#Campogate: The Madrid Presidential paper

Page one of the Vinos de Madrid document

 Page 2 signed by the President of DO Vinos de Madrid but no date or place of signing

Around 5pm on Tuesday 29th November bodegas in the DO Vinos de Madrid were contacted and told that Jay Miller would after all be tasting their wines. Samples were to be sent to the DO's offices as soon as possible as Miller would be tasting them on Thursday 1st December. Doubtless the producers were taken aback having turned down the opportunity earlier in the year to have a two-day Miller visit in a special cut-price €20,000 deal.

What might have caused this change of heart? Did Pancho Campo strike a deal with Juan Bautista Orusco Olmeda, El Presidente of DO Vinos de Madrid? This post features a signed but undated two page document from Vinos de Madrid with the president's signature on page two. There is also no indication where the signing took place. The document, written in the past tense, was clearly written by Campo bearing all the hallmarks of his style and only covers the organisation of the 'free-lance' part  ('independent of The Wine Advocate') of Miller's proposed visit to Madrid. It mentions an hour long marketing presentation by Campo followed by some remarks by Miller and then a masterclass with eight wines. It is stated that The Wine Academy will take care of the organisation of the seminar and masterclass. Adela Richer's email of June 4th 2011 had stipulated that DO Vinos de Madrid/the bodegas would be responsible for the organisation – venue, glasses etc. 


Clause Five claims:

'Mr. Miller has accepted to taste and rate the wines of DO Madrid in a forthcoming visit to Madrid, free of all charge, as part of a The Wine Advocate visit where he would not have to organize any conference or masterclass.'

This is completely at variance with the emails of 3rd June 2011 sent by Adela Richer and Campo. June proposal was for Miller to taste, assess and rate the wines of DO Vinos de Madrid.   

Did Campo say to Olmeda sign this paper declaring that all our negotiations over a possible Jay Miller visit back in July were legitimate and I'll let Miller taste your wines on Thursday 1st December? 

Although the document is undated it seems quite likely that an agreement between Campo and Orusco Olmeda was reached on 29th November 2011, hence the hurried instructions to send in their wines pronto. At 11am on 29th I had emailed Campo to advise him that further details of the proposed visit by Miller would shortly be posted on Jim's Loire. That post became No pay – No Jay.

The document says that the initial contact with DO Vinos de Madrid occurred during Fenavin, an annual Spanish wine trade fair held in Ciudad Real in May. On 12th May 2011 Jay Miller and Pancho Campo MW did a presentation of 13 wines from Castilla-La Mancha to over 250 people according to Campo's website. The tasting lasted 'over an hour'. Miller's fee is believed to have been $15,000. Apparently the original aim had been to get Robert Parker himself to do the event but this proved not to be possible. The Fenavin event appears to be an example of a tasting and speaking engagement which was quite separate from Miller's duties as reviewer of Spanish wines for The Wine Advocate. Thus no conflict of interest in Miller being paid a fee.          

I suspect that Campo seeing the success of the Fenavin tasting wanted to replicate it again and again. The problem, of course, was that Miller's main job was reviewing Spanish wine, a big task and only part of his Wine Advocate portfolio, so having Miller doing 'free-lance' tasting appearances all over Spain just wasn't on. Equally Campo is smart enough to realise that a national fair like Fenavin was a special case. Local DOs certainly would shell out substantial sums just for a seminar and masterclass from Campo and Miller. Campo's solution was to produce a hybrid – tacking on a 'Fenavin' style 'free-lance' presentation onto an official visit by Miller to a region/DO. Miller in his official capacity as TWA reviewer was the bait and the cata magistral the cash cow.

It is, of course, this hybrid that has caused the recent scandal: the conflict of interest is abundantly clear. It must have been clear to Campo and once he knew Miller was leaving he would have been keen to assemble as many cata magistrals as possible. 

It ought to have been clear to Miller but perhaps he went along with the scheme knowing he would soon be retiring from Team Parker and that, in the future, such lucrative 'free-lance speaking engagements' would be few and far between? 

