I am the International Marketing Director of Bodegas Williams & Humbert and Brand Manager of Ron Dos Maderas. I belong to the second generation of the Medina family, owners of Bodegas Williams & Humbert, a winery with over 140 years’ experience in the production of sherry and Brandy de Jerez. Ron Dos Maderas springs from the spirit of Jerez, exemplifying our philosophy of combining innovation and tradition in the world of spirits. I my role as Marketing Director I am strongly committed to one brand, Dos Maderas, of which I am especially proud given the progressive introduction achieved on the international markets and the success it is having in countries such as the USA, France, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic.

The achievements of Ron Dos Maderas are the work of a team of young, dynamic, innovative and creative people totally committed to the idea of creating such a singular product as this range of rums: from our winemaker and master blender, Paola Medina – who has recently been named by Decanter magazine as one of the 10 most important oenologists in Spain – through to the Sales and Marketing departments. The result of this team effort is a unique range of rums originating from Guyana and Barbados and later aged in Jerez, in casks seeped for 20 years in Palo Cortado “Dos Cortados” and Pedro Ximénez “Don Guido” sherry (Dos Maderas 5+3, Dos Maderas 5+5, Dos Maderas Selección and Dos Maderas Luxus)

“Dos Maderas” means Two Woods in English, in clear reference to a double aging in both the Caribbean and Jerez. One spirit, Two Cultures. This is the essence of our rums. I also take great pride in the collaboration of our Dos Maderas Luxus with the Billion Baby Turtles campaign, to which we donate part of the profits from this rum to the conservation of Caribbean turtles in danger of extinction. A way to strengthen ties with the region from which our rums originate.

Our winery has a long trajectory in the production of Brandy de Jerez and from there we have extended our line of spirits. Initially we began by distributing other brands of rum, but after realizing the great potential of such a versatile spirit we decided to go ahead and create our own spirit based on our experience; creating a rum that originates in the Caribbean and is later aged at Williams & Humbert using the Criaderas and Soleras system traditional to the Jerez region.

The continuous satisfaction that the brand gives us and all the opportunities offered by such a versatile spirit such as rum, which can be a good Party Drink, but also magnificent in those quieter moments of consumption. It is also enormously gratifying to have contact with the rum consumer, somebody who likes to socialize, enjoy new experiences and who usually transmits what the French refer to as joie de vivre, a consumer young at heart and uninhibited, for whom age is of no importance. That’s why I totally agree with Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell when he says that “Rum is more than just a drink, it is a way of life”. So true!

In terms of sales, these will continue to grow slowly but steadily and favourable to dark rum which is helping the “premiumisation” of the category. Rum is not a fad; it is here to stay. Things are changing in the sense that the consumer is becoming better informed and values the quality of good rum. The consumer requires information and appreciates the history behind the product, its production process and origin. We believe that this is why Ron Dos Maderas is working so well. Because the consumer appreciates the uniqueness of this rum and its peculiar, singular production process.

Rum has nothing to envy other categories of spirits in terms of quality, but it is still necessary to make a greater effort in promotion, we have to do a better job of communicating the history, origin and production process behind this spirit, along with the different possibilities for consumption. The consumer wishes to know what is in their drink, they demand information and we have to communicate more and better in language that is accessible and familiar. Quality and excellence in the production of rum is the maximum objective. In the case of Dos Maderas we are talking of a careful selection of blends of rum from Guyana and Barbados that are then aged in American oak casks previously steeped in 20-year old Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximenéz sherry, using the Criaderas and Soleras ageing system characteristic of our Denomination of Origin. How to increase awareness of this laborious and unique ageing process is one of our greatest challenges.

Naturally my father, Jesús Medina, has been a mentor for me, given his entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic and effort that he has passed on to me and thanks to which I have been involved in the world of wine and spirits since I was a child. Apart from this, I can’t point to one particular person as I have learnt from each and every one of the Williams & Humbert team throughout my professional career.

I have just become a father for the first time, so for the next 12 months, and longer, I shall be dedicated to reconciling my work with parenthood and spend as much time as possible with my son, Gonzalo. Moreover, I’ll do so with the hope of being able to transmit to him the passionate world of work in the winery and the pride of belonging to the third generation of Williams & Humbert.

They can visit our web www.rondosmaderas.com and our Facebook, www.facebook.com/RonDosMaderas  but I highly recommend them to follow our Instagram account @dosmaderas !!  and if you want to join Ron Luxus and contribute to protecting the environment, don’t forget to visit our site: www.rondosmaderas.com/en/colaboracion