The Fédération Internationale des Confréries Bachique (FICB) has awarded a Diplome d’Honneur to Wine Guild of the UK’s Vice Chancellor, Mike Hildesley, in recognition of his years of service to the Wine Guild and to the FICB. Mike has served on the Executive committee and the Board of administration of FICB over 10 years, representing the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom.
The FICB, formed sixty years ago, brings together many of the ‘wine brotherhoods’ (confréries bachiques) – groups of producers and wine lovers from across the globe to celebrate vine and wine and to promote the wine regions represented. Some date back centuries, from regions in France; some are newer formations from Japan to USA.
At the FICB’s annual General Assembly in Paris earlier this month Mike stepped down from his role on the Board. His replacement as Vice-president for the UK is Julia Trustram Eve.
Mike has served on the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom Council since 2000, where he played an active role in furthering the activities of the Guild, including creating its charitable trust and helping to develop its mentoring and educational programme, as well as organising many of the Guild’s events and activities over the years. Whilst Mike has now retired from the Council, he remains one of the Guild’s Vice Chancellors.
President of the FICB, Alan Bryden, commented: “We owe Mike a great debt of gratitude for the many years he has served on the FICB Board, ensuring a strong presence for the UK. We were delighted, therefore, to present him with a Diplome d’Honneur in recognition of his significant contribution, not only to the FICB, but to all that he has brought to the Wine Guild in the UK.”
Mike added: “It has been an honour and source of great pride to represent the Guild, and thus also the UK wine industry, during a period when growth in the industry has been unprecedented, and our winemakers have achieved such high international recognition.”
To find out more about FICB and the events and activities that guild members can get involved in, visit https://winebrotherhoods.org/
The FICB headquarters are at the Wine Museum in Paris (16th arrondissement), which is open to the public and well worth a visit. The museum also includes a restaurant.
