Why Should I Join The IW&FS

Before diving into the process of forming a new Branch, you might ask “Why should I join The International Wine & Food Society?” Here’s a few reasons to do so.

The IW&FS enjoys the prestige of being a worldwide organization founded almost a century ago by Andre’ L. Simon, the man many believe was the first professional wine writer. Many of Simon’s colleagues and proteges such as Michael Broadbent and Hugh Johnson have followed Simon as President of IW&FS.

Today, IW&FS is divided into three zones: Asia/Pacific, Europe/Africa and The Americas. Each Zone hosts festivals and regional food and wine experiences, as well as tours and cruises to places around the world. Members taking advantage of these travel experiences have formed life-long friendships across the globe. It is the truest expression of IW&FS’s motto: Wine, Food and Friends.

Every branch within each Zone has a ‘Branch Contact’. This provides traveling members with a personal contact in branch cities around the world.  It is like having a friend waiting in their destination. Visiting a branch away from home is yet another way of enjoying the pleasures of the table.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to belong to IW&FS is that you create more opportunities to come together with people who share an interest in better foods and wines. Branches organize events that members might not be able to arrange as individuals.  Branches can host cooking classes, wine tastings, dinners in restaurants, or anything that can be imagined at any wine-friendly venue. The possibilities are limitless and the enthusiasm becomes contagious. Venues and merchants familiar with the organization may recognize the interest level of your members and become motivated to craft more unique experiences. This local camaraderie carries through to national and international activities and it is what gives IW&FS its uniqueness.

There are also more tangible benefits. A quarterly newsletter, Wine, Food & Friends, provides timely articles on food and wine, as well as reports of various Branch activities and upcoming travels and events.  A member favorite is the annually updated vintage card. Prepared by a team of regional wine experts, the card provides a handy reference to which wines to drink when, and of course it covers all the world’s major winegrowing regions. Monographs on wine and food related subjects are sponsored by IW&FS and made available to members at no charge. Members can also install an app that provides helpful tips for wine and food pairings and connects to member areas of IW&FS’s website.

But in the end, membership simply enhances the pleasurable combination of Wine, Food and Friends. It is the best reason to be a part of IW&FS.