The Portuguese federation of Wine Brotherhoods (F.P.C.B.) organized a visit to Paris on 23 October to meet with the Conseil des Echansons de France at the Paris Wine Museum. Four Portuguese wine brotherhoods were represented:

– The Brotherhood of the Port wine

– The bBrotherhood of Estremadura (wines of the Lisbon area

– The Brotherhood of Alentejo

– The Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Tage- Ribatejo

The occasion of this meeting was the Autumn Chapter of the Conseil des Echansons de France which gathered some 100 participants, of which 17 from Portugal, in the magnificent 16th century cellars of the Paris Wine Museum where a typical Portuguese menu was served together with a selection of fine wines from the regions of the hosts. 5 inductions of Portuguese guests were pronounced by Claude JOSSE, Grand Chancellor of the Conseil des Echansons de France, assisted i.a. by Jean-Jacques HERVY, Vice-Chancellor and Curator of the Wine Museum :

– Pedro CASTRO REGO, president of F.P.C.B. also representing the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Tage-Ribatejo

– Candida VACAS de CARVALHO, Juiz (=President) of the Brotherhood of Alentejo

– Albino JORGE da SILVA e SOUSA, from the Brotherhood of the Port Wine, aloso Vice-president of F.I.C.B. for Portugal

– Carlos Joao PEREIRA da FONSECA, owner and vinster of the Quintas das Cerejeiras, Sanguinhal and Sao Francisco, founding member of the Brotherhood of Estremadura (wines of the Lisbon region)

– Luis MADUREIRA PIRES, of the Brotherhood of Alentejo. The father of the latter, Manuel MADUREIRA PIRES, who had been inducted as a « compaignon » of the Echansons de France in 1987, was promoted to the rank of “Officer ».

A wonderful encounter which illustrates the connections that F.I.C.B. makes and encourages !