If the DOs were just paying for the 'free-lance' part, was The Wine Advocate picking up the tab for the 'official' portion of the visit? Certainly Campo has insisted that expenses arising from 'official' visits were paid by The Wine Advocate. What I wonder is the Spanish for having your cake and eating it?  

**

Pancho Campo MW and The Wine Academy of Spain have released their long awaited statement here.           

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 MW: some detailed alleged conflicts of interest

Pancho Campo MW: plenty of bluster but no solid factual rebuttals

Further comments from Pancho Campo MW and Andres Arevalo on the El Mundo forum. Interesting that Campo preferred to send a private message to Arevalo. Even more interesting that Campo does not answer the points raised in Arevalo’s earlier comment (21st November 2011).

I trust Robert Parker’s lawyers, including the additional lawyer in Madrid, who have been asked to examine every allegation again, will also examine carefully Andres Arevalo’s comments on the El Mundo forum concerning these alleged conflicts of interest.

From: Pancho Campo

To: Andres Arevalo

Posted: Fri November 25, 2011 5:53 pm

Subject: Your post

Dear Andres or Esteban or whatever you´re called, your post matches one that appeared previously on this forum. I invite you to present your proof for these accusations. We have signed contracts and documentation which backs up our argument.

But, of course, I´m not going to respond publicly to a pseudonym.

Yours TWA

Comment from Andrés Arevalo:

(I’m very grateful for a translation from anon)

Is it not true that ARAEX was a sponsor of Wine Future Rioja, paying for their wines to be served with the dinner on the final night? That´s on your own website. And is it not true that they were a sponsor of Wine Future Hong Kong? Because your promotional video that has even appeared on CNN bears their logos. Proof? That´s on your web.

I think it´s fine that anyone can do what they want with their own money. But isn´t it true that there were visits to Valtravieso in Ribera or Baigorri in Ribera or that various other wines that were in the Spanish tasting in Hong Kong belong to the same export group? Proof? So I don´t bore anybody, look at the list of wineries that belong to this group and then look at the list of wines.

ARAEX can do what they want with their own money and if they want to give it to you they are free to, but other bodegas apart from these two, and with higher points, have not seen Jay Miller: this is not jealousy but impotence as they see the most important critic going to other bodegas because they have paid the diary manager. And it´s true that Jay hasn´t charged either for the visits or for tasting the wines but the person who organizes the diary has – Sr Campo.

Isn´t it true that there was a visit to the Juan Alcorta winery to taste the wines Azpilicueta Crianza 2009, 2004; Campo Viejo Reserva and Campo Viejo Gran Reserva. This was published on Verema and signed off by you:

http://www.verema.com/articulos/779356-gira-jay-miller-por-toro-ribera-rioja

It´s a fantastic winery like many others in La Rioja but it´s wines aren´t even sold in the US with the exception of Campo Viejo in supermarkets. Did Jay Miller choose that winery?

There are many other wineries that do sell their wines in the US and have higher points but, as they don´t sponsor your events, haven´t had visits. In private many people have complained but, as I said before, they don´t want more problems, not with the President of the Consejo and above all not with Parker´s team. It´s true that many can submit their wines to be tasted via the Consejo or through their importers but what we all want is to have our photo taken with Miller and for him to visit our winery.

DO Campo de Borja, after Rioja, Ribera and Cataluña, got a visit from Miller. Isn´t it true that Google is full of dates of tastings that they have contracted you to do? And , going by the prices you publish for your classes, they won´t have been cheap. DO Campo de Borja can do what they like with their money but can you deny that there is a very direct link here?

The DO Madrid matter is all in the public domain with the publication of the emails between you, Adela and the DO. Do you want more proof?

There are dozens and dozens of examples all over Spain. But I´m going to leave it to the wine journalists and the non-wine journalists – because this transcends our humble little industry – for them to investigate the details, above all how you are lining your pockets managing Miller´s agenda at the expense of the of the tiny budgets of the Spanish DOs.

And nothing against Jay Miller or the Wine Advocate and all the other wine critics who are welcome in Rioja, but there is just no need to employ intermediaries.

