Chinese 'Monsieur Castel' (Daniel Li) to promote Spanish wine

Daniel Li with Robert Parker and Pancho Campo@Wine Future Hong Kong November 2011

Daniel Li (the Chinese 'Monsieur Castel') and CavesMaître, who own the Castel trademark in China, much to Castel's displeasure, are planning to promote Spanish wine in China and will be holding a one day conference in Shanghai on Monday 26th November 2012. CaveMaître was a leading sponsor of Wine Future Hong Kong last November. Daniel Li, the only sponsor to be given this opportunity, shared the platform with Robert Parker and Pancho Campo (then an MW) for Parker's Magical 20 tasting.

Email from Ezequiel Franco Lopez of CavesMaître France:

De: efranco@chateau.cc [mailto:efranco@chateau.cc]
Enviado el: martes, 24 de julio de 2012 10:55
Para: 冯逸凡
Asunto: EZEQUIEL / CAVESMAITRE CATA-CONFERENCIA en 26 NOVIEMBRE 2012

Hola Queridos Amigos.

Quiero en primer lugar agradecer vuestra confianza, compromiso, apoyo y paciencia por trabajar con nosotros como distribuidor de vuestros vinos en el mercado de China.

Nuestra compañía CAVESMAITRE (卡斯特) junto con PANATI (班提) ambas pertenecen a Daniel Li. Cavesmaitre está orientada a todo nuestro negocio de vinos franceses y Panati es donde estaran los vinos españoles. Daniel Li empezó a trabajar en sus comienzos hace 17 años (año 1995) con PANATI importando y distribuyendo vinos españoles, esta marca y empresa es una de las primeras importadoras de vino en China y una de las más antiguas que hoy en día sigue trabajando en el sector de los vinos importados.

Pensamos que el vino español tiene un buen futuro (próximos años) en China, a día de hoy sigue siendo Francia y Francia, pero pensamos que el vino español jugará un papel importante en China, cuando el consumidor chino adquiera mas conocimiento en vinos. Por eso queremos empezar a introducir más vinos españoles en China, pero queremos hacerlo poco a poco y bien hecho, de una forma muy profesional y bajo el reconocimiento de nuestra empresa en China.

 Nosotros ya distribuimos una serie de vinos españoles desde hace muchos años, pero con la incorporación de vosotros y algunos más, pensamos que tenemos un portfolio de vinos que puede cubrir y representar bien a España. Nuestra intención es tener vinos "buenos", con una relacion precio-calidad junto con puntuaciones y premios internacionales que sean atractivos para el consumidor chino y a día de hoy, en China, Robert Parker es la referencia, aunque como estamos hablando de vinos españoles, puntuaciones de Peñin tambien pueden ser interesantes.

El motivo de este email, es hacer un anuncio para una CATA-CONFERENCIA que queremos hacer en SHANGHAI el Lunes 26 de Noviembre. Queremos aprovechar la ocasión de una visita de ciertas personalidades de políticos de España que estarán viniendo en esas fechas, para ver si es posible que puedan acudir a inagurar o atender al evento unos minutos.

Esta CATA-CONFERENCIA va a consitir en un día entero donde estarán todos nuestros vinos españoles, ES IMPORTANTE que venga, DIRECTORES DE EXPORTACION, DIRECTORES GENERALES y ENOLOGOS de cada bodega. Estaremos todos en un hotel donde el público objetivo será: NUESTROS CLIENTES, PRENSA ESPECIALIZADA EN CHINA, GOBIERNO DE CHINA, PROFESIONALES DEL VINO, PERO SOBRETODO NUESTROS CLIENTES, a los cuales les tendreis que explicar vuestros vinos y particularidades.

La estructura del evento está por detallar pero la idea es que se hagan conferencias de cada vino, para nuestro publico objetivo, durante unos 30-45 minutos y luego por la tarde hacer una cata de vinos donde pueda venir cualquier persona, hasta llenar el aforo, paraa cerrar con una cena de gala.

Estamos trabajando para que ciertas personalidades del vino y organismos guberbamentales puedan apoyar el evento y hacerlo atractivo para el consumidor de China. Pensamos que es una idea única y vosotros vais a tener un foro para explicar vuestros vinos y el vino español a nuestros clientes que son los que os tendrán que vender en China.

Bodegas Españolas tendrán que financiarse su viaje y estancia en Shanghai y se hablará en su momento de la posibilidad de compartir algun gasto con nuestra empresa para cubrir el evento. Bodegas podreis financiaros con ayudas OCM para la promoción de vinos a paises como China. Nuestra empresa se ocupará de organizar el evento, invitar a nuestros clientes de toda China a Shanghai, traer a la prensa especializada, gobiernos y demas.

