International Organisation of Vine and Wine

Created in 1924 by six producer states in response to the global viticultural crisis, the OIV has developed and adapted to become, since 2001, the scientific and technical reference organisation for the entire vitivinicultural field. Its 46 Member States account for more than 85% of global wine production and nearly 80% of world consumption. There are also 10 non-governmental international organisations that participate as observers. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (acronym OIV, from its French language name L'Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin) is an intergovernmental organisation and its work concerns vines, wine, wine-based beverages, table grapes, raisins and other vine-based products.

The international trade of grapes, wine and spirituous beverages continues to grow. The share of export volumes of wine has developed significantly over the past decade: at over 100 million hectolitres, it is equivalent to 43% of world consumption, compared with 25% 10 years ago. Every two bottles out of five consumed in the world are imported.

In the context of this globalisation of trade, where there is increasing competition between countries, the OIV defines the characteristics of vitivinicultural products and their specifications, and contributes to the promotion of good regulatory practices in order to ensure fair trading, as well as the integrity and sustainability of different viticultural products on the global market.

The OIV contributes to the harmonisation and definition of new international standards in order to improve conditions for producing and marketing vitivinicultural products.

All OIV recommendations are adopted by unanimous consensus of Member States. They are frequently included in national and regional regulations (EU, Mercosur, etc.) or the Codex Alimentarius.

Within the framework of world trade agreements, the recommendations drafted by the OIV are based on scientific evidence resulting from the work of a thousand or so experts appointed by Member States, who meet regularly as part of the OIV's specialised scientific structures in viticulture, oenology, methods of analysis, economy, law, safety, health and grapes.

On the website www.oiv.int, the OIV makes its publications, standards, congress proceedings and overview of collective expertise freely available. The OIV provides databases (of statistics, geographical indications, vine varieties and training programmes) as well as a press review. The OIV is a patron of scientific events in the field of vine and wine, and of international wine competitions.

With a strategic vision the OIV contributes:

It is important to meet consumer expectations in terms of product quality, health and safety, protection of the environment and information on vitivinicultural products while developing a sustainable vitivinicultural industry on a global scale. The OIV also contributes in this respect by delivering a Master's in wine management.

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