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

Castel fined for infringing trademark rights of Robert Parker's 'new friend'

  

 Wine Future HK: Daniel Li (Li Daozhi), Robert Parker and Pancho Campo MW

Last Friday Vitisphere carried the news that Castel Frères, the largest importers of French wine into China had been 4.12€ million for infringing the trademark rights of Daniel Li (Li Daozhi) of Caves Maître France. Back in 2000 the far-sighted Li Daozhi registered a series of prestigious wine trademarks in China  like Castel, Lafite, Mouton, Penfold and Diageo. Although in the West one might view Daniel Li (Li Daozhi)'s action as name theft, in China a court has upheld his right to Castel's name. Castel are appealing against the verdict. 

Chine : Castel condamné pour contrefaçon... de son propre nom !

'L’affaire paraît ubuesque. Le groupe Castel vient d’être condamné par la cour d’appel de Wenzhou en Chine pour contrefaçon de la marque Kasite, traduction en chinois du nom Castel. Le plaignant, Li Daozhi, propriétaire de la société Shanghai Panati, a déposé en Chine en 2000 une série de prestigieux noms de marques de vin comme Castel, Lafite, Mouton, Penfold, Diageo…, qu’il a eu l’habileté de déposer dans leur traduction chinoise. Ainsi Castel en chinois se traduit Kasite. Le groupe français, qui avait eu la sagesse de protéger le nom et le logo Castel en Chine dès ses premiers pas en 1998, n’a en revanche déposé que lors de sa création en 2005 le nom de sa filiale chinoise : Faguo Kasite Xiongdi Gongsi (qui signifie France Castel Frères SAS).'

Read the rest here.
 
Daniel Li (Li Daozhi) and his companies were a major sponsor of Pancho Campo's Wine Future Hong Kong last November. Doubtless Robert Parker knew nothing of Daniel Li (Li Daozhi)'s controversial actions but what did Campo know? And if he didn't should he have checked out his major sponsors?

Robert Parker presenting@Wine Future HK under a large Caves Maître France sign 

Hope Robert was signing over the rights to his name in China to Daniel Li!

See earlier post about Caves Maître and Wine Future HK.

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.

Impressario Campo MW returns to his roots?

A leading role in 2012 for CavesMaître, France in Campo's Wine Academy? 

My thanks to a source for passing on this release from ‘The Wine Academy’ previously known as The Wine Academy of Spain’ 

'THE WINE ACADEMY RENEWS ITS PROGRAMMES AND ITS CORPORATE IMAGE FOR THE 2012 SEASON

 The Wine Academy

-Expansion into emerging markets in Asia and South America is one of the 2012 business targets

-The company becomes part of a larger organization dedicated to the management of corporate, music, sports and lifestyle events (1)

Marbella, February 1, 2012.

The Wine Academy renews its business objectives for the 2012 season. The company has changed its corporate image with a new website www.thewineacademy.es (TWA) which describes the services and activities developed for the wine sector.

In the first period of 2012, TWA is scheduled to continue with the programmes known as Spanish Wine Experience and Spanish Lifestyle Experience in the regions that are experimenting a considerable growth of their economies, as well as of the luxury and wine sectors, such as Asia, U.S. and South America. These programmes are aimed at the international promotion of Spain, its tourism and its wines.

The Wine Academy will be part of a much larger organization (2) that takes over its activities. This company, dedicated to the organization and management of events in areas such as music, sports and lifestyle, as well as unique travel tourism, wants to expand its offerings by providing events in the wine industry, taking advantage of the experience of the team at The Wine Academy.

TWA´s aim is to expand into new areas including organization of international events as well as wine related ones. It is because of this new international approach that the company has decided to abolish 'of Spain' from its trademark.(3)

The company presented this week, as their newest educational proposal, a course on "Marketing, Sales and Organization of Events in the Wine Industry" which is to be held for the first time in Marbella on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April (web) (4).

NEW WEBSITE AND PROMOTE A SOCIAL NETWORK

The company´s web development team explained that the new corporate image and scope of activities of The Wine Academy also features a new website, which is "cleaner, more accessible and easier to view”, which will make its contents much more accessible through social media networks".

