OIV – 20/07/2010 – This year, the World Conference of Vine and Wine, held from 20 to 25 June 2010 at Tbilisi (Georgia), had two principal subjects as axis of scientific work: « Viticultural Environment – Protection and Improvement" and "New Products, New Technologies, New Challenges". These subjects combined sub-themes concerning the fields of Viticulture, Oenology, Methods of Analysis, Economics and Law, Health and Safety. Thus, the presentations took place transversally allowing the scientists to conduct interdisciplinary debates.

During the Conference, 36 oral presentations and 57 papers from different countries were presented on the first main theme, and 35 presentations and 88 papers on the second one.

The assessments of the scientific presentations, prepared by the two Vice Presidents of the OIV, allowed the current problems of the sector to be emphasized.

Please see the Summary of the papers on the subject «  Viticultural Environment – Protection and Improvement ».
Please see the Summary of papers on the subject « New Products, New Technologies, New Challenges ».

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Tbilisi – 25/06/2010 – Following the 33^rd World Congress on Wine and Vine in Tbilisi (Georgia), the 8^th General Assembly of the OIV met on the 25^th of June, 2010 to discuss wine and vine-related resolutions submitted by the various commissions of the Organisation.

The resolutions had already undergone scientific examination carried out within the OIV, and were thus finalized by the experts of the Organisation during commission meetings.

The 43 member States of the OIV achieved consensus over these resolutions.

The resolutions pertain to Viticulture, Oenology and Economics and Law:

• In the field of viticulture, a resolution pertaining to the definition of the term “terroir” in the wine and vine industry was one of the adopted resolutions;

• In the field of Oenology, resolutions pertaining to separation techniques used for wines and musts were among the adopted resolutions;

• In the field of Economics and Law, the OIV adopted, among others, new resolutions concerning the labelling of wines and the indication of vintage and variety.

The 29 new resolutions of the OIV will act as a supplement to the International Code of Oenological practices, the International Oenological Codex, the International Compendium on Analysis Methods and the International Standard of the OIV for the labelling of wines.

See the  summary of OIV resolutions

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Tbilisi (Georgia) – 25/06/2010 - For the past 80 years, the OIV Award Jury rewards the best books written in the field of vine and wine. These have to be voluminous, they have to make a scientific contribution to the domain, they must be original (new and personal ideas), relevant and of international importance. These books are then submitted to a panel of specialists (university professors, journalists, scientists and historians) in the fields of viticulture, oenology, wine and vine economics, wine and health, history, literature and art.

This year, the OIV Jury has decided to add new categories, in order to adapt to the choice of books pertaining to the sector. The new categories are “Wines and territories”, which focuses on the description of wines and vineyards around the world, “Discovering wines”, concerning popular books aimed at informing a general audience, and “Wines and food”, which promotes a reasonable approach to wine consumption.

This year, the OIV Award Jury met on the 23^rd of June, 2010, on the occasion of the XXXIII World Congress on Wine and Vine in Tbilisi, and chose the following works:

In the “VITICULTURE” category, tied for the first place, the OIV price goes to:

Tratado de Viticultura: a videira, a vinha e o "terroir"
by Nuno Magalhães (Portugal)

L'uva da tavola
coordinated by Renzo Angelini (Italy)

In the “OENOLOGY” category, the OIV price goes to:

Le vin rosé
under the supervision of Claude Flanzy, Gilles Masson, François Millo (France)

In the “HISTORY, LITERATURE AND ART” category, the OIV price goes to:

Z dejín a súčasnosti tokajského vinohradníctva a vinárstva
by Juraj Žadanský (Slovakia)

In the “MONOGRAPHS AND SPECIALISED SCIENTIFIC STUDIES” category, the OIV price goes to:

Portugal Vitícola: O Grande Livro das Castas
coordinated by Jorge Böhm (Portugal)

In the “MONOGRAPHS AND SPECIALISED PROMOTIONAL AND DESCRIPTIVE” category, the OIV price goes to:

La Rioja, sus viñas y su vino
coordinated by Juan Doménech García (Spain)

In the “WINES AND TERRITORIES” category, the OIV price goes to:

La Vinificación en Jerez en el siglo XX: Antecedentes, interpretación y aportaciones 1955-85
by Justo F. Casas Lucas (Spain)

In the “DISCOVERING WINES” category, the OIV price goes to:

A Taste of the World of Wine
by Patrick Iland, Peter Gago, Andrew Caillard and Peter Dry (Australia)

Special mentions were made by the Jury:

In the “OENOLOGY” category:

Tratat de ştiinţă şi inginerie oenologică: Produse de elaborare şi maturare a vinurilor
Treatise on the science and engineering of oenology: Products used for the development and growth of wines
by Constantin Croitoru (Romania)

In “HISTORY, LITERATURE AND ART” category:

История виноградарства и виноделия России
A history of wine and vine in Russia
coordinated by Lev Oganessiantz (Russia)

In “WINES AND TERRITORIES” category:

Les vins du nouveau monde
Vol. 1: Amérique du Sud (Argentine, Brésil, Chili, Uruguay)
Vol. 2: Afrique du Sud, Australie, Nouvelle-Zélande
by Jacques Orhon (Canada)

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Tbilisi (Georgia) – 21/06/2010 - Before the President of the Republic of Georgia, Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia's Minister of Agriculture, Mr Bakur Kvezereli, and the official representatives of the 44 member States and observers of the OIV, during the 33^rd World Congress on Wine and Vine, Mr Federico Castellucci, the OIV Director General, presented the main trends that marked the global wine and vine industry in 2009, in a context of global economic downturn.

Mr. Yves Bénard, OIV President	Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili, President of the Republic of Georgia	Mr. Federico Castellucci, OIV Director General

OIV's yearly statistical analysis results, presented during the 33^rd World Wine and Vine Congress, indicate that the activities in this field have slowed down in 2009.

Mr Federico Castellucci explained that the total global area dedicated to vineyards had regressed by 1.2% in 2009, and that the global grape production was marked by a 1.5% decrease in 2009 (675.3 million quintals) compared with 2008 (685.7 million quintals), but exceeded those of 2007 (665.2 million quintals) and 2006 (667.5 million quintals).
The global situation in terms of wine and vine in 2009 recorded an increase in wine production of 1.1 million hectolitres compared with 2008, to reach 268.7 million hectolitres against 267.6 million hectolitres the previous year.
On the other hand, with a global decrease of 3.6% in wine consumption recorded in 2009 (236.5 million hectolitres), the downward trend started in 2008 (245, 2 million hectolitres) continued in a context of diminishing global demand.

