FENAVIN 2011 WILL PAY TRIBUTE TO THE PAINTER, ANTONIO LÓPEZ, AND TO THE MANAGER OF THE NATIONAL SPANISH FOOTBALL TEAM, VICENTE DEL BOSQUE, AS AMBASSADORS OF WINE

The trade fair will also pay homage to eight outstanding winery owners, importers and national and international market analysts, all this during the ceremony 'Una vida dedicada al vino' (A Life Dedicated to Wine)

The guests of honor will be received at the event by José Piris, Mime and Gestual Theatre Clown and a Flamenco Show will also be offered by the renowned 'bailaor' Fran Vílchez

During the sixth edition of FENAVIN, which will be taking place on the upcoming May 10th to the 12th, a total of eight national and international awards will be presented to outstanding winery owners, importers and distributors that have dedicated their lives to the promotion and dissemination of wine and its culture, and to leading personalities of the world of art, sports, design and communication, such as Antonio López, Vicente del Bosque and Paco García Caridad, who will all be appointed ambassadors of wine.

The ceremony is to take place in the Marcos Redondo Music Conservatory of Ciudad Real, on May 11th, at 8:00 p.m., with FENAVIN duly recognizing and paying tribute to the work that these persons have carried out in the world of wine, logically each one from their own discipline.

A Night of Wine and Art

The guests of honor will be received at the ceremony by mime clowns who in turn have been inspired by the world of wine, with the ceremony then being followed-up by a Flamenco show and by the national and international award ceremony 'Una vida dedicada al vino' (A Life Dedicated to Wine). After another musical performance, this time combining mime and flamenco, the evening will be brought to a spectacular closing with the appointment of the four new Ambassadors of Wine.

The artistic part of the evening will be coordinated by Miguel Muñoz de Morales, with the international mime and gestual theatre clown José Piris, disciple of Marcel Marceau, who along with his Gestual Theatre Company "Mimox" will be the highlight of the event, representing different sketches in collaboration with diverse members of the "Noveau Colombier" International Center.

Flamenco will also have its moment during this evening of recognitions, in this case with the company of the well-known "bailaor" Fran Vílchez, who will be presenting his show "Temple Flamenco" with which he has reaped in much critical and public acclaim. "Temple Flamenco" is formed by a series of flamenco "palos" (styles or dances) that sort of blend into each other, giving rise to a very special and particular stage and choreographic energy, bringing together modernity and tradition in equal parts.

The artistic evening will reach its end with a surprise fusion-show by José Piris and his Company, accompanied by the art of flamenco performed by Fran Vílchez's Company.

"A Life Dedicated to Wine"

The "2011 A Life Dedicated to Wine" Award Ceremony, which will take place at the National Trade Fair on Wine, will be paying tribute to the trajectories of the winery owners Alfonso Monsalve, of Vinícola de Castilla (Manzanares) and Doroteo Navarro, of Bodegas Navarro López (Valdepeñas), as well as to the impresario Alfonso Cortina and the consultant Juan Antonio Mompó.

Alfonso Monsalve has been the Director-Manager and Chief Executive Officer of Vínicola de Castilla since the year 1982. In 1983, he became one of the company's shareholders, with another five persons later on also becoming shareholders of the company. In the year 2010 Vínicola de Castilla was producing seventeen different varietals, including all the processes involved, ageing, organic wines, sparkling wines, sweet wines, grape marc brandy, etc. The winery has undergone an important transformation under Monsalve's direction, including an excellent technical fitting-out that has covered both the vineyards and labels. Monsalve also participates in viniculture associations such as FEVIN (Regional Federation of Wine, Alcohol and Grape Juice Producers), La Mancha Designation of Origin Regulation Council and other professional associations such as CEOE-Cepyme (Spanish Confederation of Employers' Associations-Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Sized Companies).

On his part Doroteo Navarro is the President of 'Navarro López', one of the most modern and successful wineries of Valdepeñas. The company was actually founded in the year 1904, with Doroteo Navarro carrying out the necessary reorganization in the decade of the eighties, hence consolidating the project and turning the company into an entirely family-run enterprise. The winery's operation currently covers 150 hectares of vineyard, with its facilities reaching a total surface space of 12,000 square meters. It distributes its labels Don Aurelio, Castillo San Carlos and Premium 1904 worldwide, to more than thirty countries, with all these labels having obtained important awards.

The impresario Alfonso Cortina, who is also the President of the winery Pago de Vallegarcía, is an Industrial Engineer and Economics and Business Management Graduate and he currently holds several posts in diverse national and international companies. Pago de Vallegarcía, which is one of his most personal projects and the one that he pampers the most, is located right in the heart of the Montes de Toledo, in the area of influence of the National Cabañeros Park and its wines, which are produced with the winery's own grapes, are highly recognized in the world of wine.

Juan Antonio Mompó Gimeno represents the fourth generation of a family that has always been dedicated to the wine sector. Graduate of Law, he has carried out his entire professional career at Bodegas Vinival, leading Spanish wine export company, where he started with financial administrative tasks to then gradually take on more responsibilities, becoming the company's Director General in just a few years. Vinival was first acquired by the Bodegas y Bebidas Group, after which it was taken over by the English multinational company Allied Domecq and Pernod Ricard, with Juan Antonio Mompó holding different positions of responsibility until the year 2009, when he left the company. Mompó has also been a member of the Valencia Denomination of Origin Regulator Board.

International Awards

Although not quite as well known on the national scene, the laureates this year are considered referents in the distribution and promotion of Spanish wines. This is the case with Michéle van den Bossche, first businesswoman dedicated to importing Spanish wines to Belgium. With 'La Riojana', which was founded over thirty years ago, she has managed to find a niche as a client of wineries producing quality wines pertaining to all the Appellations. 'La Riojana' was one of the first importers to participate at FENAVIN, more than ten years ago now, the same with the goal of opening up future paths with the participating wineries.

Hailing from Japan, Chieko Konagaya is a market analyst for the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo and she is also the representative for promotion of Spanish wines on the Japanese market. Chieko represents a referent in commercialization of Spanish wines in Japan, covering both the Japanese distribution channels, as well as offering support to those Spanish wineries that want to enter this select market. She learned Spanish in Salamanca, Spain and has been enjoying wine and sharing the moments it gives rise to ever since.

Nicolás Burridge (1934) is an importer and distributor of Spanish wine in the United Kingdom. He is married to a Spanish woman and he is hopelessly in love with our country, its culture, food, and wine. When he celebrated his fiftieth birthday he had the opportunity to become an importer of Spanish wines, hence founding Burridges of Arlington Street, the same with the goal of finding and importing premium quality wines, manufactured with native varietals from Spain's diverse wine regions. At the beginning, he received support from Wines from Spain and his company gradually started to have an impact. In the year 1991, his daughter Teresa joined the company and as of then both the interest in Spanish wines and sales of the same started to really flourish and grow. He has traveled the length and breadth of the United Kingdom in order to make the gospel of Spanish wine known to all in trade fairs, tasting sessions and dinners, promoting interest in Spanish wine and bringing groups of people from the United Kingdom to Spain in order to visit wineries found throughout the country.

Now the case of Rol Freund (Trossingen, 1942) is truly a curious one, as he enjoys studies in archeology, philology and economics and science, yet in the year 1981 he decided to introduce himself in the world of wine with the opening of a small establishment specialized in wine and food products. Three years later he founded a wholesale business covering wine and gourmet products (Weinkontor Freund GmbH), first importing Italian products and in 1990 opening up a broad range of Spanish wines to which Portuguese and French wines were later added.

Ambassadors of Wine

All these ambassadors of wine are in their element when brushes, balls, needles, or Hertzian waves are surrounding them, as they are veritable masters in these arts. However, when dealing with wine, what they can actually be considered is great enthusiasts and lovers of the product and of its culture. They always highlight the qualities and excellences of wine whenever they have the opportunity, which is what turns them into great and true emissaries and ambassadors of FENAVIN 2011.

Antonio López (Tomelloso, 1936) is known for his extremely realistic style. López has obtained numerous awards, amongst which the 1985 Prince of Asturias Award and the 2006 Velázquez Plastic Arts Award are to be highlighted, yet his knowledge of the wine world started early in his childhood, maintaining and enriching this relationship throughout his lifetime. Antonio López, who is also a sculptor, has made a portrait of the Royal Family, members of which truly admire the Tomelloso born artist.

The King has also spoken of his adoration for the national team's football manager, Vicente del Bosque (Salamanca, 1950), who was just recently named Marquis of Del Bosque after winning Spain's first ever World Football Cup in South Africa. Apart from the World Cup, Vicente del Bosque can also boast two UEFA Champions League titles and two national league titles, the latter with the Real Madrid Football Club. He was named Honoris Causa by the University of Castilla-La Mancha. Vicente del Bosque also participated in the presentation of FENAVIN in Madrid, where he admitted that he truly enjoys wine every time he consumes it and that it is very good for health, but always in moderation. In addition, mentioning that 'La Roja' (Spanish national football team's nickname, The Red) quite surely toasted their victory in the World Cup with a glass of wine. Wine is the only alcoholic beverage that football players are allowed to drink.

Finally, the journalist Paco García Caridad, who is currently the Director of Radio Marca, leading radio station that only covers sporting events. García Caridad is a referent in Spain's world of sports journalism.