Marc Sibard (Caves Augé, Paris) convicted of sexual harassment

Last week my Tuesday post on Les 5 du Vin covered the 'Affaire Marc Sibard'. Sibard has been the manager for many years of Caves Augé, one of the most famous Parisian wine merchants as well as being a wine buyer for Lavinia, which owns Caves Augé.

On July 6th 2017 he was found guilty on a number of charges of sexual assault on female employees at Caves Augé. 

My post on Les 5 du Vin: 

Marc Sibard condemned – some reflections

Marc Sibard condemned – some reflections

18/07/2017 par Les 5 du Vin

Revue du Vin de France: sympathetic interview with Marc Sibard 2.5.17

On Sunday (16th July) Michel Smith posted here about the silence that has generally surrounded the guilty verdict against Marc Sibard for moral and sexual harassment. Running the famous Caves Augé in Paris for many years Sibard is a famous within the Parisian wine world.

The case was brought by three female ex-employees of the Caves Augé, who had been touched inappropriately by Sibard back in 2012. The lawyer for one of the women referred to un droit de cuissage – similar to droit de seigneur. Five years later on 6th July 2017 Sibard was found guilty at the Tribunal de Paris and sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, suspended, ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism for 24 months, pay legal fees amounting to 24,000 euros and a fine 5000 €. If Sibard offends again within five years he will go to prison. Details here and here. Caves Augé is part of the Lavinia group.

Read here and here the experience and thoughts of Emma Bentley, one of the plaintiffs. These are brave and moving posts. I know a little at first hand how stressful and time consuming a court case can be even if it does not come to court. This pales into insignificance when you make a sexual harassment complaint and follow it through to the trial.

Michel’s complaint on Sunday was that Sibard being found guilty of repeated sexual harassment/abuse has largely been greeted with silence and complete indifference by the wine world. Apparently a leading wine world figure being declared a sex offender is not news. Apart from a couple of articles on Vitisphere above and posts on blogs, in particular Vincent Pousson, and some on Facebook, Vincent again and Michel Smith. Otherwise nothing…… omerta? Thank goodness for social media!

A Google search on Sibard brings up the sympathetic interview/profile published by the Revue du Vin de France on 2nd May 2017 just over two months before Sibard was condemned as a sex offender. No mention of the impending case and no mention subsequent to the 6th July 2017 judgment. The article is on-line so it could easily be amended or removed.

Did RdF know about the impending trial? Did Sibard not think it was germane to disclose that he faced serious sexual charges? Or did both sides think that sexual harassment was so unimportant it didn’t merit a mention either then or now? **

« Nothing to see here, move on please. »

Actually it is clear that there is plenty that needs to be uncovered and seen. Read Michel Smith’s Facebook post from Sunday promoting his post on Les 5 du Vin, which provided a focus for a number of women to report on their experiences of harassment:

‘Une fois je me suis trouvée dans une situation où la seule issue a été la fuite et encore heureux je cours plus vite qu’un célèbre vigneron espagnol bourré…’ 

In the UK over the last few years we have seen a number of high profile trials of powerful and famous men, who got away, often for years, with sexual harassment and assault. Several are now in prison or have served prison sentences. The entertainer, Rolf Harris, was found guilty of a first set of charges, but was acquitted this year of four new charges when the jury couldn’t agree on a verdict.  Others include the publicist Max Clifford and radio personality Stuart Hall.

There are also multiple allegations involving abuse of young boys by certain UK football coaches. These offences/allegations date back to 1970s, 1980s and 1990s showing it can be very difficult for victims of sexual harassment and abuse to come forward especially if the abuser is in a position of power – fame, wealth or employer etc. The changes in attitude to these assaults following the exposure of the multiple sexual assaults by the late DJ Jimmy Saville and the scandals of the Catholic Church may well have encouraged some of the victims to come forward years – decades even – after the assaults took place. *

This is why breaking the silence is so important to make easier for victims to come forward and to change attitudes to assaults, so that not only will sexual harassment be reported but people will hopefully be empowered to challenge sexual harassment when it happens – often requiring considerable courage.

There is a long way to go. Amazingly Donald Trump is currently president of the United States and a recent visitor to Paris despite a history of multiple sexual harassment claims. Highlighted by his famous brag: I « can do anything » to women, including « just start kissing them … I don’t even wait » and « grab ’em by the pussy« .

Ironically Trump was propelled into power as 64% of non-college educated white women voted for him!

