June 27 : Ms. Claudia Inés Quini from Argentina replaces Mr. Yves Bénard of France as the new President of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the intergovernmental UN type organization in the area of vitiviniculture with effect from today as she was elected for a three-year term.
 Confirming the news, Mr. Federico Castellucci, the elected Directeur Général (Director General) of OIV informed delWine, ‘two candidates stood for election and the Member- Country representatives finally voted Mrs. Claudia Quini (Argentina). She will take office from midnight for her three years mandate, outgoing President Yves Bénard will be the 1st Vice-president of OIV.
The election took place during the 10th General Assembly of OIV which was held in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir yesterday, immediately following the 15th annual World Congress of Vine and Wine. It was also the 35th World Congress on Vine and Wine, held on 18-22 June. The congress and the General Assembly took place at the Kaya İzmir Thermal & Convention center and was organised by the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority (TAPDK) of Turkey.
Ms. Quini is a chemical engineer and Deputy Head of Research at the National Institute for Vitiviniculture of Argentina (INV). Born in the Argentinean region of Mendoza, Claudia Inés Quini holds a university degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, and has specialized further in management and research in the vitivinicultural sector.
Showing her concern for the growing incidence of high alcohol wines, she addressed the issue in her first statement as the President, saying “We need to revise OIV strategic priorities to get a closer picture of the wine market, in order to be able to anticipate future trends like the growing demand for low-alcohol or de-alcoholised beverages of vitivinicultural origin- without forgetting to increase the appreciation of traditional wine.”
“The OIV is also playing an active role in the development of a sustainable vitiviniculture, as shown by the adoption of a set of principles to establish a carbon calculator protocol specific for the grape, raisins and wine industry”, said Ms. Quini. “We will ensure that this sustainability model also addresses social and economic concerns”, she added.
Anticipation of future trends in the wine market and the enlargement of the organisation towards Asia and the Americas are some of the key issues she plans to address during her mandate.
“We will also work to enlarge the Organisation through the incorporation of emerging countries as Member States, and I am looking forward to Asia and the Americas in particular”, said also Ms. Quini. As of 23 June 2012, the OIV is made of 45 Member States including India, which represent nearly 80% of the global wine production,” she said.
Hailing from Champagne, Mr. Yves Bénard was elected President of the OIV during the 7th OIV General Assembly held in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2009. Prior to that, he developed an international career as a manager in the French wine industry. During his presidential term, the OIV membership grew with the incorporation of two new countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina and India which is the last country to have been voted in. During his presidential term OIV also strengthened ties with the People’s Republic of China, which has now become the fifth largest wine consumer in the world.
 At the previous OIV General Assembly held in Porto, in June 2011, Subhash Arora was awarded a medal of honour by the OIV for his exemplary service in the international wine sector; he is the first and only Indian to be have bestowed this honour. Every year the executive committee of OIV awards 4-5 such medals to individuals throughout the wine world.
Every member state is allowed to vote for the President and it would not surprise anyone if in the next couple or three decades, India pitches in for a place as the head of the organisation. Of course, first it has to get its house in order by framing wine laws, keeping in view the sustainable vitiviniculture.
Subhash Arora
List of OIV Member States as of 22 June 2012
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