Looking back at the inauguration of La Cité du Vin

Inauguration of La Cité du Vin

The inauguration of La Cité du Vin took place on Tuesday 31 May 2016, the day before its opening to the public, in the presence of the President of France, Mr François Hollande.

Alongside him were the Mayor of Bordeaux and President of Bordeaux Métropole, Mr Alain Juppé, Mr Pierre Dartout, Prefect of the Nouvelle Aquitaine Region, Mr Alain Rousset, President of the Nouvelle Aquitaine Regional Council, Mrs Sandrine Doucet, Member of Parliament for the Gironde, Mr Jean-Luc Gleyze, President of the Departmental Council, Mr Bernard Farges, President of the Bordeaux Interprofessional Wine Council, Mr Pierre Goguet, President of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as several members of government: Mr Matthias Fekl, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Mrs Martine Pinville, Secretary of State for Commerce, Trade, Consumption and the Social Economy, Mr Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, Mr Giorgi Mghebrishvili, Interior Minister of Georgia, and Mr Otar Danelia, Georgian Minister for Agriculture. Also present were six ambassadors, Her Excellency Mrs Jane Hartley, US Ambassador to France, His Excellency Julian King, UK Ambassador, Her Excellency Ecateriné Siradzé, Georgian Ambassador to France, Pascal Meunier, French ambassador to Georgia, Mr Lilian Moraru, Moldovan Ambassador to France, Mr Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Ambassador for Cultural Attractivity at the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Development; six consuls: Mr Wilfried Krug from the German Consulate, Mrs Dominique Olley from the British Consulate, Mr Guy Poujet from the Moldovan Consulate, Mr Thomas Wolf from the US Consulate, Mr González-Arnao y Campos Jacobo from the Spanish Consulate, Mr Philippe Lorette, Honorary Consul of Slovakia, HRH The Prince of Luxembourg and Mr George Sape, President of the American Friends of La Cité du Vin, several elected representatives: Members of Parliament Ms Michèle Delaunay, Ms Philippe Plisson, Ms Conchita Lacuey, Ms Pascale Got, Mr Gilles Savary and Mr Florent Boudié, Senator Mr Gérard César, Mrs Virginie Calmels, Deputy Mayor of Bordeaux, and Mr Nicolas Florian, Deputy Mayor of Bordeaux.

Altogether, more than 1,000 guests including patrons of the Cité du Vin and 200 journalists filed through during the course of the day.  On the agenda: a guided tour of the permanent tour, the belvedere, the temporary exhibition and the auditorium, followed by the official speeches in the Thomas Jefferson auditorium and the unveiling of the inauguration plaque.

Sylvie Cazes, President of the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin, took the opportunity to speak about the project: “Today is a culmination but also, above all, a beginning: thanks to the permanent tour and the various events and exhibitions that La Cité will offer, this new building means we can highlight, share and promote the cultural, historic, intellectual and artistic dimensions of wine.”

Mr François Hollande spoke of the symbolic cultural dimension of La Cité du Vin, “The fact that I am here (…) means that this is a national AND international event (…) La Cité du Vin is a success for France (…)  La Cité du Vin is (…) a very original, singular, unique facility.  It’s also a place to transmit knowledge, a tool for all generations, but above all, an emblem of excellence and also a symbol of togetherness.”

Guests arrived and left via the river on the Bordeaux River Cruise and Marco Polo boats.  The day closed beautifully with a lovely surprise: the first illumination of La Cité du Vin.

From La Cité du Vin