Mr Federico Castellucci also presented the evolution of global wine exchanges for 2009, which was marked by a decrease of 3.47 million hectolitres of wine exports compared with 2008.
“After an uninterrupted period of growth since 2000, global wine exports have broken with this trend in 2008 because of the economic crisis and pursued this downward trend in 2009. However, the global volume of exported wines in 2009 is still largely superior to that recorded in 2006 and the previous years” declared Mr Castellucci.

In view of the impact of the economic downturn on the wine industry, Mr Castellucci recommended a continued commitment by member states of the OIV to achieve the goals stated in the three-yearly strategic plan of the Organisation; the objectives aim to minimise the negative impact of the global economic crisis on producer and consumers.

Therefore, OIV's yearly summary, presented by the Director General, concerned the following topics:

1.   Global vineyard area
2.   Global grape production
3.   Global wine production
4.   Global wine consumption
5.   Global wine imports
6.   Global wine exports

Consult the OIV’s yearly summary

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OIV – 08/06/2010 - The II International Symposium of Tropical Wines took place in the city of Petrolina, at Pernambuco estate, in Brasil, from the 26-28^th May 2010. Researchers and professors from various Institutes and Universities around the world, as well as producers from different countries of tropical and sub-tropical zones attended this symposium, held under the OIV patronage. The various lecturers stressed the advantages of producing grapes and wines under such atypical climate conditions; however these conditions create many questions and open quite a few scientific fields of research, both in terms of grapevines physiology, as of the synthesis of tropical wines.

The presentations offered a platform for exchanging views between experts in viticulture and enology from, among others, France, Spain, Brasil, Venezuela and Thailand. The variability of climate and soil conditions in the tropics around the world is surprisingly high and the relatively recent viticulture in these zones needs to be studied further deeper, in order to achieve qualitative and sustainable results.

The main advantage of the tropical viticulture, of both table and wine grapes, is the flexibility of the choice of the harvest dates throughout the year. Thus, some vineyards can be organized to deliver grape production every fifteen days (continuous scheme, mostly used for small and steady quantities of table grapes) or end up to three harvests a year (annual scheme, mostly used for wine grapes).

The presence of the OIV to this Symposium validated the interest of the Organisation to the problematic around the Tropical Vines and Wines and its availability to examine related issues inside its working groups and commissions. Other important international scientific institutions were also represented there, such as GiESCO and ISHS.

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OIV – 31/05/2010 - Delegations from all 193 Member States of World Health Organization (WHO) have adopted during the 63^rd World Health Assembly from 17 to 21 May 2010, a resolution to reduce the harmful use of alcohol (see OIV news of 14/12/2009).

In addition to the resolution, a global strategy developed by WHO in close collaboration with Member States provides a portfolio of policy options and interventions for implementation at national level with the goal to reduce the harmful use of alcohol worldwide. The resolution endorses the strategy and urges countries to complement and support national responses to public health problems caused by the harmful use of alcohol.

Ten recommended target areas for policy options include health services' responses, community action, pricing policies and reducing the public health impact of illicit alcohol and informally produced alcohol. WHO was also requested to support countries in implementing the strategy and monitor progress at global, regional and national levels.

According to the WHO estimates for 2004, every year, the harmful use of alcohol would kill 2.5 million people, including 320 000 young people between 15 and 29 years of age. It is the eighth leading risk factor for deaths globally, and harmful use of alcohol would be responsible for almost 4% of all deaths in the world.

Links:

Draft resolution 126 R11
Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol

OIV – 11^th of May, 2010 – From the 6^th till the 9^th of May 2010, the Director General of OIV, Mr Federico Castellucci, travelled to Cyprus to attend the 5^th edition of the Cyprus Wines Contest, which was held between the 5^th and 8^th of May 2010, in the city of Limassol.

The Contest was organised by the Council of the Wine Production of Cyprus, with the support of the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment. It was held under the auspices of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. Some 163 local wines were subject to the scrutiny of an international jury. The Contest was created in 2006 with the aim of promoting and improving the quality of local wines. The quality of the wines that were presented seems to indicate that this goal has been achieved.

During this event, Mr Castellucci had the opportunity of meeting the Cypriot Minister for Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr Demetris J. Eliades. During in-depth discussions held with Minister, Mr Castellucci outlined the expectancies of OIV in terms of the Cypriot wine industry: Cyprus is a longstanding member state of the Organisation. Mr Catellucci also expressed his enthusiasm over an active participation of Cypriot experts in the scientific works of OIV. Mr Demetris J. Eliades answered by confirming the continued interest of his country in the scientific undertakings of the Organisation.

During his stay in Cyprus, Mr Castellucci also paid a technical visit to the "Vasilikon" vineyard (located in the village Kyperounta, in the department of Limassol).

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OIV – 30/03/2010 – During the annual press conference to present the report on the world viticultural situation, established based on statistical data provided by the Member States of the OIV, Mr. Federico Castellucci, Director General of the OIV, revealed the major economic trends of the sector which attest to the impact of the world economic crisis.

World consumption of wine (236.6 million hl) continues its decrease in 2009 and the international trade of wines (86.6 million hl) records its most significant drop since 2000. World wine production remains weak (265 million hl) in a decreasing vineyard (7.63 million ha).

To clarify the magnitude of this impact, Mr. Castellucci illustrated his point with some examples: “It is almost as if in 2009, the German vineyard had been uprooted, the Australians and the Danes no longer drank wine, the Portuguese did not export anything and the Swiss did not produce anything”.

Press release

Report on business trends 

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OIV – 12/03/2010 - At the invitation of Mr. Federico Castellucci, Director General of the OIV, Mr. Tariel Panahov, Director of the Research Institute in Viticulture and Oenology of Azerbaijan, attended the meetings of experts of the OIV Member States in Paris, held from 8 to 20 March 2010.

At that time, Mr. Panahov cited the prominent economic importance of the viticultural sector of the Republic of Azerbaijan during the 1970-1980 period, which then underwent a major crisis in the post-Soviet years. Since 1996, the reorganization of the vineyard and the research in native varieties have relaunched the dynamism of the sector, notably thanks to the activity of the Research Institute and the National Association of Oenologists created in 2004.
Mr. Panahov’s visit to the OIV falls within this dynamic; it has the goal of examining the membership conditions of Azerbaijan in the OIV and to introduce and acknowledge the vitiviniculture of this country at the world level.

Left to right: Mr. Yves Bénard, President of the OIV, Mr. Tariel Panahov, Mr. Federico Castellucci.

