Sherry consejo honours ambassador Hines

Former Sherry Wines UK director Graham Hines has been presented with a special award in honour of his role as a Sherry ambassador by the Consejo Regulador de la DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry.

Graham Hines (centre) receives his lifetime achievement award from Consejo Regulador de la DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry president Beltran Domecq and Patricia de la Puerta of Fedejerez (Photo: Sherry Wines UK)

Hines held the directorship of Sherry Wines UK, the official office of the Consejo Regulador de Jerez, for eight years. As reported in db, he announced his retirement from the position in February this year.

Speaking at the Great Sherry Tasting on London’s Southbank, where he was presented with a gift of an inscribed silver platter in recognition of his work in promoting Sherry over the past five decades, Hines remarked on the apparent upward trajectory in Sherry sales in the UK, despite a long period of steady decline.

“I’ve felt for along time working for the Sherry industry I was the man with the parachute – helping the sales to go down more slowly,” he said.

“I’m very pleased to see in the last years that all the work that we, collectively, have all put in is coming to some fruition and that the range of Sherry available in the country is now as large as it’s ever been, or almost as large as it can be.

“I’m pleased that we’re selling Sherry ay £40 a bottle or more. I’m also pleased that the last month’s trading figures were up for the UK. Let’s hope that’s not just a spike. Let’s hope that continues.”

db requested official sales figures from Sherry Wines UK but these were not yet available, a spokesperson said.

Presenting him with his award, Patricia de la Puerta, general secretary of Sherry representative body Fedejerez, praised Hines for his consistent dedication to Sherry over many years.

“I would like especially to thank Graham Hines for this long time that he has been supporting Sherry wines in the,” she said.

“Most of his life he has dedicated to sherry – nearly 50 years – so he has been a big support for the Sherry industry.”

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Upon receiving his gift of a silver platter with a personal inscription of thanks from the consejo, Hines quipped: “When Beltran said it was something ‘that would last me for the rest of my days’, I was frightened it might be an oxygen mask, so I’m very relieved to see it’s a very nice silver tray. Many thanks – I will treasure it!”

Hines began his career in the wine industry 53 years ago at Lay & Wheeler, progressing through the ranks of wine companies including Colman’s of Norwich, Matthew Clark and Gonzalez Byass before joining ICEX in 1984 as director of the Sherry Institute of Spain.

In 1995 he took over the additional role of director of Wines from Spain. He was appointed as the director of Sherry Wines UK in April 2008.

The Great Sherry Tasting is the largest tasting of Sherry Wines outside Jerez, with the UK Sherry’s most important export market.

More than 40 producers were represented at the tasting at the Oxo Tower on London’s Southbank on Monday 12 September, with almost 200 wines available to taste.

The event also included three masterclasses through the course of the day – Sherry Uncovered with Beltran Domecq; Food matching with Fiona Beckett; and The Sherry Landscape – an advanced session in which Domecq discussed the subtle differences between various individual vineyards and pagos of Jerez.