José Alí Méndez Méndez
José Alí Méndez Méndez is a Venezuelan teacher of history and geography who for years dedicated himself to education in various institutions, teaching general geography, art history, world history, psychology, and literature. He always enjoyed the affection and admiration of his students, who learned to love history and appreciate art through his dedication. At university, he founded and taught a pioneering course titled History of Radio, an elective subject that attracted students from other disciplines eager to listen and learn. Education was his great passion, until he discovered the world of radio.
For more than twenty-five years he built a solid career as a commercial announcer, advertiser, and manager of two contemporary youth-oriented radio stations. In search of a better future, he emigrated to England in 2019, where he began a new stage of life, adapting to a culture, a language, and customs different from his own. This experience —which he himself describes as an adventure that took him out of his comfort zone— awakened in him a deep desire to continue communicating and teaching, even though he could not yet work as a teacher or announcer in his adoptive country.
In this context he began to imagine a modern and captivating story, combining three elements that had always fascinated him: wine, love, and the Roman Empire. While working long hours in a decorative blinds factory, a question arose during a wine tasting at his sister-in-law’s house and gave rise to his literary project: What would happen if, upon opening a bottle of wine, its taste turned out rancid and sour?
From that question was born an intense creative process, in which he shaped characters, settings, and narrative threads. After more than a year of reflection and mental preparation, it was the support and enthusiasm of his wife, Alexandra, that encouraged him to write his first work of fiction.
José Alí Méndez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on September 25, 1972. He comes from a traditional Catholic family and is a dedicated father, grandfather, and husband. A lover of wine, coffee, and music, he considers himself a disciplined and committed professional. He holds a degree in Social Sciences, majoring in History and Geography, from the Catholic University of Táchira. In addition, he is a certified commercial announcer, with twenty-five years of experience including more than a decade as deputy director of the station 102.1 FM and five years at Líder 91.1 FM.
He also worked as general producer of musical programs, news narrator, sports commentator in soccer and cycling, television presenter specializing in concerts and festivals, and official voice of national campaigns. Among his most notable projects was being the institutional voice of Banco Sofitasa on radio, cinema, television, ATMs, and customer service hotlines.
His influences are as diverse as they are inspiring: from his grandparents, who instilled in him the value of family and faith, to his parents, who passed on perseverance and courage. He remembers with special gratitude his university professors: Joaquín Cánovas, who inspired in him a passion for Rome and art; Betulio Medina, whose anthropology classes opened his mind to the richness of human civilizations; and Inés Ferrer, his professor of American History, whose academic rigor left an indelible mark on his training.
Among the announcers he most admires are Iván Loscher, César Maldonado Jr., Ely Bravo, as well as international figures such as Graham Norton, Howard Stern, and Jools Holland. His style as a writer is historical, descriptive, and structured. He aspires to tell stories that move forward coherently, guiding the reader through places, references, music, and emotions. He does not harbor great literary pretensions, aware of his limitations, but recognizes that his need to communicate is a force he cannot resist.
Although this manuscript could have been finished in a few months, his daily routine led him to dedicate only one hour a day, Monday to Friday, for ten months, balancing writing with his job at a paint company. Cinema has also been one of his great passions, and its influence is felt in his work, conceived not only to entertain but also to teach. As an educator, he firmly believes in the transformative power of learning: the more he practices and writes, the more he will grow and connect with readers in search of stories that move them, just as musical notes combine to create melodies that endure in memory.
In his mind he clearly hears the echo of stories longing to see the light, titles that hover and pursue him: The Capo’s Daughter, The Broken Crown, The Blood, The Thief of Saint Patrick, and Three Shields. After this fascinating creative exercise —which he never imagined he could complete in eleven months of work and reflection— The Curse of Bacchus broadened his horizon and gave him the courage to think about sharing those stories someday.
In conclusion, José Alí Méndez dreams of continuing to write professionally and of applying in his books what so many years of radio taught him: the ability to entertain, educate, accompany, and inform through the written word.
The Curse of Bacchus
“From the bottom of every glass rose a human echo,⟵ Back to Home
until the god of wine decided to silence it.”