A World Without Wine: What is at Stake for Europe?

Event Description

Wine has long been a part of Europe’s cultural, agricultural, and economic landscape. It reflects centuries of tradition, regional identity, and social customs, while also contributing to rural development, tourism, and international trade. 

In recent years, however, wine has increasingly been portrayed in public discourse primarily through the lens of health concerns. This European Food Forum event, hosted by MEPs Christine Schneider and Esther Herranz García, aims to foster a broader understanding of wine’s multifaceted role in European society and economy. 

The discussion will bring together experts from diverse fields to examine wine’s contributions to sustainability, cultural heritage, economic resilience, and public health frameworks. The event will also offer a platform for dialogue among policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders on how to approach wine-related concerns in a balanced and evidence-informed manner. A central question will guide the conversation: how can we safeguard and promote our food culture, while embracing emerging health trends and encouraging more conscious consumption habits?  

The event will explore key themes including wine’s role as an economic powerhouse, its contributions to sustainability and biodiversity, its cultural and social significance, the intersection of science and health, and the broader political dialogue surrounding wine in Europe. In the spirit of the European Food Forum’s mission to foster dialogue and debate on the issues that matter, the two-hour debate will encourage an open exchange of perspectives from all participants. 

____

Agenda

Moderator: Lorena van de Kolk, Managing Partner, Schuttelaar & Partners

15h00 - 15h10 Opening remarks by MEP Christine Schneider  

15h10 – 15h20 Setting the scene: EU wine in the global context 

• John Barker, Director General, OIV  

15h30 - 15h45 Wine & Sustainability 

• Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, President, EFOW 

• Prof. Oliver Trapp, Head of Institute, Institute for Grapevine Breeding, Julius Kühn Institute 

15h45 - 16h00 The social fabric of wine 

• Eric Boschman, Belgian sommelier, author, cultural commentator  

• Peter Scholliers, Em. Professor Contemporary History at Vrije Universiteit Brussel 

16h00 – 16h15 Science & Health: beyond stigma 

• Prof. Rosa Lamuela-Raventos, Director of the Institute for Research on Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA-UB), Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy, at the School of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona 

• Prof. Ramon Estruch, Professor at the Barcelona University, Member of the Board of Directors of the CIBER Obesity and Nutrition, Institute of Health “Carlos III” (ISCIII), Government of Spain and Scientific Director of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation at Barcelona 

16h15 – 16h50 Panel discussion, Q&A with MEPs and speakers 

• MEP Arash Saeidi, The Left 

• MEP Alessandra Moretti, S&D 

• MEP Christine Schneider, EPP 

• MEP Esther Herranz García, EPP 

• MEP Laurence Trochu, ECR (TBC) 

• MEP Enikő Győri, PfE 

16h50 – 17h00 Closing remarks by MEP Esther Herranz García