Mainly based on hybrids such as Solaris, Hibernal or Maréchal Foch, viticulture is growing in the region of Zielona Góra, as well as in the west of the country, in Wroc?aw in the south-west, in Krakow in the south, in the region of Podkarpacie and in Kazimierz Dolny in the south-east. In addition, consumption has also increased over the past few years, going from 1.4 litres to 2.4 per capita.
After recalling the objectives and missions of the OIV, Mr Jean-Marie Aurand stressed the benefits of joining the large OIV family for Poland, both as a producing country with specific climate conditions and as a consuming country increasingly interested in wine culture.
The Polish Ambassador indicated that he would engage in the necessary discussions with the Polish Minister for Agriculture so that the possibility of OIV membership can be considered as soon as possible.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is proposing to amend its regulations to permit the use of American viticultural area (AVA) names as appellations of origin (AO) on labels for wines that would otherwise qualify for the use of the AVA name, except that the wines have been fully finished in a State adjacent to the State in which the viticultural area is located, rather than the State in which the labeled viticultural area is located.
The proposal would provide greater flexibility in wine production and labeling while still ensuring that consumers are provided with adequate information as to the identity of the wines they purchase.
TTB permits the use of viticultural area names as appellations of origin on wine labels, so that vintners may better describe the origin of their wines and consumers may better identify the wines they may purchase.
During this discussion, the Director General highlighted the involvement of the Executive Agency on Vine and Wine, represented by its Director, Mr Krasimir Koev, and made reference to various avenues that would enable Bulgaria to position itself as one of the leading viticultural countries in the Black Sea area. Among the activities envisaged, two areas could be given priority, namely the organisation of a regional scientific and technical forum in Bulgaria and the involvement of the country's university and professional sector in the OIV's Master's programme (the MSc OIV in Wine Management).
In addition, H.E. Mr Anguel Tcholakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria in France, supported the idea of organising a presentation of his country's wines at the OIV headquarters during the exhibition of Thracian treasures from Bulgaria, a cultural event that is to be held at the Louvre in spring 2015.
The Minister for Agriculture also stressed the importance she attached to strengthening the contribution of Bulgarian expertise within the OIV as part of the rural development programme, certain aspects of which particularly affect native table grapes and wine grapes.
Mr Jean-Marie Aurand, accompanied by Dr Jean-Claude Ruf (Scientific Coordinator of the OIV), presented statistics relating to production, trade and consumption of wine around the world and the latest developments as part of the WHO expert meeting dedicated to evaluating global alcoholic beverage consumption.
This meeting falls within the framework of the collaboration between the WHO and the OIV, which was initiated several years ago. Indeed, the WHO uses OIV data to a significant extent as a basis for the evaluation of the production and consumption of alcohol of vitivinicultural origin in various countries around the world.
The Director General of the OIV presented statistical trends and the way in which the Organisation functions before going on to describe its activities with regard to vitivinicultural standardisation.
Representatives from national standardisation bodies and professionals in alcoholic beverages raised many issues regarding the drafting processes and the relationships with the Codex Alimentarius standards. Mr Alligator Makori, who runs the standardisation committee, pointed out the growing interest in the wine sector, which has seen an increase in consumption.
Following a presentation of the product definitions and analytical standards by Dr Jean-Claude Ruf, OIV Scientific Coordinator, a discussion took place on the draft East African standards relating to still, sparkling and fortified wines.
Mr Aurand expressed his satisfaction with the wealth of discussions and interest expressed in the sector by the senior East African figures, whose countries have experienced a rise in wine consumption. This development will result in an increase in trade and thus the need to ensure the safety of the wine supply through recognised international standards.
* The East African Community is a regional intergovernmental organisation that brings together Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.