I´m off to have my supper because I´m just repeating what is blindingly obvious. Please don´t send me any more private messages because there´s already enough secrecy in this matter. Whatever you like, here.

Regards

Andres Arevalo

The Spanish original

Hola Pancho,

No sabía que había recibido un mensaje privado tuyo hasta hace unos días que vi el aviso en el filtro del e-mail. No he tenido tiempo para responder hasta ahora.

De: PanchoCampo

Para: Andres Arevalo

Publicado: Vie Nov 25, 2011 05:53 pm

Asunto: Tu post

Estimado Andrés o Esteban o como te llames, tu entrada coincide perfectamente con otra que ya se baneo anteriormente en este foro. Te invito a que presentes pruebas de tus acusaciones. Nosotros si tenemos contratos firmados y documentación que respalda nuestro argumento.

Pero desde luego a un seudónimo no le vamos a contestar en el foro público. Un saludo, TWA

Me pides pruebas? Sobre como has manejado la agenda de Jay Miller para tu beneficio económico? No hace falta, van saliendo una a una en diferentes foros nacionales y sobre todo internacionales en EEUU y Reino Unido. He visto que Parker va a contratar un abogado, me parece estupendo!

En la Rioja nos conocemos todos, y todo se sabe. Es cierto que nadie va a decir nada por miedo a que le pueda afectar a la relación que sus vinos puedan tener con TWA, o enfrentarse con algunos miembros relevantes del Consejo Regulador. La gente tiene muchos problemas como meterse en mas, pero eso no quiere que la gente no se de cuanta de lo que está pasando.

- NO es cierto que ARAEX fue patrocinado de Wine Future Rioja pagando para poner sus vinos de la cena del último día? Eso está en tu propia web. Y no es cierto que ha patrocinado Wine Future Hong Kong? Porque el video promocional que has publicado hasta en la CNN aparece con sus 2 logos bien grandes. ¿Pruebas? Esta en tu web.

Me parece estupendo que cada uno haga lo que quiera con su dinero. ¿Pero no es cierto que la visita a Valtravieso en Ribera o Baigorri en Rioja, o varios de los vinos de la cata de vinos españoles en Hong-Kong son de su grupo exportador? ¿Pruebas? Para no aburrir aquí a nadie, que miren la lista de las bodegas pertenecientes al grupo y luego la lista de los vinos.

ARAEX puede hacer con su dinero lo que quiera, y si te lo quiere dar a ti es muy libre, pero otras bodegas con mas puntuaciones que esas 2 no hay visto a Jay Miller, y no son envidias sino impotencia, al ver como el critico mas importante se a va a otras bodegas, previo pago al organizador de la agenda. Y es cierto, que Jay Miller no ha cobrado por las visitas ni por catar los vinos, pero si la persona que organiza la agenda, el Sr. Campo.

- NO es cierto que se visitó la bodega Juan Alcorta para catar los vinos

Azpilicueta Crianza: 2009, 2004

Campo Viejo Reserva:

Campo Viejo Gran Reserva Esto esta publicado en verema.com y firmado por ti. http://www.verema.com/articulos/779356-gira-jay-miller-por-toro-ribera-rioja Es una bodega espectacular como muchas otras en Rioja, pero sus vinos ni se venden en EEUU, salvo Campo Viejo en Supermercados. Es una bodega que eligió Jay Miller?

Hay muchas otras bodegas que si venden sus vinos en EEUU y con puntuaciones mas altas, pero como no patrocinan tus eventos no han tenido visitas. En privado mucha gente se ha quejado, pero como he dicho antes no quieren mas líos, ni con el Presidente del Consejo y sobre todo con el equipo de Parker. Es cierto se cataron muchos vinos en el Consejo y otros pueden presentarlos a través de su importador, pero a todos nos gustaría hacernos una foto con Miller y que visitara nuestra bodega.