Across the Atlantic en marche backwards……..

* Some of these cases involved minors, there is no suggestion that this was the case in the judgment against Marc Sibard.

Update 18.00 BST 18.7.2017

** This afternoon following the news that Marc Sibard would not be appealing against the judgment of 6th July 2017, the Revue du Vin de France has published a news story on the sentence imposed upon Marc Sibard. RvF article is here.

Yesterday (26th July) Vincent Pousson posted an shocking interview with Pauline X, an employee of Caves Augé who had been harassed and abused by Sibard. Pauline was one of those who successfully brought the case against Sibard. Sibard's humiliating treatment of Pauline included locking her in his Caves Augé office along with a false claim that she was his mistress. 

Eventually she left the Caves Augé in March 2013 having had to sign a non-disclosure with Lavinia, which rather suggests that Lavinia wished to cover up Sibard's harassment of his female employees. 

•••

 

I have to wonder how widespread sexual harassment is in the wine world. Is Sibard an exceptional case. Do young female wine students face abuse and harassment when they go on work experience in wineries around the world? I hope not but I just don't know.

 

 

Touche pas à mon vigneron ! petition against proposal to stop the French talking about their wine on net

October 2008: signs from a a demonstration in Sancerre 
against mentioning wine on the internet. Sancerre road sign changed to Censuré
Photos: BIVC

On Friday 7th June Professor Michel Reynaud delivered his report on addiction to the French Government. Amongst his proposals is a ban on posting about alcohol on social media. This would include all wines, although wine tourism, wine merchants and producers sites would be exempted from the ban. He calls for a strict application of the Loi Evin that placed severe limits on the promotion of alcoholic products. 

'Revenir, sur internet, à l’essence même de la loi Evin.

La propagande ou la publicit., directe ou indirecte, en faveur des boissons alcooliques est très limitée, à certains supports. Sur la toile, c’est exactement l’inverse depuis la loi HPST: la promotion des boissons alcoolisées y est autorisée, sauf sur certains sites. Ne pas autoriser cette promotion, sauf sur certains sites clairement définis (producteurs, marchands en ligne, oenotourisme…).

Extract from page 92 of the synthesis of Michel Reynaud's report

Apart from it being daft to ban coverage of wine, which is an integral part of French culture, how this would be policed is not at all clear. It would be relatively easy to ban French wine producers posting about their domaines and their wines but for the moment, at least, they appear to be exempt. But how do you stop French citizens posting, especially those living abroad? Then what about all the non-French who post about wine on the net and can be read by people living in France?

A petition has been launched against this proposal. A petition that demands that French producers continue to be allowed to post about their domaines and wines on the net. Ideally the focus of the petition should be broader but still worth signing.        

Please sign the petition here. 

         SAUVONS LA LIBERTE D’EXPRESSION DE NOS VIGNERONS

Il y a quelques jours (vendredi le 7 juin) le Professeur Reynaud a rendu son rapport au gouvernement sur Les stratégies validées de réduction des dommages liés aux addictions dans lequel il dresse un ensemble de préconisations afin de lutter contre les addictions, notamment en matière d’alcool. 

Dans celles-ci on note, qu’en sus de l’habituelle augmentation des taxes qui a toujours démontré son inefficacité sur les comportements dangereux mais permet néanmoins de remplir les caisses de l’Etat, le Professeur préconise de ne plus autoriser la promotion sur internet, comprenant spécifiquement dans cette définition les réseaux sociaux. 

Nous tenons tout d’abord à souligner qu’associer le vin à l’alcool, sous toutes ses formes, c’est avant tout nier la dimension culturelle et économique, mais également civilisationnelle, qu’a le vin dans notre pays.  

Nous demandons que la législation prenne enfin en compte la différenciation entre vin et alcool au sein même de nos réglementations. 

D’autre part, nous n’aurons pas la mesquinerie de rappeler que le vin reste pour bien des bassins la première source d’emplois directe et indirecte, ni qu’il reste à ce jour la seconde source de revenus pour l’Etat à l’export.  

Nous tenons à rappeler que les réseaux sociaux, contrairement à ce que laisse entendre le rapport, sont déjà soumis à réglementation puisque les pages sont paramétrées pour ne pas être visibles par les mineurs, que les communications qui y sont faites sont d’ores et déjà soumises à la Loi Evin.  

Elles permettent entre autres à nos vignerons de parler de leurs engagements en matière de vinification et de conduite de la vigne et d'expliquer clairement la qualité de leur production. 

