 Acknowledging the role played by Subhash Arora as a catalyst, Castellucci told a gathering of 105 international journalists and enologists from Italy and abroad collected to judge wines for the 18th Vinitaly Concorso Internazionale at Verona on Monday, that OIV was looking forward to welcoming India as a full member in a few months.
The bye-laws of the organisation provide for a certain period during which the members can raise objection to the entry of any new applicant. ‘But we see no problem in getting the membership through,’ said Castellucci, adding, ‘in fact, I will personally welcome members of the Indian Embassy in Paris and officials of Indian government to attend some of the events to be held during the interim period. I would be willing to share any amount of information with your government, industry and the wine stakeholders,’ he informed delWine at an exclusive chat on the sideline of the competition.
The government of India has taken giant steps fast to join the organisation which would be very attractive to table grape growing industry and the wine making companies. In fact, by taking the positive step, the Indian Grape processing Board and the Ministry of Food Processing Industry have shown they are result oriented visionaries and not bureaucratic. Membership of the organisation which had loads of information for grape and wine industry is based on the production volumes of the member nations.
The minimum cost of joining is €14,000 per annum, paid on pro-rata basis during the first year. India’s share will be € 16,800 a year. Compared with €252.000 it costs Italy every year for the membership and France €260.400, this is a very small amount to pay.
In an exclusive chat, Castellucci expressed happiness that India would be the first Asian country to become the member, Both China and Japan are interested-but mostly through different provinces or private organisations, which is not allowed as OIV membership is open only through the governments. ‘India has medium sized, boutique wineries which will benefit a lot from the membership. You have a country with different cuisines but could be very open to wine culture. We can do a great job in helping you develop the industry.’
Castellucci who came to India first in 1974 simply fell in love and has been here 5 times since. He has been the first non-French Director General elected in 2004 for a five-year term and was re-elected in 2008 for a further period of 5 years. Although almost all the producing nations are members of OIV, he is very particular in looking after the interests of all the member states which include Australia, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Brazil etc. – a total of 43 nations. He is convinced that ‘India is one of the wine key markets of the 21st century and that it is fundamental that India can participate actively in the international normative process as a plenary OIV Member, both to regulate a sector in rapid development, but also to secure its consumers and facilitate international trade’.
 OIV holds an annual World Congress of Vine and Wine and General Assembly hosted by different member nations. The one in 2012 is being hosted by Turkey, a country with a very strong international position as producer and exporter of table grapes and raisins, in addition to wine and with a non-negligible presence of Muslim population.
Since the procedure to become an OIV member should be well completed by then, India will attend as a member with full voting rights. Indeed, although a country can become an observer, as one province of China has, but a member has the full voting rights.
A very pleased Castellucci said that India will already also be invited to the meetings being held in Paris in October this year and said, ’I welcome the embassy officials and the officials from the Ministry of food Processing Industry to visit me privately after the day events are over and spend a few hours in learning more about how we can help you.’
Appreciating the role of delWine and especially Subhash Arora who had helped them get in touch with the right quarters-without any consideration or interest, he said,’ you have played the role of a catalyst. We want to interact with people in the wine space and not only governmental interaction. We hope to work with wineries. In fact, I would be glad to come down to India and talk to them at any platform, if invited.’
It is Castellucci’s love for India and the vision of the dynamic team at the MFPI that has made the historical step by India a reality in such a short time. Not only India will benefit from the organisation in short and medium term, it may play a significant role in OIV in the decades to come. Who knows, one day the Director General may be from India!
Subhash Arora
Verona |