Message from the Global Chairman
Here we find ourselves, entering 2024, and just like the groundhog, we are taking a peek. But unlike the groundhog who has seen his shadow, we can't retreat into our comfy burrow, and wait for a better time to emerge. It is time to dust ourselves off and engage whatever the new year has on offer.
Eternally optimistic, we were hopeful for a more settled, dare say boring landscape, after the tumult of the past several years. Despite Covid overstaying its welcome; the political theater resembling the Keystone Cops; and a new major conflict in the Middle East, we plow ahead. Thankfully, there are seemingly unlimited new and interesting wine and food opportunities to explore in 2024 and beyond.
Looking back, 2023 was quite a fine year for our global community of the IWFS. Asia Pacific, Europe Africa and the Americas each put on fabulous multi-day events, most recently Europe Africa’s African Adventure on the Rovos Rail Train in South Africa; Asia Pacific's Sydney Experience in Australia, or the Americas French-wine dive in Chicago. All unique, all exquisitely planned, and all specially curated for our global membership. We witnessed the birth of new branches, the passing of a few, but plenty of activity, as we adapt and build our best membership for the times.
Our Society strives to improve its member benefits, adding something new every year. One of the IWFS enhancements enabled by improving technology, and which I greatly enjoy, is the IWFS Members App, which offers myriad wine and food reference materials. At my fingertips are the Vintage Guide (thank you Wine consultants), Wine and Food pairings, Upcoming Festivals, and the newly added Branch Directory. The addition of this directory enables access to contact information for a local branch contact wherever I may travel. How useful and clever is that! We continue to grow a video library on our website, recently adding Amanda Barnes' André Simon lecture “Does South American wine have any ‘grand crus’?” for your enjoyment. An upcoming monograph on Tea by Will Battle will surely delight, which comes on the heels of Master of Wine Anne Krebiehl's Pinot Noir Around the World. There is also a vast catalog of Society Archives waiting for your perusal. If you have the time, we have the materials in our growing library.
Many branches celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Society with their own unique events. We hope to house the specifics in a special repository on iwfs.org, with photos and menus of these memorable branch gatherings. Technically, the 90th anniversary extends into 2024, covering the many months duration of André Simon's initial explorations of receptive cities desirous of hoisting the IWFS flag. So, it's not too late to plan that special branch event and trot out the beautiful 90th anniversary logo specially created for this milestone.
We have much to look forward to in 2024, as each zone continues to create and refine concepts that work for them. For instance, Europe Africa has planned its next iteration of a "Young Chefs Competition,” which is forging wonderful relationships with institutions that develop culinary talent. This is in addition to their Loire Valley Festival in late May, which is fully subscribed. Asia Pacific has been busy finalizing plans for their amazing festival this coming November. The Americas calendar features a short-weekend Cajun/Creole experience in March in New Orleans, and a Rhine River Castles and Wine Cruise in late August. The camaraderie never ends.
Witnessing the continued maturation of our Society is an exercise in wonderment. I can only imagine what the centennial celebration will look like in ten years’ time. I expect that we will have continued to evolve, entertaining our global membership with creative special branch events, lavish wine and food centric festivals and great weekends, and expanding new useful benefits like our on-line videos and tasting series. And much more.
My thanks to you all for being such sources of inspiration all these years.
Mike Donohoe
Global Chairman