Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez facts for kids

Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez (born October 18, 1923 – died September 27, 2013) was an important Spanish person. He was known for making sherry wine and for protecting nature. For most of his life, he worked for his family's company, González Byass. He helped the company sell its sherry all over the world.

His family owned land in a special wetland area in southern Spain called Doñana. In the 1950s, this area was in danger from plans to drain its water. Mauricio, with help from scientists and people from other countries, worked hard to save it. He even gave some of his family's land to help protect the area. Later, in 1954, he helped start the Spanish Ornithological Society. His efforts led to the creation of the Doñana National Park in 1969. This park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Early Life and Education

Mauricio González-Gordon was born on October 18, 1923, in Hampton Hill, London, United Kingdom. His family was Spanish, but they had Scottish roots from the Clan Gordon. His parents were Manuel María González-Gordon and Emilia Díez Gutiérrez. Mauricio was the second of four children. His father, Manuel, was known as the 'Pope of Sherry'.

One of Mauricio's ancestors, John David Gordon, had moved to Jerez de la Frontera in the 1700s. He started trading sherry there. When Mauricio was born, his father was the head of González Byass. His father was busy promoting their sherry in the United Kingdom. Mauricio grew up speaking both Spanish and English.

At age three, Mauricio moved to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, for school. He was taught at home by private teachers and also went to La Salle Buen Pastor college. He later attended the Instituto Padre Luis Coloma. After his primary studies, he studied economics at the Jerez College of Commerce. He became a licensed trade teacher. In 1939, during the end of the Spanish Civil War, he worked in an airplane factory. He helped build planes for General Francisco Franco's air force. In 1946, he graduated from the University of Seville with a degree in Chemical Sciences.

Working at González Byass

Mauricio González-Gordon spent most of his life working for his family's company, González Byass. This company is famous for making sherry wine. He was the fifth generation of his family to lead the company. He was involved in making, tasting, and selling sherry. Later, he also helped the company start making brandy and other types of wine.

Right after finishing his studies in 1946, he joined the business. He started at the very beginning, picking and crushing grapes. During this time, he learned about the solera system. This special system is used to age different liquids, like sherry. His interest in oenology (the study of wine) grew after he visited California. He had gone to California after taking twelve containers of wine by boat to New York.

In 1955, he started Spain's first research center for viticulture (grape growing) and winemaking at González Byass. For twenty years, he was in charge of choosing the best wines for the company. Mauricio also joined the board of González Byass in 1961. He was the president of the company from 1993 to 1999. During his time as president, he helped the business grow by exporting sherry all over the world. This included countries like the United States, United Kingdom, China, and East Asia. After being president, he continued to advise his son, Mauricio Junior, who took over his role. Besides his work at González Byass, Mauricio also spent 24 years on the council that regulates the sherry-making industry.

Protecting Nature: Doñana

Wetlands in Doñana National Park

Mauricio González-Gordon cared about nature from a young age. He loved watching birds and became an ornithologist (a bird scientist). His family's land was in the Coto Doñana. This is a wetland area near Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Spain. It is located at the mouth of the Guadalquivir river.

Mauricio became very interested in the plants and animals of Doñana. He invited bird scientists from Europe to visit the area. When two Spanish ornithologists, Professor Francisco Bernis and José Antonio Valverde, visited, Mauricio was their guide. The González-Gordon family saw that the wetlands were in danger. The government had plans to plant eucalyptus trees and drain large parts of the area.

Mauricio and his father asked Bernis to try and convince the Spanish leader, Francisco Franco, to stop these plans. The three of them wrote a report. Mauricio's father, Manuel, gave this report directly to Franco. By November 1953, Bernis had finished a detailed report on Doñana's value. It showed that the area was incredibly important for nature. The group looked for international support, and they found it. Mauricio's efforts to change Franco's mind were risky, but the government eventually agreed. The drainage plans were stopped.

By 1963, an international group formed to protect Doñana. They bought about 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) (about 17,300 acres) in the area. After winning their fight against the building plans, Mauricio, Bernis, and Valverde wanted to create a Spanish organization for bird science. They had thought of this idea during their first meeting. In May 1954, they founded the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO) in Madrid. Today, SEO is connected to BirdLife International. The three friends wrote the rules for their new organization. Famous ornithologists like Edward Max Nicholson and Julian Huxley visited Doñana and supported the group. Mauricio guided them around. He also led the board of SEO from 1966 to 1968.

The Doñana area became the Doñana National Park in 1969. The González-Gordon family gave a lot of their land between Bonanza and Matalascañas to help create the national park. In 1994, the area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is now about 543 square kilometres (210 sq mi) (about 210 square miles) in size. The park has many different types of natural areas. It is especially important for birds that migrate (travel long distances). Mauricio also translated Roger Tory Peterson's book, A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe, into Spanish in 1957.

Personal Life and Legacy

Mauricio González-Gordon was proud of his Scottish heritage. This heritage was linked to the town of Huntly and the Clan Gordon. His clothing style showed this; he often wore tweed jackets and other British clothes. He was married to Milagro López de Carrizosa y Eizaguirre for 62 years. She passed away in July 2013. They had two children, Bibiana and Mauricio. Their son, Mauricio, is now the president of the family company.

In his last three years, Mauricio González-Gordon was not in good health. He could barely leave his home. He died on September 27, 2013, in his hometown of Jerez de la Frontera. He was 89 years old. His family says the last thing he drank was a Tío Pepe, the most famous sherry brand from their company. His memorial service was held on September 28 at the San Juan Bautista de La Salle church.

Besides his work at González Byass and his efforts to save Doñana, he was also the president of the local Red Cross organization in Jerez de la Frontera. He served as president for thirteen years, from 1974 to 1988.

Awards and Recognition

Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez held the title of Marquis of Bonanza. He received this title after his father passed away in 1980. During his life, he received several awards and honors:

• Cross of Naval Merit with White Decoration: Awarded by the King of Spain for his dedication to sailing.
• Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog: Awarded by the Queen of Denmark in 1985.
• Member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino: Awarded by the British embassy in Spain.
• Golden medal: Awarded by the Red Cross in 1986.
• Golden medal of Oenologic Merit and Grand Cross of Agricultural Merit: Awarded by Miguel Arias Cañete, the Spanish Minister for Agriculture, Food and Environment, in 2011.

In 2004, he received the Bernis Award for Ornithology from the Spanish Ornithological Society/BirdLife. This was for his important early work and his lifelong help in protecting nature, especially Doñana. In 2005, the government of Andalusia gave him the Premio Andalucía de Medio Ambiente, which is the Andalusian Prize of Environment. In 2009, he was named hijo predilecto, or "favorite son," of his hometown, Jerez de la Frontera.