Portugal hosts OIV Awards as part of centennial celebrations

By James Bayley

Published: 24 September, 2024

Portugal, a founding member of the OIV, played host to the 2024 OIV Awards ceremony in Lisbon as part of the organisation’s centennial festivities. The event was co-organised by the OIV, the Portuguese Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho (IVV) and Wines of Portugal.

Around 100 people attended, including award recipients, key figures from Portugal’s wine sector and diplomatic representatives. IVV president Bernardo Gouvêa opened the ceremony, followed by OIV director general John Barker, who highlighted the event’s importance: “The OIV is deeply committed to promoting this heritage and rewarding excellence in this field. By recognising the authors and publishers of these remarkable works, we celebrate their essential contributions to our understanding of vine and wine.”

The ceremony saw recognition of the top publications in the vine and wine sector. Out of 81 submissions, 14 books were honoured with the OIV Award, while 15 received a Special Mention. These categories spanned a broad range of topics, including scientific works, wine tourism and even a card game on vine diseases. The wide variety of works reflects the deep cultural significance of vine and wine across many fields.

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A notable highlight of the night was the introduction of the ‘President OIV Award’, which was awarded to The Australian Ark: The Story of Australian Wine from 1788 to the Modern Era. This three-volume work traces the history of winemaking in Australia and has been described as a future reference for Australian wine history.

For the first time, the OIV Awards ceremony was held outside France. Barker reflected on this milestone: “This year holds special significance for our organisation as we commemorate a century of existence and achievement since our founding in 1924.” He also thanked the IVV and the National Commission for the OIV (CNOIV) for their contributions in making the ceremony in Lisbon possible.

Azélina Jaboulet-Vercherre, president of the OIV Awards jury, and Richard Pfister, scientific secretary of the awards, presented the honours to the laureates, praising the exceptional quality of the winning publications. The OIV Awards, established in 1930, annually recognise excellence in vine and wine publications, with the decisions made by an international jury representing OIV member countries.

Authors and publishers interested in submitting their work for the 2025 OIV Awards have until 28 February 2025 to apply.

View the full list of 2024 winners here.

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