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OIV – 22/02/2010 - From 12 to 15 February 2010, the General Director the OIV, Mr. Federico Castellucci, accompanied by the head of the Unit of Economics and Law, Dr. Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, and the head of the Viticultural Unit, Mrs. Angeliki Tsioli, came to Moldavia to participate in the 2010 International Competition of Wines and Spirits of Chisinau.

On the day before the Competition, on 13 February 2010, the Minister of Agriculture of Moldavia, Mr. Valeriu Cosarciuc, as a result of the initiative of the OIV, opened a day of review and reflection on the current scientific work within the Organization.

On this occasion, Mr. Federico Castellucci, the Honorary President of the OIV, Prof.Reiner Wittowski, Mr. Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, and Mrs. Angeliki Tsioli, presented the activities and scientific work which will be discussed during the meetings of experts of the OIV, in March 2010. The experts and the delegates of the major viticultural countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Members and non Members of the OIV, participated in this meeting.
Amoung the scientific subjects presented, the participants directed particular interest in the situation of the world wine market, in the statistical situation of the international viticultural sector, on the health problems linked to wine and alcohol, on the definition of the viticultural area, on the harmonisation of the maximum limits of residue of phytosanitary products in wine, on the prevention of Geosmin in wine, as well as the list of vine varieties and their synonyms.

The 19th Edition of the International Competition of Wines and Spirits of Chisinau, organized by the Union of Oenologists of Moldavia, with the support of the Moldavian Ministry of Agriculture, took place on 14 February 2010, in the Moldavian capital. The Competition was opened by the Minister of Agriculture of Moldavia, Mr. Valeriu Cosarciuc, as well as by the Deputy Minister and the Head of the Moldavian delegation to the OIV, Mr. Gheorghe Arpentin.
For the first time, this year, the International Competition of Wines and Spirits of Chisinau was held under the patronage of the International Organization of Vine and Wine. During this Competition, almost 200 samples of wine were evaluated by a jury of 28 world renowned experts. The event was marked by a very large participation: Apart from the local products, 50 estates from different countries, such as the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, the Ukraine, Portugal and Azerbaijan, vied during the competition. The official recognition of the OIV and such a large participation place this Competition amoung the most important in Eastern Europe and in the Black Sea basin.

Mr. Federico Castellucci hands the handbook of OIV Standards of International Competitions
to the Minister of Agriculture of Moldavia, Mr. Valeriu Cosarciuc.

During the meeting held for the review of the activities and scientific work of the OIV.

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OIV – 05/02/2010 – During an official visit in France, the delegation of the Indian Ministry of Food Processing Industries, accompanied by the representatives of their Embassy, has been received by the OIV President, Mr. Yves Bénard and the OIV Director General, Mr. Federico Castellucci.

This visit to the OIV headquarters follows on the approach initiated a few months ago for the membership of India to the OIV.

The representatives of the Indian Ministry of Food Processing Industries have emphasized the growing development of the Indian wine and grape industries, both for the sector of grapes intended for the production of quality wines and for the traditional table grapes.

Mr. Yves Bénard welcomed this meeting as an important step for India to become the first Asian country to join the OIV during the first half of 2010.

Mr. Federico Castellucci recalled the significant growth of the Asian continent in the wine sector, both for production and consumption, in which India plays a major role.

The Director General, Mr. Castellucci declared that he is convinced that India is one of the wine key markets of the 21^st century and that it is fundamental that India can participate actively in the international normative process as a plenary OIV Member, both to regulate a sector in rapid development, but also to secure its consumers and facilitate international trade.

(From left to right) Mr. K. Rajeswara RAO, Joint secretary to the Government of India (Ministry of Food Processing Industries), Mr. Yves Bénard, President of the OIV, Mr. Ashok Sinha, Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Mr. K. Jalan, Chairman of “Keventer Agro Limited” (Indian food enterprise), Mr. Federico Castellucci, Director General of the OIV and Mr. Vijay Khanduja, Second Secretary in the section Economic & Commercial of the Embassy of India.

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OIV - 04/02/2010 - From the 17^th to the 22^nd of November 2009, the Director General of the OIV, Mr Feredico Castellucci went to the Czech Republic in order to meet representatives of the farming sector and the stakeholders of Czech wine and vine industry.

Mr Federico Castellucci met and spoke with the Czech Minister of Agriculture, Mr Jakub Šebesta, the Director of the Department of farming products of the Ministy, Mrs Eva Divisova, the Director of the Communications Department, Mr Hugo Roldan and the representatives of the Wine Department of the Ministry of Agriculture: Mr Antonín Králícek, Head of the Department, Mrs Simona Hrabetová, Mrs Barbora Soucková and Mr Ondrej Mikeš.

During a visit to Mendel University of Agriculture and Forest at Brno, Mr Castellucci also met with Mr Petr Kucera, dean of the Horticulture faculty of Mendel University and Mr Pavel Pavloušek, head of the Wine and Vine section of Mendel University.

During a conference involving NGOs, wine makers and sommeliers held at the National Wine Centre (at Valtice), on the 19^th of November, 2009, Mr Castellucci outlined the strategic plan of the OIV and the growing impact of world events on this sector. At the National Wine Centre, Mr Castellucci was welcomed by its Director, Mr Pavel Krška.

During this visit, Mr Federico Castellucci also went to the Central Institute for the Monitoring and Trials in the Field of Farming (CISTA) at Znojmo (in Moravia) to meet with the director of the Institute, Mrs Ivana Ludvíková. During his stay in the Czech Republic, Mr. Castellucci also visited the wine yard of  Kutná Hora (a medieval Czech town), the wine producing region of Bohemia, a wine cellar and a wine company in Prímetice (the ancient village of Znojmo) as well as the superb Monasteries of St. Voršila (in Prague) and in Louka (in Znojmo).

During his trip, Mr Federico Castellucci also met Mr Jirí Cábelka, President of the guild of Czech wine producers and Mr Pavel Vajcner, the Director General of the renowned Znojmo wine cellar.

Mr Jakub Šebesta, Czech Minister of Agriculture	Mr Federico Castellucci outlines OIV's strategy at the National Wine Centre in Czech Republic.	M. Castellucci at Znovín Znojmo, in the company of Mr Ondrej Mikeš (second to the left), Mrs Simona Hrabetová (third to the left) and Mr Pavel Vajcner, Director General of Znovín Znojmo  (fourth to the left).

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XXXIII^rd World Congress of Vine and Wine
8^th General Assembly of the OIV
June 20 – 27, 2010
Tbilisi (Georgia)

The XXXIII^rd World Congress of Vine and Wine and the 8^th General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (O.I.V.) are to take place in Tbilisi upon the invitation of the Minister for Agriculture of Georgia.