Serait-il vain de rappeler une fois encore que les vignerons sont avant tout des agriculteurs et non des industriels dont les engagements écologiques, qualitatifs et économiques font la renommée de notre pays tant à l’export qu’auprès de nos compatriotes ?  

Ramener tout un pan de notre culture et de notre économie à des dealeurs d’alcoolc’est aussi nier à nos vignerons le droit d’être fiers de leur travail et de leur engagement. 

Couper le vin d’un accès à internet et aux réseaux sociaux, c’est placer la viticulture française en position de déséquilibre économique face à nos partenaires européens et empêcher une concurrence loyale entre eux.  

Pour de nombreux importateurs, la communication effectuée par les producteurs sur ces réseaux en direct leur permettent de diminuer les coûts de communication sur ces vins et de valoriser ainsi leur catalogue. Empêcher cette communication, alors que nos voisins pourront s’y exprimer à l’envie impliquera pour l’acheteur un coût de communication supplémentaire avec les vins français. A l’heure du choix, nul doute que ces éléments pèseront dans la balance décisionnelle. 

Parier que les vins français, par leur seule renommée et sans aucune communication, continueront à être achetés de par le monde est un leurre. La production s’améliore partout et nous devons pouvoir communiquer sur notre savoir-faire afin de sauvegarder nos exportations. 

Plus encore, pouvoir communiquer sur la consommation modérée du vin en France, c’est également défendre cet art de vivre à la française que nous envie le monde entier et qui reste pour de nombreux étrangers le moteur décisionnel de l’achat de vin français. 

Nous tenons à rappeler que nous nous élevons contre les comportements de consommation excessive mais que bâillonner à toute force c’est aussi empêcher les messages sur le bien boire, la consommation modérée et raisonnable.  

En lui enlevant toute parole, on érige l’alcool en un interdit qu’il devient cool de transgresser. 

Avant de boire, il serait enfin temps d’apprendre à déguster. 

Cet apprentissage passe aussi par la parole donnée aux vignerons. Alors que Les experts annoncent une augmentation de l’alcoolisme, principalement chez les jeunes, la consommation du vin chute tandis que celle des vodkas et whiskys est en constante augmentation. Dès lors, comment continuer à récriminer le vin? 

Ce rapport préconise également de taxer 1euro pour 1 euro engagé - au prorata des investissements en opérations marketing, communication notamment. Nous tenons fermement à nous opposer à ce type d’actions. Déjà encadrées par la loi Evin, les campagnes marketing, mises en place par les acteurs de la profession, visent à défendre les aspects qualitatifs de nos vins et ne vantent en aucune façon les comportements abusifs. Non contents de devoir trouver les budgets pour parler de nos vins, nous devrons payer ce droit d’expression. 

Sous couvert de santé publique, toutes ces préconisations n’ont d’autre but que de détruire un pan de notre culture, de notre économie, voire de notre civilisation. 

Nous avons besoin de vous, amoureux du vin, vignerons, négociants, interprofessions. En signant cette pétition vous montrez votre engagement auprès de nos vignerons et des valeurs du vin.  

Nous vous remercions de bien vouloir signer cette pétition et de la faire circuler autour de vous afin de soutenir et défendre nos vins et ceux qui les font.  

Touche pas à mon vigneron est un collectif de soutien à la viticulture française. 

Pour en savoir plus sur Touche Pas A Mon Vigneron :  

Rejoignez-nous sur notre page facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TouchePasAMonVigneron 

Sur Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TPAMV 

Pour lire le rapport remis dans son intégralité:

http://cms.centredesaddictions.org/pdf/Mildt_MR_DJM_Synthese.pdf 

Pour lire un condensé du rapport et des msures préconisées:

http://quillesdefilles.com/?page_id=1531

See also a fine post by Vincent Pousson here.

 

Con artists @1855 offer Château d'Yquem 2012! Priceless!

1855 offering 2012 Château d'Yquem

Château d'Yquem exists but not in 2012

SudOuest, Vincent Pousson and Nicolas de Rouyn (Bon Vivant blog) have revealed that the 1855 internet wine company that specialises in taking clients' money but then frequently fails to deliver wines ordered is now offering 2012 Château d'Yquem for an eventual delivery in June 2015. I should make that 'was' offering as the clowns that run this 'company' have now removed the page from the internet site.       

