The wine world’s United Nations gets stamp of approval for its centenary

he International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) does not just produce harmonised regulations, global statistics and literary awards for the wine world. On Tuesday 3 September, the intergovernmental organisation revealed the stamp celebrating its centenary and its move to Dijon in Burgundy. The postage stamp with 92 indentations – obviously designed for international letters – marks OIV’s centenary (it was founded on 29 November 1924 in Paris), its forty-fifth international convention in Burgundy from Monday 14 to Friday 18 October and its move to Hôtel Bouchu, now known as Hôtel d’Esterno in Dijon. The mansion has recently been refurbished by the city of Dijon and the Bourgogne Franche Comté region.

The stamp was produced by hand using the copper-plate engraving process. Six hundred thousand stamps were printed and cost €1.96 each. They come in sheets of ten and each one measures 40x30 mm, with an adjoining thumbnail stamp. They officially go on sale on October 14 but will be available at the Dijon Clémenceau post office, at the Boulazac Isle Manoire stamp printing facilities in Dordogne and at the specialist philately store Carré d’Encre in Paris from Friday 11 and Saturday 12 October.

OIV currently has fifty member countries – accounting for 75% of global vineyard acreage and 90% of production volumes – and was established under the name International Wine Office by eight countries: Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Tunisia. The organisation stresses that 500 experts now focus on drafting and securing adoption of resolutions pertaining to ‘viticulture and table grapes’; ‘oenology and analysis methods’; ‘vine and wine law and economy’; and ‘health and consumer safety’.