Esta es la idea que creemos puede ser buena y por la que vamos a trabajar, cualquier sugerencia, comentario y crítica no dudeis en contactarme.

Un saludo desde China

Ezequiel 冯逸凡。

Ezequiel Franco Lopez (冯逸凡)
Marketing
Mobile: +86 18721737852
skype: ezequiel.franco.lopez
Facebook: Ezequiel Franco Lopez

MY WINE VIDEOS / MIS VINO VIDEOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maCZ1Bn-mIQ
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzY1NzU4MD

English translation from Google:
 

Hello Dear Friends.

I want to first thank you for your trust, commitment, support and patience in working with us as your distributor of wines in the Chinese market.

Our company CAVESMAITRE (卡斯特) with Panati (班 提) both belong to Daniel Li. Cavesmaitre is aimed at all our business is Panati French wines and where they will be Spanish wines. Daniel Li began working in its infancy 17 years ago (1995) with importing and distributing Panati Spanish wines, this brand and company is one of the first importers of wine in China and one of the oldest still working today in sector of imported wines.

We think the Spanish wine has a good future (next few years) in China, today is still France and France, but we think that Spanish wine will play an important role in China, when Chinese consumers acquire more knowledge in wine. So we want to start introducing more Spanish wines in China, but we want to do it slowly and well done, in a very professional and low recognition of our company in China.

 We already distribute a range of Spanish wines for many years, but with the addition of you and then some, we think we have a portfolio of wines that can cover well and represent Spain. Our intention is to have wines "good", with a value for money along with scores and international awards that are attractive to Chinese consumers and today, in China, Robert Parker is the reference, but as we are talking about Spanish wines Peñin scores can also be interesting.

The reason for this email is to make an ad for a CATA-CONFERENCE we want to do in Shanghai on Monday November 26. We want to use the occasion of a visit of certain political personalities from Spain that are coming at that time, to see if they may be able to attend the event or attend for  a few minutes.

This CATA-CONFERENCE will consist of a day where will all our Spanish wines, it is important to come, export managers, general managers and winemakers from each winery. We'll all be in a hotel where the target audience is: OUR CLIENTS, PRESS SPECIALIZED IN CHINA, Government of China, wine professionals, but most of our clients, which you will have to explain to them your wines and special.

The structure of the event is to detail but the idea is to make each wine conferences to our target audience, for about 30-45 minutes and then in the afternoon to do a wine tasting where anyone can come, to fill the capacity , Paraa close with a gala dinner.

We are working for certain wine personalities and bodies guberbamentales to support the event and make it attractive to the Chinese consumer. We think it's a unique idea and you are going to have a forum to explain your wine and Spanish wine to our customers who are the ones you have to sell in China.

Spanish wineries have to finance their trip and stay in Shanghai and will be discussed at the time of the possibility of sharing some expense to our company to cover the event. Wineries podreis financiaros with CMO aid to promote wines to countries like China. Our company will organize the event, invite our customers across China to Shanghai, bringing the trade press, and other governments.

This is the idea that we can be good and we are going to work, any suggestions, comments and criticism do not hesitate to contact me.

Greetings from China

Ezekiel 冯逸凡.


Ezequiel Franco Lopez (冯逸凡)
Marketing
Mobile: +86 18721737852
skype: ezequiel.franco.lopez
Facebook: Ezequiel Franco Lopez

MY VIDEOS WINE / WINE MY VIDEOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maCZ1Bn-mIQ
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzY1NzU4MD

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzY1NzU4MDg0.html

Pancho Campo MW and Chrand Management

Daniel Li (CavesMaître France), Robert Parker and Pancho Campo MW

Hong Kong November 2011

Mr Li and his CavesMaître appear to have been ditched

Robert Parker sans Li

Pancho Campo@WineFuture HK and his major sponsor: CavesMaître (the Chinese Castel) 

Today Harpers 'Wine & Spirit Trade Review' has published a 'news report' entitled Pancho Campo looks outside wine after ‘disgusting attacks'. The 'article' covers Campo's move away from wine and on the events company called Chrand Management (Corporate Incentives and Events Management, SL). 

Pancho Campo MW alleges in the article that 'disgusting attacks' on him and his close family have driven him away, at least in part, from wine. Campo has previously claimed that his children suffered attacks and harassment. If this is correct, then I would could condemn such behaviour as strongly as Campo does himself. 

