As a world leader in the wine industry, he served for many years as the official United States delegate to the Wine Technology Group of Experts of the Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV). He was also active in the OIV Subcommission on Methods of Analysis and the Group of Experts that draws up the OIV Code of Enological Practices.
In recognition of his contributions to this organization, he was presented the OIV Award of Merit in 1999, one of the very few Americans to be so honored.
As Chairman of the Wine Institute Technical Committee for two decades, he had been instrumental in successfully guiding the work of that group in numerous areas critical to the grape and wine industries. He had also headed numerous Wine Institute subcommittees dealing with such regulatory bodies as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, both Federal and State EPA, the California Air Resources Board and a number of water quality and waste management agencies. He had received the highly coveted Merit Award of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.
He had served the Society first as its Technical Projects Director, then as President, and later as the Editor of the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture. He acted as Enology Editor of that publication, and as editor of the chapter on wine analysis in the Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International for nearly thirty years and was elected a Fellow of that organization. He has served as the Liaison Officer between AOAC and the American Society for Enology and Viticulture for over 30 years.
The Ambassador recalled that Georgia, the heart of the Caucasus, is one of the cradles of global viticulture. Vines have been grown there for thousands of years, in ideal geological and climate conditions. The oldest seeds, found in various parts of the country, date back to at least 8000 BC and belong to the Vitis Vinifera species. Today, 525 native vine varieties are grown in Georgia.
The Director General of the OIV, Mr Jean-Marie Aurand, praised the second occurrence of this presentation and thanked Georgia for its considerable involvement in the OIV's activities since the World Congress in Tbilisi in 2010. Specifying that he was to travel to Georgia at the beginning of June, Mr Aurand emphasised the resurgence of Georgian wines. Small winegrowers, cooperatives and independent wineries rival one another in terms of quality.
Mr Giorgi Samanishvili, President of the Georgian National Wine Agency (GNWA), presented various aspects of the history and the challenges surrounding Georgian viticulture, insisting on the fact that wine represents a treasure, a part of the culture and an asset for Georgia. Vines can be found everywhere, and are deeply rooted in the daily lives of Georgian people, in poetry, painting and architecture.
This vine and wine culture is closely linked to the country's history. Careful attention has been paid to viticultural traditions, which have been passed down through the generations. Since December 2013, traditional winemaking in a Qvevri (a large clay jar) has been on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List.
Gaumarjos, a toast to you in Georgian!
Among the various points of the agenda, a particular point concerned the additives and their provisions for the food category 14.2.3 “Grape wines and its sub-categories”.
Grape wine is part of Annex 3 for which the additives that are recognised for use in the grape wine category and subcategories should be evaluated case by case.
In 2014 the Committee agreed to establish an electronic working group, to collect information on the functional classes, on the appropriateness of setting good manufacturing practice (GMP) or a numerical maximum use level as well as the actual levels of use.
During this 47th session, the Committee endorsed the recommendation to adopt at Step 8 the draft provision for carbon dioxide (INS 290) in food category 14.2.3 “Grape wines” with a maximum use level at “GMP” and to revise the Note 60, associated in order to limit CO2 content in finished still wine at 4000 mg/kg at 20 °C”;
The Committee also endorsed the recommendation to establish an EWG to develop a discussion paper, for the next session, which would assist to analyse the specific provisions of food category 14.2.3 and its sub-categories case-by-case.
It was noted that the concern was not about the safety but about the technological justification of the provisions.
The theme for World Health Day 2015 is Food Safety, a theme of high relevance to all people on the planet, and multiple stakeholders, including government, civil society, the private sector, and intergovernmental agencies.
As our food supply becomes increasingly globalized, the need to strengthen food safety systems in and between all countries is becoming more and more evident. That is why the WHO is promoting efforts to improve food safety, from farm to plate (and everywhere in between) on World Health Day.
WHO helps countries prevent, detect and respond to foodborne disease outbreaks - in line with the Codex Alimentarius, a collection of international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice covering all the main foods and processes. Together with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), WHO alerts countries to food safety emergencies through an international information network.
To contribute to the safety of the consumers and take their expectations into account is one of the strategic axes of the new OIV Strategic Plan 2015-2019.
In this framework, the OIV participates to the food safety through its network of experts and in particular the works of the group of experts "Food Safety" which establishes opinions on the new proposed oenological practices and sets limits for certain contaminants.
Moreover, the OIV adopted, several Code of Good Practices in order to limit the presence of certain undesirable compounds in particular Ochratoxin A, biogenic amines and more recently a Code of good fining practices for wine to be applied in the use of proteinaceous wine fining agents with allergenic potential.
Ms Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, Director General for Agricultural, Agri-food and Territorial Policies in the French Ministry of Agriculture, stressed the importance that France is attaching to the OIV's activities by awarding the Order of Agricultural Merit to the scientists elected to the highest positions in the Organisation.
Knights of the Order of Agricultural Merit
Mr Vicente Sotés Ruiz – Spain – President of Commission I "Viticulture"
Nationality: Spanish
Qualifications: Doctor in Agronomic Engineering, specialised in viticulture and oenology.