General Theme

Vine and Wine – Worldwide Heritage

Tradition and Innovation

Proposals for papers may be sent before 22^nd February 2010 via the website:  www.oivgeorgie2010.com

The whole programme is available on the Web page www.oiv2010.ge

Download the Call for papers

OIV - 14/12/2009 – The Secretariat of the WHO has drafted a strategy through a broad collaborative process with Member States. The Secretariat also took into consideration the outcomes of consultations with other stakeholders on ways in which they can contribute to reducing the harmful use of alcohol. The consultative process started with a public hearing. Two separate round-table discussions, one with non-governmental organisations and health professionals and the other with economic operators, were organised in Geneva in November 2008. Subsequently, a consultation with selected intergovernmental organisations, including the OIV, was held.

The Secretariat began work on a draft strategy by preparing a discussion paper for further consultation with Member States. That paper was formulated on the basis of the deliberations of WHO's governing bodies and several regional committee sessions.

Following these consultations, the Secretariat finalised a draft global strategy which will be presented to the Executive Board held on 18-23 January 2010. The Executive Board will be invited to recommend to the Sixty-third World Health Assembly the adoption of the following resolution:
1-     to adopt the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol;
2-     to urge Member States to:
·         adopt and implement the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol as appropriate in order to complement and support public health policies in Member States to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, and to mobilise political will and financial resources for that purpose;
·         to continue implementation of the resolutions WHA61.4 on the strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and WHA58.26 on public-health problems caused by harmful use of alcohol;
·         to ensure that implementation of the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol strengthens the national efforts to protect at-risk populations, young people and those affected by harmful drinking of others;
·         to ensure that implementation of the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol is reflected in the national monitoring systems and reported regularly to WHO's information system on alcohol and health;

The global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol has five objectives:

1)     raised global awareness of the magnitude and nature of the health, social and economic problems caused by harmful use of alcohol, and increased commitment by governments to act to address the harmful use of alcohol;
2)     strengthened knowledge base on the magnitude and determinants of alcohol-related harm and on effective interventions to reduce and prevent such harm;
3)     increase technical support to, and enhanced capacity of, Member States for preventing the harmful use of alcohol and managing alcohol-use disorders and associated health conditions;
4)     strengthened partnerships and better coordination among stakeholders and increased mobilisation of resources required for appropriate and concerted action to prevent the harmful use of alcohol;
5)     improved systems for monitoring and surveillance at different levels, and more effective dissemination and application of information for advocacy, policy development and evaluation purposes.

The strategy is based on the following guiding principles:

a) public policies and interventions to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm should be guided and formulated by public health interests and based on clear public health goals and the best available evidence.
b) Policies should be equitable and sensitive to national, religious and cultural contexts.
c) All involved parties have the responsibility to act in ways that do not undermine the implementation of public policies and interventions to prevent and reduce harmful use of alcohol.
d) Public health should be given proper deference in relation to competing interests, and approaches that support that direction should be promoted.
e) The protection of populations at high risk of alcohol-attributable harm and those exposed to the effects of harmful drinking by others should be an integral part of policies addressing the harmful use of alcohol.
f) Individuals and families affected by the harmful use of alcohol should have access to affordable and effective prevention and care services.
g) Children, teenagers and adults who choose not to drink alcohol beverages have the right to be supported in their non-drinking behaviour and protected from pressures to drink.

The policy options and interventions available for national action can be grouped into 10 recommended target areas, which should be seen as supportive and complementary to each other:

Download the document  [FR],  [EN],  [ES]
For more information: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/activities/globalstrategy/en/index.html

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OIV - 11/12/2009 – The Euroviti Seminar, sponsored by the OIV and organised by the French Institute for Vine and Wine (IFV) at the Sitevi trade fair, was held on December 2 and 3, 2009. Three current issues were addressed at the Seminar.

1-    For the winegrowing industry, scientific reports focused on new regulations governing the use of phytopharmaceutical products and new strategies to fight grape-worms and flavescence dorée.

2-    Secondly, speakers addressed various technical aspects, new vitivinicultural plans and how to make entry-level wines profitable.

3-    Finally, a large part of the seminar was devoted to low alcohol wines. As part of a national programme, several technological advances have been made. These include partial dealcoholisation techniques for finished wines, a technique for reducing the sugar content of musts, a technique for reducing the fermentation yield using yeast, and a selection of grape varieties with low sugar content at maturity. Socio-economic and sensory aspects were also addressed, particularly the impact of lower alcohol levels on the sensory experience of wines, as well as the degree to which consumers appreciate and accept low alcohol wines. This discussion provided an innovative way to round out the issue. 

The discussion on low alcohol wines should be compared with previous related discussions by OIV Member States in order to assess the various opinions expressed.

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OIV – 11/12/2009 – The Director General of the OIV, Mr. Federico Castellucci, went to Uruguay on November 8, 2009 to attend the 12^th Latin American Congress on Viticulture and Oenology. The Conference, organised by the Uruguay Association of Winemakers and sponsored by the OIV, was held in Montevideo from November 11 to 13, 2009.

The 12^th Latin American Congress on Viticulture and Oenology was attended by representatives of the six South American wine-producing countries (Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chili, Peru and Bolivia), industry stakeholders from Mexico and Colombia, and international experts. During the Conference, debates were held on the most vital current issues affecting the vitivinicultural industry.

Mr. Federico Castellucci presented statistics illustrating current trends in the world vitivinicultural industry. At the request of the OIV, a meeting was also held to provide Conference participants with information on the scientific works carried out by OIV experts during the annual March meetings in line with the OIV's Strategic Plan. Several scientists and professionals took part in this meeting. In addition to representatives of OIV Member States, non-member States also took part (Colombia, Mexico, and Bolivia) and were thus able to become acquainted with the Organisation's activities.

During the 12^th Latin American Congress on Viticulture and Oenology, Mr. Federico Castellucci and Dr. Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, Head of the OIV's Economy and Law Unit, met with Mr. Ricardo Calvo, President of the Uruguay National Vitivinicultural Institute (INAVI), and Mr. José Lez, President of the Uruguay Association of Winemakers.

During his visit to Uruguay, Mr. Castellucci also participated in the Third "Tannat al Mundo" competition November 9 to 13, 2009 in Montevideo. It was organised by the Uruguay Winemakers' Association and sponsored by the OIV. A total of 42 medals were awarded (2 gold medals with distinction, 10 gold medals and 30 silver medals) out of 141 competing wines.

The "Tannat al Mundo 2009" closing ceremonies.

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OIV – 07/12/2009 – On  19^th and 20^th November 2009 the 2^nd International Symposium « MICROSAFETYWINE » took place at Martina Franca (Italy) under the high Patronage of the OIV.

Scientists coming from different countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, California, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal Slovenia, Spain and The Netherlands) presented studies facing different aspects of wine microbiology and safety:

• Starter selection and microbial control in the cellar with presentations focusing on fermentation process, commercial and autochthonous yeasts potential and malolactic starters;
• Yeast activity and wine quality developing related items (influence on wine flavor and aroma genomics, risk assessment about genetically engineered yeasts);
• Microbial control in the vineyard considering study and control of contamination by Ochratoxin A and geosmin;
• Methods for detection of micro-organisms that could affect wine safety and quality focusing on study and control in wines of biogenic amines, Aspergillus carbonarius and ochratoxin A, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, ethylcarbamate, caseinates used as fining agents. These actions resulted oriented most of all to prevention and control as the wine results less concerned with these risks than other fermented food products.

All the scientific contributions presented during the Symposium are available on the website http://www.mycotox-society.org/?page=news&id_art=23 .

Updated program about agenda and location of next Symposia under OIV patronage is available in the section Events – Symposia of OIV website.

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OIV – 04/12/2009 – The 2^nd international Symposium on table grapes and raisins was held under the patronage of the OIV in San Juan (Argentina), from 5 to 7 November 2009. The Symposium was organised jointly by the Argentine Wine Corporation (COVIAR), the government of the province of San Juan, the ministry for Production and Economic Development, the National Institute of Agricultural Technologies (INTA) and the Federal Council of Investments (CFI) of Argentina.

Topics studied during the Symposium included among others the production of raisins in Turkey, the improvement of table grapes in South Africa, the physiology of grape maturation, harvesting, packaging and cooling in South Africa, soil management for table grape and raisin vines for sustainable production, the bases of fertilisation, pest management in Chile, the control of vine weevils as they move from the southern hemisphere towards countries in the northern hemisphere, etc.

Dr. Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, Head of the Economy and Law Unit of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, discussed the work of the Organisation on table grapes and raisins with experts at the Symposium, as well as the current statistical situation of both products around the world.

The 2^nd International symposium on table grapes and raisins was organised in order to bring together all the stakeholders involved in these products, in particular the producers, packers, exporters, specialists and scientists, so that they could exchange their technological knowledge and innovations at the national and international levels.

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OIV – 04/12/2009 – Mr. Federico Castellucci, Director General of the OIV, accompanied by the head of the Economy and Law unit of the OIV, Dr. Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, went to Argentina on 2 November 2009 for the 9^th edition of Vinandino, the largest international Contest for wines and spirited beverages of wine origin in South America.

Vinandino 2009, sponsored by the OIV and organised by the National Institute of Vitiviniculture (INV) and the Federal Council of Investment (CFI) in Argentina, was held under the technical direction of Mrs Claudia Quini, in the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza, from 2 to 6 November 2009. Nearly 800 samples of wines from the 16 participating countries were evaluated by more than 30 international experts during Vinandino 2009. The major innovation for the 9^th edition of Vinandino was the introduction of the new category of table wines, so-called "everyday wines", in order to incite producers to improve the quality of table wines intended for mass consumption.

After taking part in the opening ceremony of Vinandino 2009, Mr. Federico Castellucci discussed the current situation of vitiviniculture in the world.

During the Contest, Mr. Castellucci met and discussed with the Governors of the provinces of Mendoza and San Juan, respectively Mr. Celso Jaque and Mr. José Luis Gioja, as well as the President and Vice-President of the INV, respectively Mr. Guillermo Garcia and Mr. Héctor Voena, and the Secretary-General of the CFI, Mr. Juan José Ciacera. 

Ing. Claudia Quini (Directora Técnica), Javier Espina (Sub-secretario Minist. de la Producción de Mendoza), Marcelo Alos (Ministro de la Producción de San Juan), Carlos Uñac (Vice Gobernador de San Juan), Ing. José Luis Gioja (Gobernador de San Juan), Ing. José Ciacera (Director General del CFI) CPN Guillermo García (Presidente del INV), Ing. Héctor Voena (Vice-Presidente del INV) e Ing. Federico Castellucci (Director General de la OIV).

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OIV – 26/11/2009 – A press conference was held at the headquarters of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine on Thursday, 26 November 2009.

On the occasion of this press conference, the Director General of the OIV, Mr Federico Castellucci presented the world vitivinicultural situation in 2009, particularly statistical data on world areas under vines, viniculture production and consumption.

Close to 50 journalists from the national and international press, along with official representatives of the Member and non-members states of the Organisation, participated in the OIV press conference.

Consult press release handed out at the press conference

State of Conditions report 2009

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OIV – 19/10/09 – The President of the OIV, Mr. Yves Bénard, accompanied by the Director General of the OIV, Mr. Federico Castellucci, went to China from 21 to 25 September 2009.  One of the objectives of this visit was to participate in the 3^rd International Wine Festival of Yantai (from 23 to 25 September 2009), sponsored by the OIV and organised by the municipal government of Yantai.

Mr. Yves Bénard, as such, co-chaired the inaugural ceremony of the 3^rd International Wine Festival of Yantai on 23 September 2009, gave an opening speech and cut the vine-symbol ribbon for the start of the festival. This festival of international significance drew close to 100 000 visitors from more than 30 countries in Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and Africa, in addition to delegations, organisations and viniculture institutions.

During his stay in China, Mr. Yves Bénard likewise inaugurated on 21 September 2009, the wine growing estate of the Liuhe valley in the village of Lulong.

During that time, Mr. Yves Bénard met persons in charge of the vitiviniculture sector and government representatives of the Popular Republic of China. He likewise met the deputy mayor of Peking, the mayor of the Fangshan district of Peking, the Director of the Administration and Industry Office of the municipality of Yantai, the Assistant Director of the Economy and Trade Committee of Yantai and the Assistant Director of the Vine and Wine Office of Penglai.

Mr. Yves Bénard visited some important wine estates, particularly Château Changyu (in the province of Shandong) – one of the oldest wineries in China, and Château Junding (in Yantai) which combines    traditional and technological modern ways and the lavish Château de Bolongbao specialised in organic wine (in the province of Hebei). Mr. Bénard also visited the wine museum in Yantai.

This official visit of the President of the OIV is in line with the re-enforcing of links between the International Organisation of Vine and Wine and China, which is one of the most important countries for the world vitiviniculture sector.

Mr. Castellucci (on far left) and Mr. Bénard (the third on the left)
at Château de Bolongbao 

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OIV – 08/09/09 – On their way back from an official visit to India and China, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Enrique Taiana, and the State Secretary for Trade and International Economic Relations, Alfredo Vicente Chiaradia, used their transit time to meet the Director General of the OIV, Mr. Federico Castellucci.