If, however, Campo is widening 'disgusting attacks' to cover 'Campogate' and the way that he and The Wine Academy of Spain organised Jay Miller's Spanish visits for The Wine Advocate then I would reject this as spin. If Campo thought my various posts on Jim's Loire were 'disgusting' rather than fair comment, he could have carried out his threat to sue. Campo claimed on decanter.com 8th December 2011) 'that he would continue his legal action against Jim Budd'. 

If he is indeed continuing 'his legal action' Campo and his lawyers are being extraordinarily discreet as I have not to date received any communication from either Campo or his lawyers.

Following Jay Miller's retirement from the Wine Advocate, Campo has decided he needs to broaden his portfolio away from just wine and return to promoting the sorts of events that he used to promote in Dubai and before that in Spain.

According to Harpers 'Specialist lifestyle events company Chrand Management has bought the Wine Academy of Spain to help run a series of consumer events featuring gastronomy, sport, wine and culture.' Unfortunately Chrand Management's website makes no mention of when the company was founded nor who its directors are or nor whether it has had any existence independent of Pancho Campo MW and The Wine Academy of Spain. As far as I can see all its history and the events portrayed on the website relate to Campo. A Google search on Chrand Management brings up no past history. Chrand Management would appear to be a recently formed vehicle to rebrand Campo – Charade Management SL, perhaps? Certainly this would be a more memorable name.

Campo is certainly a director of Chrand and appears to still be Presidente of The Wine Academy:

Chrand Management shares the same address as The Wine Academy of Spain:El Rosario 2, Edificio VidaRed Planta Baja, Local 1 - 29620 Marbella – Málaga.

It is notable that under Chrand's 'the clients' section' – 'Our events have been sponsored by some of the most prestigious international brands' – there is no mention of Daniel Li and CavesMaître (The Chinese Castel), although Mr Li's CavesMaître was a major sponsor of WineFuture HK only last November. 

'The scope of activities will surprise you' tweet (20th March 2012) 

+ Chrand Management joined Facebook on 16th March (2012)  

Their scope may have surprised Roger Waters:

 

Doubtless Waters may have noticed that Campo is no longer claiming to have promoted a Pink Floyd concert in Dubai, a venue they never played. He might be surprised at the possibility that Chrand Management might have been responsible for the whole of Waters' 'In the Flesh Tour'  – 'one of the events we managed and promoted'. The 'In the Flesh Tour' involved at total of 105 concerts over 1999, 2000 and 2002. I suspect Campo meant that he promoted one of these concerts: on April 15th 2002 at the Golf & Yacht Club in Dubai. Although it is an achievement to have put on one of the these concerts even if it represents less than 1% of the events.

One of Chrand management's claimed successes is Vinoble: 'Vinoble 2010

The Wine Academy managed the 2011* edition of Vinoble, the world´s most important fair for sweet, dessert and fortified wines. It was held in Jerez, Spain in May 2010.' 

The bi-annual Vinoble was founded in 1998 and there were six editions before Campo and The Wine Academy took over the running of the 2010 edition. The 2012 edition has now been cancelled.  

I'm reminded of an old Who classic:

"Meet the new Boss, same as the old Boss" (Won’t get fooled again)



* Now amended to 2010.

Pancho Campo MW: investigation or witch hunt?

Pancho Campo MW

'Michael Bishop said...

Stop the witch hunts guys and stop acting like dick Tracy .....u seem to be Playing with peoples lives without solid evidence. Investigate first and then comprehensively publish. This hit and miss Public baiting is not good or professional.'

Michael Bishop posted this thought-provoking comment on Jim's Loire on 21st December. Thought-provoking because I think it displays a fundamental misunderstanding of investigative journalism. It implies that a journalist has some clear idea of how the story or investigation will develop and how it will end. In my experience this is rarely the case.

Although there is no way that that 'Campogate' is any way comparable to Watergate, when Bernstein and Woodward started investigating the break in to Watergate and its cover up they surely had no idea that it would lead eventually to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. It is most unlikely that they would have got the full story if they had followed Bishop's advice to 'Investigate first and then comprehensively publish'.

When I was contacted in the late 1990s (1998 – I think) by a bondholder in Ryman's Château Jaubertie who was having problems getting her annual consignment of wine, I had no inkling that this would lead to the discovery of Hugh Ryman's serious financial problems, his failure to pay and support young female winemakers some who were left virtually destitute far from home and then that he had bought Spanish table wine (vino de mesa) which he passed off as DO Conca de Barberà in Norway and other countries.

It was the publication of known parts of the Ryman story that then provided me with further leads and information. It has been the same process with the Pancho Campo MW story. When I was told back at the beginning of September 2009 about Campo being on the Interpol wanted list it was not at all apparent how the story would develop. This isn't and hasn't been a witch hunt – more a process of discovery and reporting and trying to make sense of what has been revealed. It might fairly be characteristised as a witch hunt if it could be shown that the various emails were fake or had been manipulated and that we knew this to be the case. Instead Victor de la Serna (El Mundo del Vino) has stated quite independently that the emails that have revealed 'pay for access' are genuine.

We should know in 2012 the result of the Robert Parker investigation as well as the investigation by the Institute of Masters of Wine and we may discover more about CavesMaîtres, Daniel Li and perhaps what other trademarks he has registered in China. One thing neither Harold Heckle nor I know is whether we are now somewhere in the middle of this story or whether we have reached the end.

WineFuture HK: CavesMaître – 'one of the most important importer-distributor of wines in China'

Robert Parker@The Magical 20 and CavesMaître, FRANCE

Daniel Li (CavesMaître FRANCE), Robert Parker and Pancho Campo MW

 

 Pancho Campo MW with group on stage with CavesMaître logo in pride of place  

Last Thursday I posted a story – 'WineFuture HK: major sponsor – CavesMaître – 'a stolen tradename'. CavesMaître, FRANCE was one of the major sponsors of WineFutureHK. This year the company took legal action against Groupe Castel for using the tradename 'Castel', which CavesMaîte (or the company under a previous name) had registered a number of years before in China.

Robert Parker sat underneath a logo CavesMaître FRANCE during his magical 20 tasting, the highlight of WineFutureHK. Daniel Li, boss of CavesMaître, sat on Parker's right on top table with Pancho Campo MW on his left (see top photo).

This morning I received the following comment from Ezequiel Franco, who works for CavesMaître. Franco claims that I'm entirely mistaken. However, it would appear that he may have confused two sets of Chinese symbols.       

'Ezequiel Franco said...

Dear Jim Loire. My name is Ezequiel Franco I am from Spain and I am 27 years old. I am the foreigner working in CAVESMAITRE with Daniel Li in Shanghai in China. I am so upset with what I just read in your blog cause it is so far away from the reality and you are trying to hurt us. I strongly believe that when somebody talk about other people to an audiencie must be sure what he is saying, because can go against law, everybody must be responsible of his acts and words. I am not going to start a fight in this blog I am only going to writte this comment. I invite to you to contact us (contact me unless you can speak chinese) and It will be a pleasure to inform you and give you all the answers to you, to put down all what you wrote. Our company is in latin words CAVESMAITRE and in Chinese is 卡斯特, we are not "stoling" (like you said) any brand. So please not defame more our brand and our team. Our company is one of the most important importer-distributor of wines in China and my boss DANIEL LI, has an excellent HONOR and REPUTATION in China and rest of world.'

**

I posted two follow up comments: 

'Thank you for your comment. I will certainly send you an email with some questions. I'm intrigued that the company is called CavesMaître, France. Is it registered in France or are their offices in France?'

**

Ezequiel 

You would appear to be misinformed:

'Our company is in latin words CAVESMAITRE and in Chinese is 卡斯特'
Although my Chinese is strictly zero, CavesMaître appears to translates as 酒窖大师, which to my untutored eye looks rather different from the above (卡斯特) which does translate as Castel.

 **

I have accepted Ezequiel Franco's kind invitation to contact him and ask questions. I look forward to his replies. In the meantime I would be very grateful for any further information about CavesMaître and Daniel Li. Although CavesMaître is apparently 'one of the most important importer-distributor of wines in China', I can find curiously little about neither the company nor Daniel Li on the internet.  

 Daniel Li and Robert Parker – hope the great man isn't signing away the rights to his name in China!

Time for a caption contest perhaps?


**

Rober Parker Grand Tasting (above and below) from Madwine

I see Campo continues to insist on calling the great man – Rober Parker. Revenge, perhaps, for Robert calling him Poncho?*   

  Photo credits: WineFuture Hong Kong www.winefuture.hk

*20.12.11. The t has now been added to Rober on Madwine TV. 