It is well known, except clearly at the headquarters of 1855 in the Rue des Moulins in central Paris, that Château d'Yquem decided in December 2012 that, because of the adverse weather conditions, they would not be making any d'Yquem in 2012. This was reported by decanter.com and many other sources.  

This embarrassing episode has forced Emetic Sauty de Chalon into offering an absurd explanation that they were merely making it possible to alert their clients in case the non-existent d'Yquem became available. I suspect that Sauty de Chalon is rather bemused by all this fuss as 1855 has been offering for sale for at least 10 years wines that do not exist as far as their customers are concerned. The advert for 2012 d'Yquem merely takes 1855's business model to a new level.    

In the news release Emetic Sauty de Chalon complains that SudOuest by running this story has damaged 1855's reputation. Sauty de Chalon must be aware that it is he and the rest of the management of 1855 and the other companies in the group who have very successfully damaged the group's reputation by trousering their clients money and then failing to deliver.  

See also a recent warning in La Revue du Vin de France about buying en primeur from ChateauOnline part of the Groupe 1855. It is clear that a growing number of Bordeaux châteaux are at last warning the public not to buy from sites owned by 1855.         

2013 Salon des Vins de Loire: three distinguished observers

Jacques Berthomeau 

On the first day (4th February) of this year's Salon des Vins de Loire there were three distinguished observers lunching together in the Press Room: 

Jacques Berthomeau: author of the Berthomeau report, French government official, blogger – and a founder member of Les 5 du Vin, although he has now been succeeded by David Cobbold.  

 Jacques Berthomeau

Vincent Pousson: based in Barcelona, who first broke the 'Campogate' story by publishing on Facebook an email from Murcia inviting wineries to pay for submitting samples to be tasted by Jay Miller and additional sums for a visit, blogger – idées liquides & solides.  

 Vincent Pousson 

 Vincent sporting matching jumper and light

Michel Smith: based in Perpignan, long established wine writer, world expert on Carignan from the South of France and a founder and continuing member of Les 5 du Vin.

Michel Smith 

Robert Parker sells all or part of The Wine Advocate

 Robert Parker: "Daniel Li (CavesMaître aka Chinese Castel), I presume."

Parker in Hong Kong November 2011 

"Sign here please Mr Parker."

 

The Reuters blog here is reporting that Robert Parker has sold The Wine Advocate to an unnamed group of investors in Singapore. Reuters sourced the story from The Wall Street Journal. Lisa Perrotti-Brown will apparently take over 'editorial oversight'.   

In tweets Parker has clarified that suggestions that the print edition of The Wine Advocate will cease are incorrect nor will it take advertising. There will be an emphasis on online and pdf editions.

Robert Parker and Pancho Campo (before he mislaid is MW)

November 2011

Vincent Pousson's thoughts on the news of the sale and here.

Dr Vino on the changes.

Hill of Hermitage no longer threatened by TV aerial

 Hill of Hermitage (John Livingstone-Learmonth)

The battle to stop the building of a large TV antenna appears to have been won as the French government has stepped in saying that the hill needs to be preserved as part of the national heritage. 

Belatedly relayed message from Vincent Pousson: 

'C'est une excellente nouvelle qui vient d'arriver de Paris, du Ministère de l'Écologie, du Développement durable et de l'Énergie et que relate ce matin Le Dauphiné Libéré: on ne pourra pas défigurer la célèbre colline de l'Hermitage. Le projet d'antenne de télédiffusion dont nous avons beaucoup parlé au début de l'été est ajourné, pour un an au moins, le temps que soit examiné le dossier de classement de ce site viticole et historique remarquable au patrimoine national. C'est-à-dire qu'il est enterré…'
La suite ici:
http://ideesliquidesetsolides.blogspot.com.es/2012/10/la-victoire-des-vignerons-de-lhermitage.html

Also from Jancis Robinson MW:

'24 Oct - The French authorities have, arguably not before time, declared that the hill of Hermitage should probably be considered a historic monument and that therefore no one should be allowed to do anything on it for at least a year. The locals believe that this will give them time to establish the hill definitively as classified and protected and therefore free from housing antennae. Result.