Accompanied by His Excellency Luís María Ureta Saenz Peña, Ambassador of Argentina in France, the Foreign Minister Taiana emphasised the importance of the Argentinean vitivinicultural sector being represented within the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). Moreover, the Foreign Minister along with the Ambassador Chiarada, pointed out how this sector of the economy and trade in Argentina has resisted and has not been affected by the international crisis. Mr. Federico Castellucci reminded the magnitude of the scientific and technical participation of Argentina at the OIV, while likewise pointing out the significant growth in vitivinicultural markets placing Argentina in 5^th place worldwide for wine production, 6^th place for wine consumption, 8^th place for grape production and 10^th place for wine exports.

This official visit was likewise the prelude to a tasting of Argentinean wines organised on the premises of the OIV by the Embassy of Argentina. This tasting allowed the diplomatic corps, the specialised press and different persons in charge at prestigious Parisian hotels and restaurants to be introduced to over 25 producers from different viticultural areas in Argentina.

from left to right : L.M. Ureta Saenz Peña, J.E. Taiana and F. Castellucci	F. Castellucci presents to J.E. an inclusion of vineleaf from the OIV garden	from left to right :  F. Castellucci,  J.E. Taiana, A.V. Chiaradia and L.M. Ureta Saenz Peña

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OIV - 14/08/09 - The statistical data on the world vitivinicultural situation in 2008 was presented by the Director General of the OIV, Mr. Federico Castellucci, at the press conference on 7 April 2009. This data has been used by the press, particularly by the scientific press and has given rise to a large number of articles worldwide (175 articles).

Consult the press review of the OIV

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OIV - 27/07/09 - The President of the OIV, Mr. Yves Bénard, with the agreement of the Vice-presidents Peter Hayes and Michele Borgo, appointed two Qualified Personalities to be part of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the OIV for the 2009-2012 time frame: Ms Claudia Quini (Argentina) and Mr Georges Sandeman (Portugal).

Their Curriculum Vitae are below as follows.
CV Claudia Quini
CV Georges Sandeman

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OIV - 17/07/09 - On the occasion of the 7^th General Assembly, six leading scientists of the OIV were granted the OIV merit award.

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OIV - 10/07/2009 - The 7^th General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), held in Zagreb (Croatia), adopted a total of 37 resolutions. The objective of this summary of the principle resolutions is to provide an insight into the most important decisions made by the General Assembly of the OIV.

Consult the summary

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OIV – 09/07/09 – The Member states of the OIV unanimously adopted, on 3 July 2009, a new standard for international competitions of wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin, which replaces previous standards in 1994 and 1999.

This concerns two texts, one which sets the criteria for granting sponsorship of the OIV, the other which sets the technical organisation rules for competitions which apply for this sponsorship. The objective of this reform is to adapt the OIV standard with noted evolutions (introduction of computer systems, taking into account knowledgeable consumers, possibility of post-tasting comments…) and to validate a single score sheet drawn up together by the OIV and the International Union of Oenologists. Moreover, tremendous work was done in view of defining descriptors used on the sheets (quality, genuineness, intensity,….) in order to provide a standardized basis for international tasters. Finally, this new standard makes a distinction between general type competitions, that being competitions open to all types of wine and spirituous beverages of vitivinicultural origin, and competitions by category limited by vine variety or beverage type. The next step for this standard will involve completing the standard with criteria adapted to enable sponsorship of national competitions.

See the text of Standard for international wine competitions and spirituous beverages
See the text of guidelines for granting sponsorship of the OIV in international competitions

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OIV - 03/07/2009 - Zagreb - The Award jury of the OIV has rewarded the best written works with a scientific input, original (new and personal input of ideas), pertinent and with an international scope for the vine and wine sector over the past 79 years. These works are evaluated by a panel of specialists (university professors, journalists, scientists, historians) in viticulture, oenology, vitivinicultural economy, wine and health, history, literature and fine arts.

This year, the Award jury met on 1^st July 2009, under the presidency of his Excellency the Ambassador Frantisek LIPKA, upon the occasion of the XXXII World Congress of Vine and Wine in Zagreb (Croatia), and unanimously chose the following winners:

In the « VITICULTURE » category, the OIV award was granted to:

«Caracterización y conservación del recurso fitogenético Vid Silvestre en Andalucía»
Coordinated by Maria Dolores Lara Gonzalez  (Spain)

In the « OENOLOGY » category, the award was granted to:

«Les vins effervescents, du terroir à la bulle»
by Gérard Liger-Belair et Joël Rochard (France)

In the « VITIVINICULTURAL LAW » category, the award was granted to:

«From Demon to Darling : A legal History of Wine in America»
byRichard Mendelson (USA)

In the « VITIVINICULTURAL ECONOMY » category, the award was granted to:

« Analisis de un sector : el Rioja entre dos siglos»
by Emilio Barco Royo (Spain)

In the « HISTORY, LITERATURE AND FINE ARTS » category, the award was granted to:

« Kultura vina na Slovenskem»
by Dušan Tercelj (Slovenia)

In the « MONOGRAPHIES AND SPECIALISED STUDIES of scientific nature » category, the award was granted to:

«Vinova Loza : ampelografija, ecologija, oplemenjivanje»
by Edi Maletic, Jasminka Karoglan Kontic et Ivan Pejic (Croatia)

In the « MONOGRAPHIES AND SPECIALISED STUDIES of descriptive and promotional nature» category, the award was granted to:

«Dingac : Prica o velikom hrvatskom vinu. The story of a Great Croatian Wine»
Coordinated by Nikola Miroševic (Croatia)

A special mention
were given by the Jury in the « MONOGRAPHIES AND SPECIALISED STUDIES of descriptive and promotional nature» category to:

« Podgoria Cotnari»
by Valeriu D. Cotea, M. Ciubotaru, N. N. Barbu, V. V. Cotea, P.G. Magazin, C.C. Grigorescu (Romania)

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OIV – 3/07/2009 – Zagreb – In addition to the new President of the OIV, Yves Bénard (France), the Member states of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine proceeded with the election for 3-year terms of the Presidents of the Commissions and Sub-commissions. Those elected become members of the scientific bureau of the OIV and include as follows:

Commission « Viticulture » : 
President Prof. Michele Borgo (Italy), Director of the Viticulture research Centre of Conegliano

« Oenology » Commission:
President Prof. Monika Christmann (Germany), Research Institute of Geisenheim

Commission « Law and Economy » :
President Dr John Barker (New Zealand), National Organisation of Oenologists and Producers of New Zealand

Commission « Safety and Health »:
President Prof. Mladen Boban (Croatia), Faculty of Medecine of the University of Split

Sub-Commission « Method of analysis » :
President Dr. Ana Isabel Blanch Cortes (Spain), Vice-directorate of agrofood laboratories

Sub-Commission « Table grapes, raisins and non-fermented products » :
President Prof. Luis Péres de Sousa (Portugal), Agrarian University of Beja

The Steering Committee, for which the secretariat is ensured by the Director General of the OIV Mr. Federico Castellucci, will likewise be completed by Mr. Peter Hayes (Australia) 1^st Vice-President and 2^nd Vice-President of the OIV, who will be appointed by the members of the Scientific and Technical Committee in March 2010. This executive body ensures the conformity of management decisions of the OIV concerning orientations defined by the members of the General Assembly in due respect with the duties of the OIV and its Strategic Plan.

