Message from the President

With the arrival of the new year there are, as always, some truly exciting events for members to look forward to around the world culminating in the much-postponed IWFS Triennial Festival in Hong Kong. The core of the Society, however, is its branches, and I am sure branch leaders everywhere are working hard to ensure their members have much to enjoy. Happy days, good cheer and, of course, new active members are what we are all seeking this year.

Internationally the EAZ is hosting the Loire Valley Festival at the end of May, the Americas, fresh from their March wine weekend in New Orleans, also visits Europe in August with a Basel to Amsterdam Rhine cruise and finally in November the APZ hosts the Triennial Festival in Hong Kong with a post tour to Macau. Hong Kong is one of the world’s greatest cities and it will be fascinating to see the changes, particularly to its culinary scene, since the last Festival there in 2001. Thanks are due to the various Area Companies and their many unpaid volunteers, who have been working tirelessly to ensure we all have a good time at these events.

One of the greatest pleasures of membership is the opportunity to share a meal and a glass or more of wine with a group of like-minded friends from around the world. I encourage you to travel, to broaden your mind, educate your palate, try different cuisines, increase the circle of your friends and to embrace your Society this year, for, in this increasingly uncertain world, we should simply enjoy these opportunities and savour the moment. I look forward to seeing many of you in Hong Kong towards the end of what is, I hope, a momentous year for our Society.

Chris Bonsall
President