Professional career: Teacher and Researcher, currently a Professor of Plant Production (viticulture) at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineering of Madrid.
Specialised in vine physiology and wine production. Director of 15 doctoral theses. Author of 165 publications.
OIV career: Spanish delegate within the "Viticulture" Commission since 1991, Vice-President of the "Vitivinicultural Zoning" Expert Group from 2004-2007, President of the "Viticultural Environment and Climate Change" Expert Group in 2007.
Other achievements: Member of the European Group for Vine Training Systems, of the Italian Academy of Vine and Wine, and of the Consultative Committee of the Spanish Wine Federation.
Mr Ahmet Altindisli – Turkey – President of the "Table Grapes, Raisins and Unfermented Vine Products" Sub-Commission
Nationality: Turkish
Qualifications: Doctor of Viticulture.
Professional career: Teacher and Researcher, Professor of Viticulture at the Faculty of Agriculture of Ege University in Izmir.
Specialised in organic production and canopy management. Author of 20 scientific publications.
OIV career: Turkish delegate within the "Viticulture" Commission since 2007, Scientific Secretary of the "Table Grapes, Raisins and Unfermented Vine Products" Sub-Commission in 2007, then President of this Sub-Commission since 2012.
Other achievements: Member of the Turkish Horticultural Society, member of the Scientific Committee for the World Congress of Vine and Wine (2012).
Mr Valeriu Cotea – Romania – President of Commission II "Oenology"
Nationality: Romanian
Qualifications: Doctor of Agronomy, specialised in viticulture and oenology.
Professional career: Teacher and Researcher, Professor of Oenology, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ia?i. Director of 7 doctoral theses.
OIV career: Romanian delegate within the "Oenology" Commission since 1998, President of the "Specifications of Oenological Products" Expert Group (2007-2012), President of the "Oenology" Commission since 2012.
Other achievements: Member of the Romanian Office of Vine and Wine Products, member of the Romanian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, President of the National Vineyard Growers and Wine Producers Association.
He is receiving the Order of Agricultural Merit 19 years after his father, Valeriu Cotea, who also received this award as President of the "Oenology" Commission in 1996.
Mr Paulo Barros – Portugal – President of the "Methods of Analysis" Sub-Commission
Nationality: Portuguese
Qualifications: Graduate from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Porto.
Professional career: Assistant Professor in Pharmacy, Technical Director of the Porto laboratory for wine analysis, Adviser to the Board of Directors at the Port and Douro Wine Institute. Author of over 50 publications.
OIV career: Portuguese delegate within the "Methods of Analysis" Sub-Commission since 1989, for which he became Scientific Secretary in 2009 and President in 2012.
Other achievements: Organisation of the OIV World Congress in Porto, member of the OIV National Committee in Portugal.
Mr Eugenio Pomarici – Italy – President of Commission III "Economy and Law"
Nationality: Italian
Qualifications: Doctor of Mathematics.
Professional career: Teacher and Researcher, Professor at the University of Naples and at Padua University in Conegliano.
Specialised in supply analysis in the fruit and wine sector. Author of 74 scientific publications.
OIV career: Italian delegate within the "Economy and Law" Commission since 2004, President of the “Markets and Consumption” Expert Group (2007-2012), President of the “Economy and Law” Commission since 2012.
Other achievements: Member of the National Committee for the protection and promotion of designations of origin.
Ms Creina Stockley – Australia – President of Commission IV "Safety and Health"
Nationality: Australian
Qualifications: Master's in Business Administration, Master's in Clinical Pharmacology.
Professional career: Teacher and Researcher; Lecturer at the University of Adelaide School of Agriculture, Food and Wine; Health and Regulatory Information Manager at the Australian Wine Research Institute. Author of more than 30 publications.
OIV career: Australian delegate within the "Safety and Health" Commission since 1999, Vice-President of the "Nutrition and Wine" Expert Group (2000-2006), President of the "Food Safety" Expert Group (2007-2012), President of the "Safety and Health" Commission since 2012.
Other achievements: Member of the various working groups on additives and allergens; consultant on health, nutrition and food safety for different vitivinicultural organisations.
Officer of the Order of Agricultural Merit
Ms Claudia Quini – Argentina – OIV President
Nationality: Argentine
Qualifications: Chemical engineering degree from the National Technological University (Regional Faculty of Mendoza)
Professional career: built within the National Vitiviniculture Institute, in particular, as coordinator of oenological studies and sensory analysis, in the analytical and technical departments, and in conducting research and monitoring duties. Professor of Wine Technology and Sensory Analysis.
OIV career: expert and delegate within the "Oenology" Commission since 2004, qualified personality within the OIV Scientific and Technical Committee (2009-2012), elected President of the OIV in June 2012 in Izmir.
Other achievements: Head of the Vinandino national wine competition, member of the Argentine delegation for international negotiations regarding wine.
From Paris to Mendoza, going via Porto, Madrid, Verona, Bucharest, Izmir and Adelaide, over 30,000 kilometres stand between the above recipients of the Order of Agricultural Merit, yet they are all brought together as part of the OIV.