Environmental sustainability, social responsibility, trade facilitation and consumer matters were the topics covered in the three-day conference, with attendance from six of the seven continents and all segments of the alcohol beverage industry.

The FIVS Spring Conference was held at the Royal Windsor Hotel and policy-oriented discussions were led by representatives from Argentina, Australia, Chile, the European Commission, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), New Zealand, South Africa and the United States of America.

At the conference Prof. Christmann informed the participants about “OIV Activities in the Area of Sustainability & Future Directions”. She explained the work of the new OIV Expert group ENVIRO to representatives coming from OIV-Member States but also Non-member States.

FIVS Members elected Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, Secretary General, Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins, as a new Vice-President of the Federation at its 71st General Assembly.

Organised by the College of Enology of Northwest A&F University, presided by Professor Li Hua and Professor Hua Wang, this symposium brought together several hundred participants: experts, academics, professionals in the vitivinicultural sector, students, etc.

The College of Enology is one of the biggest and most renowned in China. Each year, it trains nearly 500 experts at different levels in viticulture and oenology.

Aside from technical presentations on vitivinicultural activities, the work also gave rise to presentations on the situation and perspectives of the sector in the main Chinese wine regions.

On this occasion, the Director General of the OIV summarised the major trends in global vitiviniculture, highlighting the main issues for the sector in the years ahead and the role of the OIV in this context.

China affirmed its ambitions to be a major player in the sector. With the second largest vineyard surface area for the last 2 years with 830,000 hectares (table grapes and wine grapes), after Spain and before France, China is the eighth biggest wine-producing country globally with 11 million hectolitres in 2015. After two years of stagnation, consumption recorded a recovery in 2015 and China is fifth in the world in terms of consumption.

Jean-Marie Aurand extended his visit to have various meetings with the Chinese authorities and representatives of the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, in order to strengthen ties between China and the OIV with a view to future accession.