- DO Campo de Borja , después de Rioja, Ribera y Cataluña recibió una visita personal de Jay Miller. NO es cierto que esta google llena de fechas y catas que has realizado contratado por ellos? Y al precio que cobras las clases como se ha publicado no habrán sido nada baratas. La DO CdeB puede hacer con su dinero lo que quiera, ¿Pero no es cierto que hay una relación muy directa?

- Lo del Madrid DO que era de dominio público, se ha publicado los emails entre tu comercial Adela y tu con la DO. ¿Quieres mas pruebas?

Hay docenas y docenas de ejemplos por toda España. Pero dejo a los periodistas del vino o no del vino, porque este tema transciende nuestra humilde industria, que investiguen esto en detalle, sobre como te estás forrando manejando la agenda de Miller a costa de los bajos presupuestos de las DOs de España.

Y nada contra Jay Miller contra Paker y todos los críticos del vino que son bienvenidos a Rioja, pero no hace falta que contraten intermediarios.

Me voy a cenar porque creo que repito demasiado lo que es obvio. Por favor, no me envíes mas mensajes privados porque ya hay bastante secretismo en este tema. Lo que quieras por aquí.

Un saludo,

Andrés

Campo phones his lawyers

Pancho Campo MW – cut price (€20,000) access to Jay Miller 

Scene: Luxury, modern offices of law firm Cata, Schmuck and Magistral in the central Marbella, Spain. Juan-Stop Solutions, a senior partner, takes a call.

Juan-Stop (JS): Hi Pancho how are you doing?

Pancho Campo (PC): Pretty good despite the punishing schedule.

JS: Yeah I’ve been sort of following your progress – Jerez, Malaga, Murcia, Valencia, including, I hear, a quick stop off at Utiel-Requena, and Madrid. Still, business is business. How's the big American guy standing up to it?

PC: Jay Miller.

JS: Yeah, Jay. He’s getting on in years isn’t he?

PC: 67, and got a bit of rheumatoid arthritis.

JS: Just looking at your timetable makes me tired. Make sure you take care of Miller – he’s your meal ticket!

PC: Yeah, it’s been tough the last few mornings getting him out of bed…. but there’s a lot to do …...

JS: Don’t worry Pan, it will soon be Christmas and you can have a nice break.

PC: Yeah, Juan, a few days off would be good.

JS: Off to Dubai for Christmas this year, Pancho, visit the in-laws? You’d be sure of sunshine…

PC: (splutters down phone) – Basta Juan! You know I can’t go there!

JS: Sorry, just my little joke, Pan. Anyway, what can I do for you today?

PC: It’s that third-rate blogger Jim Budd. I spoke to you about him the other day. He’s gone completely over the top this time – gone way too far! I’ve been patient for two years but enough is enough.

JS: What’s he done this time? The last time we spoke about this guy he was on about Miller’s visit to Murcia.

PC: He’s still going on about Murcia, but worse, he is now attacking me about a trip to Madrid last July that never happened. Making me look real bad.

JS: You mean this Budd has invented all this?

PC: Not exactly, Juan. The trip didn’t happen because DO Vinos de Madrid couldn’t afford our management fees.

JS: So, what’s the problem, Pan?

PC: Well, Budd’s somehow got hold of an email I sent from Tuscany saying the normal price for a visit from Jay would be €40,000, but we could cut a special deal for a shortened version for €20,000.

JS: Pan, I still don’t see the problem. We just do the usual and say that this wasn’t an official trip and the €20,000 was for a marketing seminar.

PC:  The problem is, Juan, that Adela had earlier sent an email setting out our conditions for Jay to rate Madrid wines with the assessments to be published – so an official visit.

JS: I see it now, Pan – rather busts wide open your mate Parker’s ethical guidelines! Lots of sticky stuff! A real smokin’ gun, eh Pan?

PC: Juan you’ve got to do something. The guy’s fingering my balls, you know, tocándome los cojones.

JS: Pan, while we are your lawyers, we can’t take responsibility for your cojones. Anyway I’ll see what I can do. But it’ll cost, especially if you don’t pay the bill on time – no more court cases here in Marbella, please Pan*.

