Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The U.S. Section of the AIDV – the International Wine Law Association – provides a venue for its members to learn about wine law and connect with professionals in the field. Our members are actively engaged in the international association, attending its member meetings and webinars.

The U.S. Section hosts meetings and webinars on significant legal issues in the wine industry.  The following briefly describes the last five programs and provides a sense of their scope and variety:

• In 2021, the U.S. Section hosted a webinar to consider how the incoming Biden Administration’s approach to international trade issues could impact the wine trade, featuring the following speakers and moderators:
  • Daniel Mullaney, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East
  • Ambassador Darci Vetter, Vice Chair for Agriculture, Food and Trade, Edelman, and Former Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the Office of the United States Trade Representative
  • Charles Jefferson, Vice President, Federal and International Public Policy, Wine Institute
  • Robert Tobiassen, President, National Association of Beverage Importers
  • Gary Horlick, Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School
• In 2022, we sponsored a webinar entitled “Who watches the watchmen?”, which examined the role of certain key NGO influencers in the setting of international trade regulation and policy. The event featured the following speakers and moderators:
  • Pau Roca, Director, General OIV
  • Katherine Bedard, Senior Director, International Public Policy Wine Institute
  • Tom Heilandt, Codex, Secretary Codex Alimentarius
  • Jamie Ferman, Senior International Trade Specialist, U.S. Department of Commerce
• In 2023, we hosted a hybrid conference, both in-person and Zoom, on hot topics related to the sustainability of the wine industry, including economic, environmental, and social aspects, featuring the following panel of experts:
  • Allison Jordan, Wine Institute
  • Courtney Armour, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
  • Virginia Gidi, International Alliance for Responsible Consumption
  • Richard Halstead, IWSR
  • Theo Georgopoulos, Professor, University of Reims
• In 2024, we sponsored a webinar examining current important issues and trends in the U.S. wine industry, including evolving consumption and market patterns across various age groups, product and price categories, and producing regions. The panel featured:
  • Danny Brager, Owner, Brager Beverage, Alcohol Consulting
  • Dale Stratton, Owner, Five Points Consulting LLC; Managing Director, Azur Associates
  • Bennett Caplan, President, Abridge, Board of Directors
• Our 2025 program is described below.

It is a pleasure to serve as the Section’s President, and I hope to see all of you soon at AIDV events.

Peter Brody
President of the U.S. Section