Pancho Campo

Pancho Campo (born Francisco Armando Campo Carrasco, September 13, 1961, in Santiago, Chile[1]) is a Spanish Master of Wine,[2] event organiser and wine educator.

In 2003, Campo founded The Wine Academy of Spain and developed the Spanish Wine Education international certification program, the representative of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) for Spain. The Academy is involved in the research of climate change in the wine industry and organised the World Conference on Climate Change and Wine in 2006 and 2008. Campo was trained by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and is a part of The Climate Project.[3][4][5]

In 2008, Campo became the first Spanish Master of Wine,[3] alternately cited the first MW of Chile.[1]

Ahead of the Winefuture Rioja 09 event with international wine personalities including Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson MW, Oz Clarke, Steven Spurrier, Miguel Torres, Robert Joseph and Gary Vaynerchuk due to speak, an outstanding warrant for the arrest of Campo issued by the UAE in 2003 and subsequent INTERPOL red notice became public knowledge.[6][7] In October 2009, Campo announced he had resigned as president of The Wine Academy of Spain and stepped down as director of the Winefuture Rioja, to be replaced by Kevin Zraly, in order to 'focus on clearing his name'.[8] In July 2010 it was reported that the INTERPOL had removed from their website the warrant for Campos' arrest, and Campos issued a message to the press stating, "I have been informed today that Interpol accepted my request to take my name out of their list. They have found that a mistake was made and an injustice was committed against me".[9]

In October 2011, Pancho Campo has been given a leading role in the "Jumillagate" or "Murciagate" or "Campogate", an unfolding controversy of paid-for wine visits to wineries with Dr Jay Miller (Robert Parker’s official critic for Spain); this story (one of the most important in the wine business) was revealed by Vincent Pousson, Jacques Berthomeau and Jim Budd. "Having received a formal complaint into Pancho Campo MW’s alleged conduct, the Institute of Masters of Wine has opened an investigation." [10] [11] [12] [13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Vial, Álvaro Rodríguez, El Mercurio (November 30, 2008). Médico radicado en España es el primer Master of Wine chileno (Spanish)
  2. ^ mastersofwine.org, Masters of Wine, Pancho Campo profile
  3. ^ a b Reuters.com (October 1, 2008). "Pancho Campo Becomes First Spanish Master of Wine". http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS170878+01-Oct-2008+BW20081001. 
  4. ^ Rosen, Maggie, Decanter.com (February 15, 2008). "Lack of Spanish participation lamented at Barcelona climate conference". http://www.decanter.com/news/180866.html. 
  5. ^ Gaffney, Jacob, Wine Spectator (February 21, 2008). Al Gore Praises Green Initiatives in the Wine Industry
  6. ^ Lechmere, Adam; Budd, Jim, Decanter.com (September 4, 2009). "Arrest warrant posted for Spanish Wine Academy director". http://www.decanter.com/news/288752.html. 
  7. ^ Hamilton, Charlie, The National (September 19, 2009). "Spanish promoter’s arrest sought". http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090920/NATIONAL/709199860. 
  8. ^ Lechmere, Adam; Budd, Jim, Decanter.com (October 2, 2009). "Pancho Campo resigns to 'focus on clearing name'". http://www.decanter.com/news/290145.html. 
  9. ^ Budd, Jim, Decanter.com (July 23, 2010). Pancho Campo taken off Interpol 'wanted' list
  10. ^ Berthomeau, Jacques, Pousson Vincent Vin & Cie (October 31, 2011). [1]
  11. ^ Budd Jim, Jim's Loire (October 31, 2011). [2]
  12. ^ Budd Jim, Jim's Loire (December 13, 2011). [3]
  13. ^ Institute of Masters of Wine, news (December 16, 2011). [4]

External links