Campogate: no Pay no Jay: shortlisted for 2012 Born Digital Awards

Pancho Campo and Jay Miller 

The shortlist for the 2012 Born Digital Awards has just been announced and I'm delighted that Jim's Loire has been shortlisted in the Best Investigative Wine Story category for 'no Pay no Jay'. Should this happen to win and the competition is very tough, then I will be sharing the prize with my co-author Harold Heckle, who obtained the crucial emails. The winners will be announced on 23rd May at 16.30 at the Access Zone, London International Wine Trade Fair and streamed live on www.vrazon.com/accesszone 

My thanks to Vincent Pousson for breaking the story and to Jacques Berthomeau who gave Vincent a platform through his blog to spread the story I would also like to thank Pancho Campo, Jay Miller and Robert Parker for their invaluable contributions. 

Congratulations to all those who have been shortlisted from over 300 submissions from 24 countries. 

The shortlist:   

Best Editorial Wine Writing

Amy Corron Power: Wine Intelligence admits Bias, Ulterior Motives in “Wine Blogger Distrust” Release

Andrea Frost: The Invention of Wine

Paul Keers: Just Looking: The Joy of Wine Browsing

Quentin Sadler: Minerality in wine – flight of fantasy, fact or terroir?

Evan Dawson: Il Dimenticato: Piedmont’s New White Star Has a Mysterious and Forgotten Past

Best Investigative Wine Story

Pamela Heiligenthal: Has the term ‘California Grand Cru’ Gone too Far?

Jim Budd: Campogate, no Pay no Jay

Evan Dawson: Message from California Winemakers: Stop Slandering Our Pinot!

Carly Wray: Malbec in Argentina

Chris Kissack: Pressure Sensitive

Best Wine Tourism Feature

Mariella Beukers: Culinair genieten in Süd Steiermark

Louise Hurren: Authentic wines and hearty cooking in Bucelas outside Lisbon

Tom Florina: Contextual pleasures: NYC chic meets Corsican mystique

Nick Stock: Preserving Home Turf: A very special part of the world

Wendy Crispell: The Carso, They’ve got the stones to produce great wine and cheese…………

Best Winery Self Produced Content

Iris Rutz-Rudel: Balade de Juin dans la vigne

Gavin: Quinney: 13 Unpalatable Facts about the UK Wine Duty

Ryan O’Connell: Who Visits Vineyards

Brian Overstreet: Born to Sell

Kerith Overstreet: Insufferable

Best Wine Themed Video

Ophélie Neiman: Au coeur du bouchon de liège

Heiko Michels: Es Gart

Giorgia Guarienti: Wine: Got to Deserve It

Richard Hemming: An MW student’s guide to remembering appellations

Debra Meiburg: Grape Moments: Length Matters

Best Wine Photo Essay

Giacomo Tincani: Tie (Legare)

Lannon Harley: 2011 Riesling Harvest at Four Winds Vineyard

Matt Wilson: Small Wine Producers in the Maule Valley Chile

Mick Rock: A biodynamic day at Dr Bürklin Wolf

Lannon Harley: Rolling out the nets at Four Winds Vineyard

Full details here. 

The Circle of Wine Writers is one of the partners of the Born Digital Awards.

Pancho Campo's Charade Management: fast sports cars and the Green Economy!

This morning the Facebook page of Charade Management (aka Chrand Management) has an interesting tweeted blend of the 'green economy' – 'exciting trip to Barcelona on Monday to work on the Green Economy Summit' – and the offer of a test drive of 'one of the fastest sports cars in the market'. Apparently Al Gore has been invited to this conference on 19th-20th October 'on how to improve the economy based on sustainability, ren. energy, etc.'  If Gore accepts Pancho Campo's kind invitation to the Green Conference, will he be offered the chance of a test drive? 

**

Article and post by Vincent Pousson

Jumillagate: la fin du nettoyage de printemps

Pas de communiqué officiel* pour l'instant, juste une phrase laconique du critique Tim Atkin sur Twitter: "Pancho Campo has resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine." Donc, c'est fait. Ce lui qui faisait la pluie et le beau temps dans le Mondovino espagnol a démissionné. Mais avait-il vraiment le choix? 

Posted 3.5.12. Lire la suite ici.

Pancho Campo in front of 'Climate Change' – his red Ferrari

Tweet: Want to learn how sustainable development can improve the economy? October 19th & 20th in Barcelona with Al Gore, Juan Verde' etc.

Pancho Campo, l'ange déchu du système Robert Parker

La Revue du Vin de France has a piece here by Vincent Pousson on how Campogate started and on Campo's resignation ('the fallen angel'). The article features Campo standing in front of his Ferrari. Vincent is the journalist who first broke the story.


Also: Herve Lalau (Chroniques Vineuses) on the Fall of the House of Campo here.