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OIV - 3/07/2009 - Zagreb - The Member states of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) elected Yves Bénard (France) as President on the occasion of the 7th General Assembly, which was held in the capital of Croatia. Mr Bénard is a graduate in Agricultural Sciences and in Oenology from Montpellier and is the successor to Peter Hayes (Australia), who will become the 1st Vice President of the OIV. The office term as President is for three years. Known for his managerial career in the champagne sector, Yves Bénard has always been strongly attached to the development of collective and professional structures, whether local, national or international such as the Interprofessional Committee of Champagne wine (CIVC), Montpellier SUPAGRO, Undertakings and Grand Wnes of France (EGVF), National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), European Wine Committee (CEEV) and the International University Association of Wine (AUIV).

As a qualified personality within the Scientific and Technical Committee of the OIV over the past years, Yves Bénard is the first French man elected since 1962. It was at that time that Baron Pierre Le Roy, who was trained at the Law University of Montpellier and President of INAO, finished his office term as President of the International Office of Vine and Wine.

« IT IS UP TO US TO SHED LIGHT ON TECHNICAL ISSUES FOR THE MEMBER STATES WITH REGARD TO CONSUMERS ».

Upon his election, Yves Bénard highlighted his intention to « work on means to develop a multi disciplinary approach to scientific and regulatory debates, particularly on current events such as climate change, sustainable development and biotechnologies». Likewise to be noted is his commitment with regard to the responsibility of the OIV to consumers, « our scientific monitoring must be uncontested and beyond question and we must provide a vital contribution to the debate focused on education of the public on moderate consumption”, indicated the new president of the OIV.

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OIV – 29/06/09 - On 29 June 2009 in Zagreb (Croatia) the city hosting the XXXII  World Congress of Vine and Wine,  the Director General of the OIV, Mr Federico Castellucci acknowledged that the economic crisis likewise affected the world vitiviniculture sector, in the presence of the official representatives of the Member states of the OIV.

The presentation of the 2008 statistics was an occasion to note the slowing of commercial trade in terms of wine volume and a decrease in world wine consumption. The Director General however noted the encouraging strong implication of the Member states of the OIV in the implementation of the Strategic Plan. The Strategic plan of the OIV should enable the vitiviniculture sector to respond to the expectations of the producers and consumers and should likewise reestablish the balance necessary for the sustainable development of the world vitiviniculture sector.

« Meeting the challenge, which has an impact on our sector, requires more than ever the active participation of the Member states of the OIV and increasing numbers of propositions based on the unique expertise of our Organisation” concluded Federico Castellucci.

The annual report of the OIV, presented by the Director General, covers areas under vines, wine production and consumption, volumes of wine exports and imports in addition to the production of grapes intended for fresh consumption and the production of raisins.

Consult extract of the 2008 world vitiviniculture situation report

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OIV - 19/06/2009 - The 3^rd International Symposium of Malvasias was held in la Palma, in the Canary Islands (Spain), from 26-30 May 2009, under the patronage of the OIV.

The objective was to shed light on certain aspects of this heterogeneous group of vine varieties called « Malvasias ». Furthermore, Malvasia wines vary in type and style (dry, sweet, sparkling, aromatic or non-aromatic, white, rosé or red wines). Are we talking about aromatic or non-aromatic vine varieties? Is there a genetic relation between the different « Malvasias » or are we talking of homonymy? Are the synonyms used scientifically accurate? This event provides an opportunity to exchange recent scientific data related to these questions.

Researchers came from Brazil, Italy, Croatia and different regions of Spain.

Scientific work presented concerned historical data on the production of Malvasias, studies carried out in viticulture (viticulture techniques, maturation, growing evaluation and potential), in oenology (aromatic characterisation, sensory analysis) and marketing (positioning of Malvasia wines on the international wine market).

During the Symposium on several occasions it was repeated that the geographical site references of the Malvasias vine varieties should be avoided for their denomination. This causes confusion today among scientists, producers and consumers of this wine.

Participants came to the overall conclusion that despite clarifications and results presented, research work should be pursued in the field of Malvasias and that progress remains to be made.  

the vines’ canopy management system used in La Palma island (« rastrera »)

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OIV - 16/06/09 - For the third straight year, the OIV is announcing research scholarships to young researchers in the vitivinicultural sector.

The subjects proposed shall be in line with the actions laid out in the Strategic Plan 2009-2012 of the OIV.

For further information and to request forms, those interested should check out « Highlights » on the OIV web site.

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OIV – 12/06/2009 – Professor Reiner Wittkowski, Vice-president of the OIV and Mr. Federico Castellucci, Director General of the OIV  received the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Agency, Ms Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle at the OIV headquarters in Paris. This work meeting, which follows contacts made in November 2008 at the EFSA headquarters in Parme (Italy),were organised in view of studying the possibilities of a cooperation between the EFSA and the OIV on certain subjects, particularly on the current file on the potential allergenic risks of fining products used in wine making.

This informal meeting was held with the participation of Dr Jean-Claude RUF, coordinator of the Scientific and Technical department of the OIV, and enabled putting forward certain issues which need to be taken into account based on the labelling obligation of allergens as of 31 December 2010. Moreover, certain collaboration channels between the EFSA and the OIV will soon be explored so that studies undertaken by certain OIV Member states coincide with the expectations of different experts and that outstanding issues can be resolved.

The Director General was pleased with the constructive discussions held between the EFSA and the OIV in the food safety field, particularly the current issue of allergens which the scientific community of the OIV is very concerned by the importance of establishing constructive relations between the experts of both the organistions is likewise to be emphasised.

The Director General, along with the Vice-president of the OIV, insisted on the importance of maintaining an approach based on science  which must be kept as the basis of the decision-making process.

