Message from the President

What a year we have had at the IWFS. Wonderful Festivals in Napa, Rioja and Malaysia, the launch of the new Ask André AI-powered pairing tool for perfect wine and food matches, our latest Vintage Card, a new World Chair in the person of John Nicholas from the EA and, most excitingly, the Society’s sponsored Susie & Peter’s Wine Blast podcast episode Top of the Pops: Classic Fizz Beyond Champagne featuring Essi Avellan MW, author of our latest monograph: Sparking Wines of the World. I highly recommend both this episode and the podcast to all.

I spent a wonderful hour listening to this episode of the podcast and I am sure all members who do so will be equally inspired as they will upon reading the most informative monograph from Essi. All of these achievements demonstrate the relevance and excitement of membership. And we have much to look forward to in 2026.

There are two excellent Festivals in Paris/Bordeaux (organised by the Americas) and Porto and the Douro Valley (organised by the EA) next May. As Mimi Avery, daughter of the late John Avery MW, Past Chair and Hon President, said on the podcast, Festivals are a great way to meet like-minded wine and food lovers in exciting and interesting locations. What’s more we have an ambitious wine tasting event organised by the EA - the IWFS Judgment of Paris Plus 50 – a series of blind tastings of various wines in branches and regions around the world to commemorate the famous May 24th, 1976, Judgment of Paris tasting, which arguably changed the world of wine for ever. Again, I urge you to be part of this by contacting your local branch or region to participate. Your knowledge of wine will be enhanced; you will make the most of your membership and, more importantly, you will have fun.

Chris Bonsall
President