FGVB

Created in 1939, it brings together the winegrowers' unions recognized as organizations for the defense and management of the AOCs of the Gironde.

It also welcomes as associate members wine-producing organizations whose mission is to defend more specific interests: Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, Fédération des Coopératives Vinicoles de la Gironde, Fédération des Vignerons Indépendants de la Gironde, Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855.

Its main purpose is to:

• to constitute the link between the Gironde AOC winegrowers' unions or associations recognized as ODG*, to enable them to fulfil their mission individually and collectively in the interests of these appellations and their producers;
• to ensure the defense of the collective interests of the AOCs of the Gironde region and their producers;
• to constitute, with regard to the INAO, the privileged interlocutor to coordinate the opinions of the ODGs and to issue a global response concerning the rules of production or any dossier of general interest for the AOCs of the Gironde;
• to organize the information of the ODG and the wine growers by all appropriate means;
• and generally, to pursue - directly or through the intermediary of professional or interprofessional organizations - at the local, regional, national and European level the goal sought by the member ODGs.

Its main missions:

• monitoring and adapting winegrowing regulations (production rules, quality control, taxation, etc.) as well as internal communication with ODGs and winegrowers, through circulars and the monthly magazine L'Union Girondine des Vins de Bordeaux;
• participation in the regional and national committees of the INAO, which defines AOC policy (production and quality control rules);
• direct participation in the functioning of the CIVB, its representatives sitting in the different commissions (technical, economic, promotion);
• to be the interlocutor of the various State services (DDTM*, DIRECCTE, Customs, Tax Services) on all questions specifically concerning the Gironde wine industry (controls, circulation of products, taxation, etc.);
• to participate actively in the definition of the wine policy of the French AOCs gathered within the national confederation of AOCs, and at the community level within the framework of the European Federation of Origin Wines (EFOW);
• to defend the wine within the framework of the action led by the association Vin et Société (Wine and Society), of which it constitutes the relay at the local level, in particular with regard to the elected officials;
• to represent and defend the interests of AOC winegrowing with local authorities and elected representatives (mayors, members of parliament), in liaison with other professional structures (chambers of agriculture, general purpose unions, etc.) and financial institutions.

Since 1990, the Federation has managed a professional census of châteaux names.

Finally, the Federation organizes, through the Bordeaux Aquitaine Restructuring Association, the implementation of the community assistance program for vineyard restructuring in coordination with France AgriMer.

Translator's notes:
-ODG: defense and management organization
- DDTM: Regional Department of Territories and the Sea