PC: I’d be really grateful if you can sort it! Even in Spain people are starting to ask questions!

JS: How did you send you the email?

PC: I sent it on my iPhone from the middle of Tuscany.

JS: So we can’t claim it’s a fake. Budd isn’t just fingering your balls, he’s got them in a vice!

PC: Juan, cut the jokes please – what are we going to do?

JS: Don’t panic, Pan. I think I can see a way…. iPhone, you say. Surely must have been a technical fault.  What you typed didn’t show up on the screen.

PC: Not sure I follow you, Juan…

JS: Look, Pan. When you typed – ‘under no circumstances can we accept any payment for a visit by Miller’ – it came out: ‘Private visits off the set agenda, as this would be, rarely take place, and not for a price below 40,000 euros.’

PC: That’s exactly it, Juan. What a genius! How soon can we send Budd one of your famous stiffies?**

JS: I’ll work on it, Pan, and get back to you. But it’s got to be really good – it has to fool Parker…

* May be another of Juan-Stop’s little jokes relating to a civil case brought by Dune Networks Sl, who did work for The Wine Academy of Spain (Pancho Campo) on the ‘Simposium Internacional del Vino’. The case was brought in 2007, seeking to recover an unpaid bill of €8,879.18. Judgment was given against Campo by a Marbella court on 27th June 2008, ordering the outstanding sum to be paid.

** stiffies – legal letter

For post with details of Vinos de Madrid emails see here.

Pancho Campo MW – Vinos de Madrid: a response from Robert Parker

Pancho Campo MW

I understand that Robert Parker has just posted the following statement on his website relating to my post Campogate: No Pay – No Jay:

"This blogger posted about Miller/Campo charging for tasting Spanish wines or for visiting Spanish wineries a while ago. We launched an investigation at that time despite the fact that both Miller/Campo denied all the allegations. We found no substance or truth to any of the allegations.

Now he has brought similar charges. This time we have requested our lawyers to fully examine every allegation again, and they have also retained an additional lawyer, from Madrid, to study the allegations, and if again false, consider legal action. Jay chooses and controls 100% of the wines he tastes and wineries he visits. He uses the Spanish Wine Academy (Pancho Campo is their President) to assist in organization. We would never permit a winery to pay us for the priviledge of tasting their wine or visiting the winery. Moreover, Campo also understands his organization cannot charge wineries for Miller's visits. Both of them have full knowledge that is an appalling conflict of interest that would not be tolerated under any circumstance. There have been trade conferences organized by the Spanish Wine Academy that Jay has been paid a fee of $10,000 (which seems reasonable) and far less than the amounts reported by this blogger.

I have been asked by our USA lawyers to refrain from commenting about this given the potential lawsuits by Jay, by Pancho, and possibly by TWA against these bloggers. Until we are 100% certain of all the facts, I think this subject, which appears to be a reckless and malicious disregard for the truth and clearly aimed at damaging Miller, Campo, and TWA, needs to be closed."

My comments:

I have never accused Jay Miller of taking money for visits to wineries or for tasting wine to be assessed for The Wine Advocate. On the two occasions I sent questions to Robert Parker I stressed that I was not accusing Miller of taking money for winery visits or for tasting wines that would be assessed for publication in The Wine Advocate. I have received no acknowledgment from either Parker or The Wine Advocate.

The only possible evidence that Miller might take money for visits to wine regions comes from the email sent by Pancho Campo MW on 3rd June 2011 at 15.30:

'Private visits off the set agenda, as this would be, rarely take place, and not for a price below 40,000 euros. The fact that Jay has agreed to stay 2 days more, and for half the usual price, is a miracle and an opportunity that Madrid will find it difficult to have again.'

Yesterday morning I sent Miller a copy of Campo's email and invited him to comment on this 'miracle'. I hope he will do so.

Far from being 'a reckless and malicious disregard for the truth' (possibly defamatory but I'll let that go) the posts on the proposed visits to Murcia and to DO Vinos de Madrid have been carefully based upon emails. In the case of Murcia on emails sent in October 2011 by officials in the regional ministry of agriculture and by Juan Antonio Ruiz Jimenéz of Asevin. I sent copies of these emails to Parker – again with no response or acknowledgment.

