OUTCOME
F.I.C.B. GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018
The F.I.C.B. General Assembly (G.A.) convened in Paris on Saturday 3 February 2018. At the opening, a minute of silence was observed in memory of Laurence Guillon, Secretary General of the federation who passed away in March 2017.
38 active members (out of 50) were present or represented, from 14 countries. The Executive Committee and the Board of Administration had met the day before. The G.A. underlined the development of the membership and took important decisions relating to future F.I.C.B. international events.
5 new active members were admitted in 2017, of which three from new countries (Hong Kong, Moldova and Slovakia), bringing the total membership to 50 from 18 countries.
The first F.I.C.B. wine tasting and rating challenge will be organized by the Knights of the Vine of Finland from 6 to 9 June 20219 in the Helsinki area in Finland. This Challenge should induce the wine brotherhoods to develop their activities around blind wine tasting and the recognition of individual expertise in wine tasting.
The venues and organizers of the 2020 and 2022 F.I.C.B. international congresses have been selected :
The Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini de Alba (Italy) will host the Congress from 3 to 7 June 2020 in the region of Langhe & Roero, with an extension from 7 to 9 in Asti Spumante and Torino ;
The Federation of Portuguese Wine Brotherhoods will host the 2022 Congress from 21 to 25 June 2022 in the regions of Porto, Vinho Verde and Douro, with an extension in the regions of Lisbon, Carcavelos and Alentejo from 25 to 28 June.
The specifications for the new types of F.I.C.B. international events had been adopted in 2017 and are available on line on our site. (“international wine tasting an rating challenge” and “F.I.C.B. sponsored wine discovery tours”).
The G.A. appreciated the publication in 4 languages (DE, EN, ES, FR) of the « practical guide for the creation and development of a wine brotherhood », also available on line, and the upcoming translation in Italian.
The criteria for allocating the F.I.C.B. Diploma of Honour were refined as requested by the G.A. in 2017 and two diplomas have been presented in 2017: to Allen Shoup (U.S.A.) and to David Guimaraens (Portugal). During the G.A., the Diploma of Honour was presented to Tomislav Kovacic, outgoing Vice-president for Slovenia, for his positive contribution to F.I.C.B. and his expertise in the area of wine.
The G.A. meeting was closed by a presentation by George Sandeman, President of « Wine-in-Moderation » (and Grand Master of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto) who underlined the positive partnership developed since 2016 with F.I.C.B. around responsible wine drinking and tasting.
The G.A. proceeded to the statutory renewal by third every two years of the members of the Board of Administration and elected new members to the Board of Administration : Marie-France Derkenne (Association des Gourmettes CH), Hubert Varrin (Confrérie des Potes au Feu CH) and Stefan Bugar (Slovakian wine brotherhood of Ohrady). Following the G.A. , the Board of Administration met to renew the Executive Committee and ratify the designation of David Brazsil as Vice-president for Hungary.
Concerning the finances, the outcome of 2017 was better than expected, thanks to higher resources from membership fees and lean management. The 2018 budget was approved with a forecast for royalties expected from the 2018 Congress in Macedonia. The annual active membership fee was kept at 150 the admission fee at 50€ and 100€ for associate membership.
Following the G.A. meeting, a friendly lunch was served at the Paris Wine Museum, thus concluding a productive session which paved the way for superb international F.I.C.B. events in the 5 years to come.
The next General Assembly meeting will be on Saturday 26 January 2019 in Paris.
The Executive Committee and the Board of Administration will meet the day before as usual. The participants will have the possibility to join the Saint Vincent Chapter of the Conseil des Echansons de France to take place the same day in the evening at the Paris Wine Museum.
Click here for the overview of the General Assembly outcome
Click here for the composition of the Board of Administration at 5 February 2018
Click here for the presentation by George Sandeman (Wine in moderation)
J.M. Marti (ES) and M. Rossi receive their Vice-president’s paludament
I. Malinovski, I. Popov and D. Bozadjiev.
On the evening of the G.A. meeting, a special dinner gathered 60 participants at the famous “Pied de Cochon” restaurant in the heart of the Paris Halles district. The wines were offered by the Slovenian and Slovakian delegations, as well as an exceptional Merlot Pedestal designed by Michel Rolland and produced by Saint Michelle estates (Washington State USA) offered by its owner Allen Shoup, both having been recent recipients of the F.I.C.B. Diploma of Honor.
