 González @-@ Gordon worked most of his life for the family company González Byass , which specializes in making sherry . He was the fifth generation of the family to chair the company . While working for the firm he was involved in the making , tasting and commercialisation of sherry and in later years he also helped the company expand into producing brandy and several sorts of wine . Immediately after he finished his studies in 1946 he joined the business and started at the bottom with the picking and crushing of grapes . During this time he also learned about the <unk> system , which is used to age different type of liquids . His interest in <unk> had only developed after visiting California the year he graduated . He visited California after previously being sent to New York by boat with twelve containers of wine . In 1955 he founded the first research center for viticulture and winemaking in Spain by establishing one at González Byass . For twenty years he was occupied as head of wine selection at the company . González @-@ Gordon also served on the board of González Byass beginning in 1961 , and was president of the company between 1993 and 1999 . During this period González @-@ Gordon managed to expand the business by exporting all over the world , including to the United States , United Kingdom , China and East Asia . After his time as president he continued to serve as an advisor to his son , Mauricio Junior , who took over his position . Apart from his work at González Byass González @-@ Gordon also diverted some of his time towards the regulatory council of the sherry making industry , serving for 24 years . 