WineFuture HK: major sponsor - CavesMaître – the Chinese 'Castel' – 'a stolen tradename'

Robert Parker presenting 'The Magical 20' – CavesMaître, France is rather less magical

Anyone watching Robert Parker's very impressive presentation of the 20 Bordeaux wines from the 2009 vintage will have seen the name and logo of Caves Maître, France looming large behind him. CavesMaître was one of the major sponsors of WineFutureHK and Daniel Li of CavesMaître sat on the right of Parker for the Grand Tasting.

However, it would appear that the business practices of CavesMaître are much sharper than speakers like Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson MW might wish to be associated with. In western eyes CavesMaître has stolen the trademark of Groupe Castel, the Bordeaux giant, although their action is perfectly legal in China as under Chinese trademark law it is 'first come first served'.  Jancis Robinson MW has assured me she knew nothing of this history and I guess that Parker did not either.

Daniel Li of CavesMaître@WineFuture Hong Kong
Pancho Campo on far right

A search on Google reveals that CavesMaître used to be called Wenzhou Castel (based in Wenzhou) before changing their name to Caves Maître sometime this year. It will also show that this Chinese company trademarked the name Castel. Recently Wenzhou Castel brought a successful court case in China against French company Castel Frères, which is now a leading player in the Chinese market with case sales believed to be around one million. Although French Castel did register their trademark in China on 21st November 2007. Unfortunately they were too late as Wenzhou Castel had got in first with: (“Ka Si Te (卡斯特)”) – meaning Castel in Chinese.

  

From Frost Brown Todd website article here that gives details of the case:

 

November 10, 2011

French Wine “Castel” Mark – An Interesting Case to Decipher

A recent move by a local court in Wenzhou, China may well indicate that in the future a lawsuit against a foreign brand owner in China could cause the foreign defendant to lose its valuable trademarks if it loses the case.  Earlier this year a local Chinese merchant sued a famous French wine producer in the Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court and successfully secured an “ex-parte” relief, by which, the defendant’s valuable trademark would be subject to freeze until the case is decided. Defendant in this case is Castel Group, which is the owner of the “Castel” trademark in China. However, the Chinese plaintiff had managed to register the Chinese “Ka Si Te (卡斯特)” mark first in China, a phonetic translation of the famous “Castel” mark. It sued Castel Group in the Wenzhou local court on three accounts of infringement and requested damages up to US$31 million. 

What makes this case unique is not the case itself, but the court’s decision to freeze the Castel Group’s valuable “Castel” trademark at the initial stage of the lawsuit until the case is decided.  Chinese civil procedures offer plaintiffs, in some situations, an ex-parte temporary relief, to prevent defendants from transferring property and money during the course of a case.  Normally such relief has been taken the form of freezing bank accounts or real property (by appointing a conservator).    In this case, what the court did directly touched on Castel Group’s  intangible assets, meaning that the “Castel” mark cannot be licensed or assigned to any third party while the case is pending. More importantly, the “Castel” mark may be subject to auction if the court decides in favor of the local Chinese trader and Castel Group otherwise does not comply with the court’s order requiring it to pay damages.

Our colleagues at ZY Partners in Beijing pointed out that this case could start another round of problems especially for companies that do not have significant assets in China. Such companies used to be less concerned about litigation risks in China.  However, even they very often have trademarks or other intangible assets in China.  Now they could face risks of losing their valuable intellectual property (trademarks or even patents) if they end up losing legal battles in China. The flipped side of the story is that foreign plaintiffs may find this new development helpful when they seek to recover damages against Chinese defendants. 

(“Ka Si Te (卡斯特)”)

CavesMaître's website is here. They have a page of legal notices which includes their right under Chinese law to use the name Castel – “Ka Si Te (卡斯特)”. Many of the wines sold by this company use 卡斯特 in the name. Whether CavesMaître's Chinese are aware that these wines are from the 'Chinese' Castel rather than the better known Castel Frères is an interesting question. 

One might also ask whether Pancho Campo MW was aware of the history behind CavesMaître. If he wasn't then surely he failed to do his due diligence properly. If he was aware of the trademark history, why did not he inform his speakers.

Jancis Robinson MW with Daniel Li of CavesMaître

Jancis Robinson MW told me that "While I was at WineFuture Hong Kong I had no clue about this. It was only on my return to the UK that I became aware. I did think though it was all a bit odd with the whole stage festooned with CavesMaître signs and logos as nobody seemed to know about this company. Pancho had made it out to be a big coup getting a Chinese company as a sponsor – insisting that the real future was dealing with Chinese companies rather than European ones." 

I suspect that Robert Parker was equally in the dark.
 
This episode surely shows how foolish it can be to rush into China without doing your due diligence and equally making sure that you register your trade mark in China.