On 1st November 2011 I received an email from Jimenéz informing me that the article that had appeared on Jacques Berthomeau's site was based on completely false information and conclusions. As the article was based on the email Jimenéz had sent on 4th October 2011 to a number of bodegas in Murcia, I asked Jimenéz to let me know as quickly as possible what was false in his email as I was anxious to correct an false information on Jim's Loire as rapidly as possible. To date I am still awaiting a reply.

Thinking it would be helpful for Parker to see the additional Murcian emails, I emailed them to him with a copy going to The Wine Advocate's secretary on 23rd November 2011. I trust he got them as I have received no reply or acknowledgment to date.

Parker writes: 'We found no substance or truth to any of the allegations.' Since my post were based on the emails sent by officials in Murcia during October this appears to suggest that the information in these emails was either false or they are fakes. Again if this can be shown to be the case I will make any necessary amendments and retractions as rapidly as possible. To date there has been no evidence produced to indicate that the information they contain is false or that they are fakes.

Yesterday's post on the abortive visit to DO Vinos de Madrid proposed for July 2011 is based on emails sent between The Wine Academy of Spain and Vinos de Madrid and Aprovin. Copies of these emails were sent to DO Vinos de Madrid. If it would assist Mr Parker and his lawyers I will be happy to provide them with the original emails (in Spanish). Please email me on budmac@btinternet.com Again if these emails can be shown to contain false information or are fakes, then I will make any necessary amendments and retractions as rapidly as possible.

However, on current information, I stand by my posts on Murcia and DO Vinos de Madrid.

Campogate: No Pay – No Jay

Adela Richer (left), Pancho Campo and Jay Miller (seated), Paulina Campo (back row, second left), Rony Bacqué (general manager of The Wine Academy of Spain) standing

(I’m greatly indebted to Harold Heckle, long established wine writer based in Madrid, for shedding further light on the non-visit to DO Vinos de Madrid. In particular it was his persistence that obtained copies of the explosive emails that form the basis of this co-authored post.)

Pancho Campo MW offered D.O. Vinos de Madrid what he called a cut-price deal of €20,000 for a two-day visit to the region by Jay Miller in July 2011. His special offer would have delivered Miller to the DO on 11th-12th July as the American wine writer and Campo returned from a tasting trip to Navarra. However, the small region set around Spain's capital city was so taken aback by the cost that it turned down the offer. In a bid to coax the deal to go through, Campo told Madrid such a short-notice visit ‘off the set agenda’ would normally cost more than €40,000, but that by a ‘miracle’ he had managed to persuade Miller ‘to stay 2 days more, and for half the usual price’. 

The two tasters had been set to drive southwest from Navarra, a region that has for decades strived to emulate the success of neighbouring Rioja. It is reported that Navarra shelled out €100,000 for its visit, with Miller collecting a $15,000 fee for a single master class there.

In an email sent via his iPhone from Tuscany at 15.30 on Friday 3^rd June to Adela Richer, commercial director of The Wine Academy of Spain and copied to Irene Llorente of Aprovin and Elena Arribas of D.O. Vinos de Madrid, Campo pressured them to close the deal:

‘Asunto: Re: CATA VINOS DE MADTRID POR JAY MILLER, CONFERENCIA, VISITA A BODEGAS Y CATA DE 8 VINOS ENTRE PANCHO CAMPO MW Y JAY MILLER

Dear Adela,

This is a unique opportunity for vinos de Madrid, seeing as how this DO is not in Parker's plans to be visited in either 2012 or 2013.

Private visits off the set agenda, as this would be, rarely take place, and not for a price below 40,000 euros. The fact that Jay has agreed to stay 2 days more, and for half the usual price, is a miracle and an opportunity that Madrid will find it difficult to have again.

We close our diary next Wednesday. I hope they reconsider, especially considering how difficult the market is for Spain and that any little push like this can help a lot.

A kiss from Tuscany.