Social media networks are one of the key points for developing the new corporate image of TWA, with over 5,000 followers on Facebook and almost a thousand on Twitter. Also, the personal profile of Pancho Campo Twitter (@panchocampo) has changed its appearance under the new business structure, which will offer his views on the different areas of expertise of the organization, such as wine, sports, lifestyle and entertainment.

Joining a large event management will help maximize the professional knowledge and experience of The Wine Academy team in areas such as sport, concerts, shows, conferences and international seminars, as well as those carried out in the wine industry with the participation of personalities such as Al Gore, Kofi Annan, Robert Parker, Miguel Torres, Michel Rolland or filmmaker and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola, among others.

Más información - More information: 

Alberto Garcia media@thewineacademy.es | M. +34 636 704 097 

T. +34 952 830 806 | F. +34 952 838 732 

www.thewineacademy.es 

The Wine Academy: 

The Wine Academy, es una organización privada, fundada en el año 2003 por Pancho Campo MW, primer español en conseguir el título Master Of Wine. Centra sus actividades en la formación de profesionales del vino y aficionados; la promoción internacional del vino español, a través del programa Spanish Wine Education; la promoción de España como destino enoturístico; el análisis del impacto del cambio climático en la industria; y los viajes de estudio a zonas vinícolas, en colaboración con la Universidad de California Davis (EE.UU.). Asimismo, imparte los cursos en toda España de la Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) ha organizado el Congreso Mundial de Cambio Climático y Vino, Winefuture-Rioja’09 y Vinoble 2010. 

The Wine Academy is a private organisation founded in 2003 by Pancho Campo, the first and only Spaniard to hold the title of Master of Wine (5). Its activities are centred around the education of both wine professionals and aficionados alike; the international promotion of Spanish Wines, through the Spanish Wine Education Programme; the promotion of Spain as a destination for Wine Tourism; the analysis of the impact of climate change on the sector; the organisation of trips to other wine producing regions, with the collaboration of The University of California Davis; and organising trips and seminars about advances in oenology, viticulture and marketing. It also instructs the courses of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the leading British organisation for education within the wine trade throughout Spain, and has organised the Climate Change and Wine World Conference, among other events.

••

Yesterday’s release from Marbella raises a number of questions and observations – it is long on promise and short on substance.

1) 'management of corporate, music, sports and lifestyle events’ – the halcyon days of Dubai.

2) ‘The Wine Academy will be part of a much larger organization’  

‘a much larger organization’ not named. When it was founded in 2003 The Wine Academy was part of a larger organization – the greatly vaunted CIE Marbella – Centre for International Education for Marbella – offering ‘university degrees and career training courses’.

3) It is because of this new international approach that the company has decided to abolish 'of Spain' from its trademark.

In the circumstances it may be wise to drop Spain from The Wine Academy title. However, there are plenty of other wine academies so there may well be room for plenty of confusion. See here:

http://www.thewineacademy.co.uk

http://www.londonwineacademy.com/

Society of Wine Educators - The Wine Academy

www.societyofwineeducators.org/wine_academy.php

https://awcwineacademy.com/academy

Part of the Antique Wine Company

Academy of Wine Communications: http://academyofwine.org

Fortunately there is an elegant solution as Campo’s Wine Academy is registered on at Watergate on the coast of Florida – The Watergate Wine Academy. Memorable, instantly recognizable and with a certain cachet – in this instance I will be happy to forego my consultancy fee.

Daniel Li with Robert Parker and Pancho Campo MW

Daniel Li (boss of Chinese Castel): keynote speech@TWA April event in Marbella? 

4) ‘Marketing, Sales and Organization of Events in the Wine Industry’ – could be an exciting April event in Marbella. Will we see an early return Jay Miller to Iberia to give a keynote speech on export seminars and las catas magistrales? Perhaps from neighbouring France the whole event will be sponsored by CavesMaître, France with Daniel Li explaining how he pulled off the coup of having Robert Parker present his ‘magical tasting’ under the logo of Castel in Chinese, whose trademark Señor li has astutely registered in China.        

5) Pancho Campo, the first and only Spaniard to hold the title of Master of Wine

A patently false claim: Campo was born in Chile, so is the first and, so far, only Chilean MW who also happens to live in Spain. Pedro Ballesteros Torres is the only native Spanish MW. He is currently based in Brussels.

'University degrees now available in Marbella': publicity for CIE Marbella circa 2004

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.