALENCIA

    · 09.00 - 13.00 - Tasting of 80 wines from DOP Valencia for the magazine The Wine Advocate to be held at the D.O.'s offices).'

Read the rest here.

I have not suggested that the wineries paid Campo directly instead as he says the money was either paid by the DOs or through organisations like Asevin. Why would DOs, especially in these cash-strapped times, pay The Wine Academy €29,000 (Murcia) Navarra (€100,000), €35,000 (Valencia) or €20,000 proposed to Madrid solely for a 'speaking engagement' running for around two hours?      

**

* However, Miller is also quoted in Jill Rosen's article:

'Miller confirmed Wednesday that Campo helped him arrange free-lance speaking engagements, events where he would receive between $8,000 to $15,000. At the events, often attended by several hundred people, he would talk about his favorite wines, and attendees could sample those varieties.'

If Jay Miller includes the trip to Valencia 28th-30th November as an example, this presumably means that all of Monday (28th), Tuesday (29th) and Wednesday up to 18.30 when the lecture and masterclass started was an official Wine Advocate visit. It became a 'freelance' speaking engagement for the duration (18.30-21.00) of the 'Lecture and MasterClass'.

  

Pancho Campo, Jay Miller and '100,000 euros to visit and taste Navarra wines'

Pancho Campo MW

An intriguing article here in the Mercados de Vino about a trip by Jay Miller, one of Robert Parker's team of critics, organised by Pancho Campo MW. Apparently 'Dr' Campo charged Navarra 100,000€ to organise the visit.

As a non-Spanish speaker I have been provided with a brief summary of the article: 

'This article says that Pancho Campo has charged D.O. Navarra €100,000 for a Jay Miller “promotional” tour of wineries and a 14-wine tasting in Pamplona.

 

The idea is to help the region penetrate into the American market by influencing Robert Parker and his Wine Advocate magazine.

 

The article does raise a previous attempt to promote Navarra in the US by trying to influence marks in a wine publication (Peñín Guide), calling the practice “dubious.”'

 

I understand that this matter was briefly debated on e-robertparker, which is subscription only. From a posting on Chris Kissack's The Wine Doctor site the explanation is that there was a $15,000 fee paid for a lecture by Miller.  

Although not in the Bill Clinton lecture fees league, $15,000 is a decidedly generous fee for a lecture in wine circles. It would be interesting to have more details of this lecture – its subject, duration and to whom?

Perhaps it was this tutored tasting shown on YouTube?

Is the $15,000 lecture fee part of the 100,000€ allegedly paid to 'Dr' Campo or was there just a $15,000 lecture fee and no fee paid to Campo?