Pancho’

The visit proposal, as Richer outlined in an earlier email on 3rd June to Llorente (Aprovin is an organization that provides for Madrid the equivalent of what Asevin does for Murcia) and Arribas, press representative for D.O. Vinos de Madrid, was as follows:

'Dear Irene and Elena,

After talking with Pancho and analyzing your proposition, and since he feels great affection, he wants to cooperate with you, he proposes this:

     

It would have to be just after Navarra and would last two days (July 11 and 12)

1. Visit to 3 or 4 wineries

2. Tasting and press conference as at Fenavin. They would only taste around 8 wines.

3. Tasting of wines that have a U.S. importer and which Jay has not previously scored. (A prerequisite for their appearance in the publication)

 4, The wineries have to organize everything, tasting venue, invitations, tasting glasses, etc.

5. If they can't comply with all this, then Jay won't be able to do it until well into 2012

Cost € 20,000 plus VAT,  

I think that it is well worth your effort, and seeing as how we are doing a tasting with Miller in Madrid ... Let's make it a big one.

Invite the whole sector, buyers, distributors, specialist stores, VIP consumers ... they love big tastings and on top of it, these two will involve the winemakers in the wine tasting ...

Let me know, I'm using all my influence with Pancho, let's see if the winemakers know how to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

I need to know something by Wednesday ... Miller has many commitments and proposals from all around the world, and we cannot block-book his diary more than 4 days.’

A kiss to the two of you

Adela'

*

Richer was offering those Madrid bodegas that have American importers a chance to have their wines judged and rated by Miller, with the results to be published in The Wine Advocate.  Thus, it seems clear that the impression being given was that this was to have been an official visit by Miller.

Llorente was not entirely bowled over by The Wine Academy of Spain's proposition. There are not many wineries in up-and-coming D.O. Vinos de Madrid that export to the USA, and even a cut-price deal of €23,600 struck her as expensive, particularly in these straitened times. Also some wines from the region have, thanks to their importer, already been assessed by Parker and are on sale in Madrid with labels announcing their Parker points. Llorente also pointed out that The Wine Academy of Spain’s proposal was not properly budgeted. Hence her rather guarded response late morning on 3rd June: 

Dear Adele:

Thanks for dealing with the consultation I threw your way over the phone yesterday so quickly.

As I mentioned to you today as well, it all depends on the participation of wineries that export to the U.S. market, roughly 8 or 9 wineries from DO Vinos de Madrid. In turn, it also depends on whether PromoMadrid can approve such a budget, as they always help us when it comes to trying to internationalize the wineries of Madrid.

And regarding the budget that you have sent, I ask you to insert it into a proper document and that you break it down by concepts to show how you arrive at such a figure. I have to make a formal proposal to PromoMadrid and I cannot present it like this, in the rough. I'd appreciate it.

For my part, I am sending this now to exporting wineries to seek their answer as soon as possible, to meet your requirements for them to present their wines to Jay Miller.

*

Mid-afternoon the same day Richer made a further attempt to persuade Llorente of the benefits of paying for a visit from Miller before Campo turned the screw at 15.30 (see above). 

‘Dear Irene, those of us who still have jobs, we must work well, like this!

Look, the comment you've made, that it may be too hasty, and that the July date may not be good, I think that for any winemaker who is interested in sticking his head in the American market, and to have the opportunity to share a day with Miller and Pancho, dates should not matter. If they're on vacation, all they'd have to do is come up to Madrid for one day and enjoy a nice and constructive tasting, a Conference-Colloquium given by two people who are tremendously influential in the sector nationally and internationally

It's a great opportunity that we're providing them with, and that, given the circumstances, they can benefit from. They can talk to Miller and Pancho, discuss their concerns, have them guide producers on how best to aim their wines, what taste trends are and how best to look for an importer ...

And, you know, the bus passes only once. In 2012 things could change and it could be that we may not even be able to taste Madrid wines.

I am convinced that this timing will be interesting for Jeromin, Valverde, Benito, Qbel (sic), La bodega del Presidente, Castejón, Tagonius and some others I leave off this list ... at least I consider them all good entrepreneurs.

