Thanks to the joint work of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the city of Bento Gonçalves, Embrapa and Ibravin, the Brazilian wine capital became the global capital of the sector on 23-28 October 2016.
Monika Christmann, the President of the OIV, emphasised the quality of the scientific and technical presentations, which provided a better understanding, in particular, of the realities of Brazilian viticulture and the country's high level of university research. The technical visits to various wine-growing areas also showed the potential of this vitiviniculture, a large part of which is destined for the production of quality sparkling wines.
The Director General of the OIV, Jean-Marie Aurand, stressed the dynamism and enthusiasm of the participants, which allowed for rich, quality exchanges. There was also a strong presence of young researchers from different countries, demonstrating a certain revival and the attractiveness of both the vitivinicultural sector and the OIV.
The 14th General Assembly of the OIV concluded the week of scientific work by approving the adoption of 16 new resolutions, in particular in the fields of the environment, oenology or economy and law.
The General Assembly of OIV Member States also formalised Mexico's return to the OIV, making it the 46th Member Country integrated by the OIV, and accepted Switzerland's invitation to host the 2019 Congress.