Ceremonial & Regalia
Historic Background
Every country in the world where wine has been made over the centuries has developed ceremonial by which the finished wine can be celebrated. In many cases this has been by the formation of ‘guilds’, usually local, where those involved can enjoy traditional local food, good company, and the fruit of their labours – vinified. The Wine Guild reflects tradition. The regalia includes a banner, a mace and ‘the vine’. Members of Council wear velvet robes and hats when new members are enrolled, or ‘intronised’, and on visits to foreign countries.
Each member has an individual heavy medallion with the Guild’s crest in full colour
The Insignia
The Globe
The World Of Wine
The Union Flag
The United Kingdom
The Fleur De Lys
The Fédération Internationale des Confréries Bachiques, Paris, of which the Guild is a member.
The Ship
The historical connection of the UK with Bordeaux and the international wine trade.
The Guild’s Vine, which is incorporated into all of its ceremonial and used for the intronisation of new members, was commissioned by the Guild in 2002 from the celebrated London silversmith, Grant McDonald, who designed and executed an elaborate boss incorporating the Guild’s insignia, with the staff entwined in vine leaves and grape bunches. The vine was cut from original stock on the Beaulieu Estate.
Ceremonial
New members of the Wine Guild receive their Wine Guild Insignia from the Chancellor at Ceremonies of Intronisation (enrollment) held in conjunction with one or two major Wine Guild events each year, particularly The Winter Banquet held at the beginning of November.
