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News
Pancho Campo resigns as an MW
Pancho Campo has resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine.
As a result the IMW has announced it has terminated its investigation into alledged breaches of its Code of Conduct following the furore over the, now infamous, incident in Spain involving The Wine Advocate’s Jay Miller.
The Institute said in a brief statement: “In light of Pancho Campo’s resignation from the Institute of Masters of Wine, the investigation into alleged breaches of the Institute’s Code of Conduct has been terminated.”
The scandal surrounding Campo blew up when it was claimed that he was charging Spanish wineries up to €20,000 a time to “secure” a visit from Miller.
In the wake of the story, Miller left The Wine Advocate under a cloud and the IMW and Robert Parker announced internal investigations, the findings of Parker’s investigation were published last month.
That is terrible news for the IMW. I hope Campo continues organizing those huge events like Winefuture and bringing people like Al Gore and Kofi Annan to our sometimes boring industry. A change was needed as well as fresh blood but it seems the establishment does not like too much “rock&roll” and innovation. I get the impression that being a former athlete, rock promoter and outspoken with the image of a latin lover did not went down well in certain areas of the industry. Good luck Pancho Campo.
Javier, I can’t believe how utterly naive you are being. This is a great day for the IMW not having his name associated with them. Winefuture?! Please! An exercise in self congratulation and lining his own pockets. I will be very interested to see how many of the wine community who have been drinking from his trough at these events will continue to do so after he has been exposed for what he really is. Good riddance!
Javier, please inform yourself about the details of all this affair. When you cheat, lie, manipulate and think you can get away with it, you finally pay for it. He should return the money he requested and took from the Spanish wine community in exchange of masterclases accompanied by Miller. Not everything has even come out, because Parker has been highly protective of the details. The wine business is better off without him.
Javier: I love your wines but is this the ‘rock&roll’ that you want?:
‘In an email sent via his iPhone from Tuscany at 15.30 on Friday 3rd June (2011) 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’
Corruption and bribery has no place in any business sector.
Yes Pancho came up with good ideas in organizing wine conference and make Spanish wine producer think and look at things differently, he did it to make money and that is fine , but what he did with the NO PAY NO JAY is completely unacceptable and he is luck that he is in Spain because in other countries he could be looking at time behind bars and having to return all the money he took. I guess he won’t be on the Interpol list for this scandal.
Though scandals seem to be a thing of the Campo family. Shame that Pancho got greedy.
Wow, this is just so salacious. I find it absolutely fascinating that R. Parker started his wine career as the Consumers Advocate for wine and now he is hiding Jay Miller & Pancho behind his law degree skirt.
I find it rather unfortunate that the Institute of Masters of Wine should not reveal the results of their investigations that have taken such a long time. Either this guy has crossed the yellow line or he has not. In the first case, it should be stated clearly and he should have been thrown out. If he has not, then that should also be explained. This “resignation”, although readable as signifying guilt, is like a “greywash” to me. “Rock and roll” has nothing to do with the issue at stake.
This is Javier Hidalgo, from Bodegas hidalgo La Gitana, Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Just to make clear that I have not written any message in this blog or in any other regarding the Campo affair.
Someone has been using my name or there is another javier hidalgo in the wine industry.
I hope that my friends and colleagues in the Wine Trade don’t get confussed, specialy you, Jim. My feeling about Campo is far away from positioning myself to praise him.
Javier. Many thanks for this clarification. It would be good and proper if the other ‘Javier Hidalgo’ would now provide further identification to avoid any further unfortunate confusion.