DISCOVERthe GRAND CONSEILdU vin de bordeaux

Every year, The Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux welcomes numerous Commandeurs who wish to improve their knowledge of Bordeaux wines.

A wine civilisation exists; it is one where people seek to know one another better to avoid conflict.

Gabriel Delaunay

To ensure this, The Grand Conseil organises visits and wine tasting trips to estates in all the appellations of Bordeaux for these Commandeurs, who then relay the message about the excellence of Bordeaux wines, a message of fraternity and friendship conveyed by Wine.

The Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux also ensures its presence within the Commanderies thanks to visits made by the Grand Maître, by members of the Conseil Privé or by men and women who are Bordeaux winegrowers. This encourages exchanges between winegrowers, wine merchants and the Commanderies.

All the members of The Grand Conseil du Vin Bordeaux, whether they are winegrowers or wine merchants, are unpaid and carry out their role on a purely voluntary basis. For their activities with The Grand Conseil, they abstain from any form of promotion for their own wines.

From its ancient origins, The Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux has retained a taste for ceremony and formality. So, at official occasions its members wear a long, dark red velvet cloak lined with gold-coloured silk, evoking Bordeaux’s sweet white wines.

Their insignia represents the colours of Bordeaux (blue and red), the leopard of Aquitaine, crescents, symbolising Bordeaux’s new-moon-shaped harbour and a bunch of grapes, “fruit of the earth and work of human hands”. The Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux receives and acclaims leading figures who work or have worked for the renown of Bordeaux and its wines, and awards the following titles:

Conseiller du Vin de Bordeaux,

For anyone showing an interest in Bordeaux wine and its cultural aspects.

Ambassadeur d'honneur

For any leading figure, whose profession or renown can serve the cause of Bordeaux wines.

Commandeur Emérite

For any Commandeur, who at the request of his Commanderie, has taken an active role in the smooth running of this organisation for several years and deserves the thanks and gratitude of his peers.

The 96 Commanderies de Bordeaux are based in 27 countries. They really are like embassies for Bordeaux Wine, comprised of connoisseurs of our wines and influential people, involved in the economy of their city or region, who identify with the excellence of Bordeaux wines.

By encouraging Commanderies de Bordeaux to be established, with support from the Bordeaux Wine Brotherhoods, The Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux enables wine professionals to get a foothold in economically flourishing places.

The Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux establishes Commanderies, helps with their running, assists with events organised between Bordeaux and the Commanderies and encourages contacts that bring them closer to Bordeaux.

The Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux itself has no commercial aim and encourages winegrowers and wine merchants to assist it with its activities and events.

Bordeaux Wine Brotherhoods are guarantors of the identity and uniqueness of the region’s terroirs and of this undeniable character that constitutes the authenticity of Bordeaux wines.

Jurade de Saint-Émilion – 1948
Saint-Émilion, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Lussac Saint-Émilion, Puisseguin Saint-Émilion

Commanderie du Bontemps Médoc et Graves,
Sauternes et Barsac – 1949
Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Moulis, Listrac, Margaux, Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Sauternes, Barsac

Commanderie du Bontemps de Sainte-Croix-du-Mont – 1963

Compagnons du Bordeaux – 1966

Hospitaliers de Pomerol – 1968
Pomerol

Gentilshommes du Duché de Fronsac – 1969
Fronsac et Canon Fronsac

Baillis de Lalande-de-Pomerol - 1984
Lalande-de-Pomerol

Connétablie en 1ères Côtes de Bordeaux

Connétablie des Côtes de Bourg

Connétablie Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux – 1988

Connétablie des Graves de Vayres

Ordre des Chevaliers des Vins de Castillon

Ordre des Vignerons des Bordeaux et des Bordeaux Supérieurs – 1996
Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur