Spain's Vinoble cancelled

Vinoble, the bi-annual Spanish fortified and sweet wine fair, has been cancelled due to a funding shortfall.

The 2012 edition of the Jerez fair and conference was originally scheduled for 3-5 June. Discussions about the future continue though no clear date for another Vinoble has been set.

Earlier editions had been supported by the Andalusian government, to the tune of €120,000 in 2010.

The cancellation was ‘a matter of common sense and responsibility…given the delicate situation of the municipal coffers, and the international wine market, an element that has complicated the situation further,’ a spokesman said.

Founded in 1998, the last edition in 2010 attracted 65 exhibitors and approximately 3,000 attendees.

During the fair there were demonstrations by unemployed groups protesting that, in the face of economic uncertainty, the expense was unacceptable.

In 2010 Vinoble was organised by the Wine Academy of Spain. A new company, Team Navazos, had been retained to organise the eighth edition but the city’s budget ended up 8% lower than the fee stipulated in the contract proposal.

Written by David Furer

David Furer is a Californian wine writer, educator, consultant and speaker, who has worked for over 20 years in the wine trade. He has appeared in publications such as Decanter, Wine Business Monthly in the US and SommelierS Int’l in France. He formerly served on the Circle of Wine Writers’ executive committee and is a sommelier with accreditation from the Court of Master Sommeliers. In his book, Wine Places, he collaborates with photographer Charles O’Rear to capture some of the world’s vineyards, wineries and winemakers.