Definition: International Wine Academy

In 1972, the Academy undertook to define "Natural Wine". It then turned its attention to defining "Noble Wine", followed by the translation of a 1,000-word wine tasting vocabulary into five languages.

Today, the AIV has 112 members, including prominent figures from all countries and backgrounds who are united by a genuine commitment to wine ethics.

Gender parity is not yet fully achieved, but is strongly desired in the coming years.

The International Wine Academy, founded in 1971, brings together personalities and experts from all walks of life and all countries who have contributed or are contributing to giving wine its letters of nobility and who devote themselves every day, through their work or their reflections, to promoting its influence.

An observation

Vines cover 8 million hectares worldwide, producing more than 300 million hectolitres of wine, the equivalent of 40 billion bottles. The wine market is worth $120 billion (source: OIV).

Global viticulture is divided between "industrial" viticulture, which produces standardised branded wines characterised by their grape variety, and artisanal viticulture, which focuses on expressing the terroir. It is naturally this second aspect that the International Wine Academy is dedicated to. Moreover, the concept of terroir, which had been neglected in recent years, is making a strong comeback in France and in various wine-producing countries, which are often rediscovering, through this concept, local production to be exploited, and even pride in their land and their wines.

The concept of terroir now goes far beyond the protectionist, purely historical and geographical conception that prevailed when Appellations Contrôlées were created in 1756 in the Douro Valley and in the 1930s in France.

Several wine-growing terroirs have since been classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Its head office is located at 1 Quai Turrettini, CH-1211 Geneva 1, and its Chancellery at BP 10, F-84350 Courthézon, Tel. +33 (0)4 90 70 41 00, Fax +33 (0)4 90 70 41 19. Email: contact@academieduvin.com

The harmonious cultivation of vines and traditional fermentation practices have permeated our civilisations, and the meetings and debates that the Academicians propose to offer their peers are based on the idea of perfection that has animated the entire history of the great vineyards and can still serve as an example today, encouraging exceptional global viticulture and the production of fine wines.

Currently, the International Wine Academy has representatives from 17 countries on four continents (as of 2009).

All information on the presentation, list of members, objectives and events organised by the International Wine Academy can be found on the website: