To attend this press conference, journalists are kindly asked to send an email with their name and their professional contact details to press@oiv.int.
Date: Tuesday 24 October 2017
Time: 11 am
Location: International Organisation of Vine and Wine, (OIV), 18 Rue d'Aguesseau, Paris 75008 - Metro station Madeleine or Concorde [see map]
On 13-17 September, the first International Wine and Chinese Food Forum was held in Fangshan, near to Beijing.
Placed under the patronage of the OIV, the aim of this event was to promote wine in China paired with Chinese cuisine.
Around 20 experts (sommeliers, masters of wine, top chefs and specialist journalists), a third of whom were from other countries, selected the best pairings from a dozen or so traditional Chinese dishes and wine samples chosen out of 300 wines from around the world. Also on the programme was an international wine exhibition as well as a conference series on the theme of 'wine and culture'.
Organised with the support of around 20 vitivinicultural companies from Fangshan District and the District government, this event brought together several thousand participants.
On this occasion, the Director General of the OIV, after a presentation of the Organisation, issued a panorama of the vitivinicultural sector at the global scale and the main issues for the future – with a particular focus on different approaches for promoting vitiviniculture through its historical and cultural dimensions.
During this visit, in Beijing, Jean-Marie Aurand met Mr Qu Dongyu, Vice-Minister for Agriculture in charge of international cooperation, and was received by Mr Bian Zhenhu, President of the China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA), which is linked to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
The Director General praised the development of relations between China and the OIV, particularly with regions that have observer status (Yantai in Shandong and Ningxia) but also with the Enology faculty of the University in Yangling.
The OIV has received a growing number of requests from all of the Chinese wine regions at a time when the Chinese vitivinicultural sector is seeing strong growth.
Jean-Marie Aurand expressed to those with whom he spoke the wish for this cooperation to result in the full accession of China to the OIV.
With a surface area of 875 000 hectares, 85% of which are destined for table-grape production, China has the 2nd largest area under vines in the world.
China is the leader among producing and consuming countries for table grapes. Wine production has reached 11.5 million hectolitres – placing it 8th in the world – and consumption 17 million hectolitres, making China the 5th biggest consumer.
Under OIV patronage this event brought together over 350 members of the industry, researchers, and administrators.
Thirty of the researchers and experts, of which a quarter came from abroad, presented their work in different vitivinicultural domains. The themes included viticulture, enology, and economy with specific focus on new developments related to climate change as well as environmental subjects.
Jean-Marie Aurand opened the conference with a presentation of the OIV and its missions followed by a panorama of the worldwide vitivinicultural industry. The Director General also highlighted some of the major challenges the industry may face in the future in regards to competitiveness, the environment, and consumer expectations.
In the presence of South African additional delegate to the OIV, Mrs. Wendy Jonker, as well as many other experts including, Jan Booysen, Yvette Van der Merwe and Pierre Van Rensburg, the Director General congratulated the South African delegation on their excellent participation and contributions to the Organisation.
A member of the OIV since 1963, South Africa is home to 130 000 hectares of vineyards and is the seventh largest producer worldwide with a production of 10 million hectoliters of wine.
South Africa is also an important producer and exporter of table grapes with an annual production of 280 000 tons, of which 90% are exported.