Daniel Ornon: standing up to the 1855 scam

Daniel Ornon: sales director@Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte 

It was good to meet Daniel Ornon, sales director at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, at a busy Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés tasting in Somerset House, London today. Ornon is one of the few people at the top of the Bordeaux wine pyramid prepared to speak out against the 1855 scam. He has also been keen to persuade a number of French journalists to write about the 1855 scam 

Should François Hollande win the French presidential election on Sunday will the apparent protection that 1855 appears to enjoy be reduced, given that the Bettancourts are said to have helped to bankroll Sarkozy's 2007 presidential election? Jean-Pierre Meyers, husband of Françoise Bettancourt-Meyers, is a leading shareholder in 1855.    

Daniel Ornon busy pouring@the London tasting

Pancho Campo resigns his MW

Pancho Campo

I understand that Pancho Campo has today notified the Institute of Masters of Wine that he has decided to resign from the Institute with immediate effect. Apparently The Institute of Masters of Wine investigation was complete and this week the report was due to be considered by the IMW Council.  

Message this afternoon from Siobhan Turner, executive director of the Institute of Masters of Wine, to the MWs:

'Pancho Campo has today informed the Institute, that in light of his move into more sports and music events and away from wine, he has decided to resign his membership of the Institute of Masters of Wine, effective immediately. We wish him the best in his new endeavours.

 

Kind regards

Siobhan Turner

Executive Director'

It is thought that the report from the disciplinary committee recommended that Campo should be suspended for a period of two or three years. Expulsion may also have been an option for the Council to consider.

Under the Institute’s disciplinary procedures Campo would have had a month to accept or appeal against the Council’s decision. If a member accepts the decision then the report is not published. If there is an appeal the report is published along with any submissions the disciplined member has submitted.

Jim's Loire understands that Campo may well issue a statement explaining the reasons for his resignation. 

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In case anyone thinks that Spain is now without an MW, the country still has Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Spanish born although currently working in Belgium. 

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Report on Proensa (3.5.12) http://www.proensa.com/ 

El fin de Pancho Campo como Master of Wine

El ex tenista abandona el mundo del vino y se dedicará a organizar festivales musicales

Madrid, 3 de mayo de 2012.-RP.-La noticia ha llegado, al menos hasta esta edición, a través de un somero tuit del Master of Wine Tim Atkin: “última hora: Pancho Campo renuncia a su título de Master of Wine”. Sin más datos ni ninguna comunicación por su parte o la del Instituto, se acaba así, en cuestión de cuatro años, la historia del que fue primer español en conseguir este preciado título.

The Shard in early May

 

Some photos of the Shard development@London bridge on a dull and cool early May day. Shots taken from top of Tooley Street close to Evans Cycles. 

 Passing lorry and bus with Shard development in background 

 A Southern Hemisphere view of the Shard

'Pocket sized' bus

The upper part of the Shard

... now the middle part