Ms Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, Executive Director of the EFSA and Mr Federico Castellucci,
Director General of the OIV, Prof Dr Reiner Wittkowski, Vice-president of the OIV and
Dr Jean-Claude Ruf, coordinator of the Scientific and Technical department of the OIV

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OIV - 08/06/2009 - We owe the work of Arabic translation of the 2^nd edition of Descriptive characteristics of Vitis varieties and species to the engineer Fethi Askri*.

This document drawn up for the Arabic speaking specialists in the field of description of vine species, provides an updated insight into numerous important data on vines and represents a precious work tool. This is due to its practical usage and various technical and scientific information it provides in addition to information specific to vine description, for example the evaluation of the degree of disease and vine tolerance to certain elements such as salt, according to criteria established by international experts.

The objective of this document is to contribute to furthering scientific and technical exchanges between specialists in the vitivinicultural sector in countries throughout the world.

*fethi.askri@topnet.tn

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OIV – 05/06/09 - On 26 and 27 May 2009, the Director General of the OIV, Mr. Federico Castellucci, went to Stockholm (Sweden) accompanied by the Coordinator of the technical and scientific department of the OIV, Dr Jean-Claude Ruf, delegate of the OIV at the 5^th “Tempranillos al mundo” competition.

During his visit, Mr. Castellucci met with Ms. Magdalena Gerber, the new director of Systembolaget, and Mr. P Leimar, CEO office member. This encounter enabled the better understanding of both organisations’ respective missions, particularly the missions of the Swedish monopoly in their distribution of alcoholic beverages and in their mission focused on reducing alcohol abuse.
Finally, Mr. Castellucci and Mr. Ruf were received by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Rolf Eriksson accompanied by Ms. S. Carlsson, political adviser, Mr. L Olsson, Deputy Director General, Ms. A. Madsen, Deputy Director and official delegate of Sweden to the OIV, and Ms. H. Juth, who likewise follows OIV files.

Mr. Federico Castellucci, Director General of the OIV and Mr. Rolf Eriksson, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture of Sweden

During these meetings, Mr. Castellucci reiterated the importance of the participation of consumer countries in the various OIV activities, particularly the activities of the Safety and Health Commission. He likewise expressed his hope that this participation would continue to develop.  Mr. Castellucci and Mr. Eriksson raised certain files and likewise emphasised the important role of the OIV. Mr. Castellucci mentionned the role that Sweden would play when it becomes the President of the European Union on the 1^st July 2009.

Along with these meetings and at the close of the 5^th “Tempranillos al mundo” competition, which was held in Stockholm from 26 to 28 May 2009, 109 prizes were granted out of 371 samples presented. These prizes included 1 grand gold medal, 46 gold medals and 62 silver medals. The 6^th edition of the “Tempranillos al mundo” competition is planned to take place in the United States.

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OIV - 25/05/2009 - A news conference on the vitivinicultural situation in the Southern hemisphere was held at the International Organisation of Vine and Wine headquarters on 25 May 2009.

The Director General of the OIV, Mr Federico Castellucci presented the statistical data focused exclusively on the eight leading producer countries of the Southern hemisphere, members of the OIV including South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru and Uruguay.

Mr Castellucci announced the initial results of the 2009 harvests and likewise gave the first prognosis on 2009 production in these countries. This statistical data, related to areas under vines, production, consumption, experts demonstrates the development of the vitivinicultural sector throughout the Southern hemisphere while emphasising the global vitivinicultural importance of this part of the world.

On the occasion of this press conference, the commercial and agricultural counsellors working in their respective embassies in Paris presented the wines of their respective countries. Over 40 international press journalists and official representatives of different member and non-member countries participated in the OIV press conference.

Consult the press release

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OIV – 25/05/2009 – The European Commission, following the opinion of the European Parliament, recently published a regulation which postpones the obligation for labelling potentially allergenic fining products used in wine making until 31 December 2010.

Regulation (EC) 415/2009 of the Commission of 20 May 2009  modifies Directive 2007/68/EC providing for temporary measures by allowing the marketing of foodstuffs placed on the market or labelled before 31 May 2009 until stocks are exhausted.

Given that wine operators would be subject to two sets of labelling requirements, those provided under Directive 2007/68/EC and those of the implementing rules of Regulation (EC) No 479/2008, and given that the transitional periods do not coincide, as under Directive 2007/68/EC foodstuffs placed on the market or labelled before 31 May 2009 that comply with Directive 2005/26/EC can be marketed until stocks are exhausted, in the interests of sound administration and to avoid unnecessary burdens on the authorities of the Member States as well as economic operators, a single date should be established for the mandatory application to the wine sector of Directive 2007/68/EC and of the implementing rules adopted in the framework of Regulation (EC) No 479/2008. (5) As regards products covered by Regulation (EC) No 479/2008, the end of the transitional period foreseen in Directive 2007/68/EC should therefore be fixed at 31 December 2010.

Directive 2007/68/EC is thus modified as follows:

In Article 3 of Directive 2007/68/EC the following paragraph is added:

"By way of derogation from the second paragraph of this Article, Member States shall allow wines, as defined in Annex IV to Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 (*) placed on the market or labelled before 31 December 2010, and which comply with the provisions of Directive 2005/26/EC, to be marketed until stocks are exhausted."

The Secretariat of the OIV has worked on this issue with the relevant European Commissions departments for over  one year and continues to do so, particularly with the DG AGRI and the DG SANCO to enforce OIV expertise currently underway.

Download regulation

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OIV - 20/05/2009 - The Director General of the OIV participated in the 5^th FENAVIN 2009 and gave a presentation on the world vitiviniculture situation in 2009. As such, Mr. Federico Castellucci presented the main trends of the sector, influenced by the current global context.

During his visit to Spain, Mr Castellucci, had the honour of being received on 8 May 2009 by Ms Elena Espinosa, the Minister of the Environment, Rural and Maritime Affairs of Spain.

The objective of this meeting was the detailed review of the questions of interest of this important member state within the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.

Mr Castellucci, Director General of the OIV and Ms Elena Espinosa,
the Minister of the Environment, Rural and Maritime Affairs of Spain.
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OIV – 07/04/2009 – A press conference was held at the headquarters of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine. At this time, the OIV gave a presentation of the State of the Vitiviniculture World Market report showing the world vitivinicultural situation in 2008 drawn up based on statistical data provided by the Member states of the Organisation.

During the press conference, Mr Federico Castellucci, Director General of the OIV, presented the overall trends recorded on areas under vines, wine production, consumption and the world wine market in 2008.

More than sixty journalists from the international and the French press attended the OIV press conference.

Press release
Summary of data
State of the Vitiviniculture World Market report, March 2009

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