July is a busy month, and also with the crisis on us even August would be a good month in which to host this tasting, don't you think?

Well, you've got the opportunity...

I hope you know how to take advantage of it

a hug and thanks for thinking of us

Adela Richer

Commercial Director The Wine Academy

*

Despite Campo’s cut-price deal and ‘the miracle’ that Jay had agreed to stay two days more, and for 'half the usual price,' DO Vinos de Madrid turned down the offer. We understand that considerably less than half of the bodegas expressed any interest. The result: No pay – no Jay.

Campo has claimed that it was DO Madrid who contacted The Wine Academy of Spain, and has given several reasons why the Madrid visit didn’t go ahead.

To Adam Lechmere (Decanter): It was DO Vinos de Madrid who approached The Wine Academy of Spain with a request to organise a visit by Jay Miller. The visit did not go ahead due to a lack of time to organise this visit and that Vinos de Madrid could not afford the management fee. Campo told Lechmere that he is not apologetic about the cost of his management fees, which he described as “the going rate”.

Campo told Lechmere that: “absolutely no money ever changes hands between him and the consejo”. Madrid got in touch with him asking for a Wine Academy event. They could not afford it, nor could it be put together in their timeframe, so the idea was dropped. They wanted a tasting for 200 people, he said the cost would be €20k. Furthermore “no money changes hands for Jay Miller visits but it does for seminars”.

Elsewhere he has claimed that Vinos de Madrid ‘wanted to pay’ for Jay to go and visit wineries and review their wines for The Wine Advocate. Feigning shock, he said this was unacceptable, and he declined the approach.

**

The series of emails, which read on occasions like a scene out of The Godfather, show starkly that Campo has evidently sought to profit from his position organising Jay Miller’s visits as reviewer of Spanish wines for The Wine Advocate. He has indeed become Jay Miller’s gatekeeper, and charged the struggling Spanish wine industry hefty chunks of their total annual budgets – ‘the going rate’ – for access to Miller. Doubtless Don Corleone also had a ‘going rate’. 

The emails highlight the pressure being brought to bear on Vinos de Madrid – ‘unique opportunity’, ‘And, you know, the bus passes only once‘, “Well, you've got the opportunity”, “I hope they reconsider” – all familiar boiler room tactics, but by email.

Furthermore, the correspondence makes it clear that Campo has lied regularly over how Miller’s trips are really organised. Campo has lied not only to people asking awkward questions, but also to some of his staunchest supporters – people who have risked their reputations going out on a limb for him. Back in September 2009 he lied to his proponents over events in Dubai, and clearly he sees no reason to stop now. 

Looking at the proposal sent by Richer, it is evident that Campo’s only role in the mooted visit by Miller was to ensure that the illustrious American critic turned up. “The wineries have to organize everything, tasting venue, invitations, tasting glasses, etc.” and if you don’t agree to this, tough, because you won’t see Miller for many a month: it's €20,000 + VAT (€23,600) for access!

Late news flash

Suddenly late Tuesday afternoon (29.11.11) Madrid bodegas were contacted by Vinos de Madrid asking them to send two bottles of each of their wines to the DO for Miller to taste their wines this Thursday 1^st December, at no apparent charge! That day Miller and Campo are scheduled to give a 45-minute speaking engagement at the presentation of wines from Spanish cooperatives selected for El Arte de Beber (the art of imbibing).

Why this sudden volte face when Campo had recently said that Miller had no plans to visit or taste Vinos de Madrid until 2014?

Is it just coincidental that yesterday morning I emailed Campo (with no response as of 14.20, 30.11.11) telling him that I would shortly be posting on Jim’s Loire further details of how the Wine Academy of Spain had approached Vinos de Madrid with its proposal that would have included a number of visits to bodegas along with a masterclass and seminar? Judge for yourself.

Pancho Campo MW and Jay Miller (interempresas.net)

See here a response and legal threats by Robert Parker posted on his website late Wednesday evening (GMT).