History
This principle inspired the formation of the GCVB: in 1952 Henri Martin, a key figure in the Bordeaux wine industry and then President of the powerful Conseil Interprofessionel du Vin de Bordeaux, had the idea of gathering the various regional brotherhoods (Confrèreries , Compagnons du Bon Temps , etc.) and other organizations promoting Bordeaux wines into a new and separate entity. Each of these 16 brotherhoods was an association of wine growers and traders that undertook to maintain local tradition, to defend and promote its wines, and to communicate their own winemaking principles. The novelty of what Monsieur Martin accomplished was to stitch together these independently minded brotherhoods into a new entity called the Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux (GCVB). Completing this federation took time, but in 1975 the GCVB became a non-profit organization under French law with the authority to represent all the appellations of the various Bordeaux wine-producing regions without distinction, both in France and abroad.
The current President of the GCVB is Michel-Pierre Massonie who also serves as the world Grand Maître of the Commanderie de Bordeaux.
So what is the relationship of the Commanderie de Bordeaux with the Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux? That linkage was established by the visionaries in New York who wanted to recognize, enjoy and promote the high quality of the wines of Bordeaux after World War II in a fashion similar to what the Chevaliers de Tastevin had done following Prohibition in the 1930s. This also followed in the tradition of the International Wine and Food Society, also founded in the 1930s, which promoted wine as being an integral part of the dining experience (a rather novel idea in America at the time!). The Commanderie de Bordeaux was thus formed in New York, with chapters following in Philadelphia, New Orleans and Los Angeles, and then growing to its present extent across the United States. Meanwhile, the GCVB Bordeaux well understood the value of this initiative and proceeded to extend charters to Commanderies around the world.
Admission to the Commanderie is by nomination to, and then vote of the Chapter with which the candidate Commandeur would be most appropriately affiliated. Upon acceptance, a formal induction ceremony is performed, often presided by the Grand Maître himself, which follows centuries-old tradition. Interest in Bordeaux wines is the prime criterion for membership, though those who have already embarked on wine collecting are especially welcome. The Commanderie seeks diversity in membership, and in particular welcomes female members.
From a legal standpoint, the Commanderie de Bordeaux aux États-Unis is a single entity, with its national officers led by the present Grand Maître, Angus Smith. This affords an economy of scale for things like wine purchase en primeur and liability insurance. It also provides contacts not only between US chapters but also with wine-growers in Bordeaux and their brotherhoods. Though the character of each chapter is necessarily determined by its members, there are a tradition and a protocol that guide chapter gatherings, thus giving each event a special cachet and affording every Commandeur with a sense of pride in belonging. Indeed, it is the aim of all to preserve camaraderie, civility, respect and happiness in functions and in business affairs. The national Commanderie, taking education very seriously, underwrites scholarships for young people seeking to deepen their knowledge of Bordeaux wines by visits to the Bordeaux wine-growing regions. Other initiatives are under discussion to enlarge the organization's educational focus.
A conclave of all Commanderies around the world was held in Bordeaux in June, 2006. It is the expressed purpose the Commanderie de Bordeaux aux États-Unis to strengthen its ties with Bordeaux and with other Commanderies.
