Global Artisan Vintners Alliance Welcomes Paarl, South Africa as Twelfth Member Region

The Global Artisan Vintners Alliance marked its first anniversary this week by announcing the addition of Paarl, South Africa, as its newest member region and revealing plans for its 2026 summit in Hungary and Croatia. The Alliance, founded in early 2025 in Livermore Valley, Alameda County, California, was created to unite sustainable wine regions worldwide and now includes twelve members.

David Haubert, Alameda County District 1 Supervisor and President of the Alliance, highlighted the organization’s growth over the past year. He noted that the Alliance has expanded from its nine founding regions to twelve, with Paarl joining most recently. Haubert emphasized that increased content sharing and collaboration among member regions are central to the Alliance’s mission of supporting resilient local economies and creating new employment opportunities. He pointed to Alameda County’s own efforts as an example of how regional cooperation can drive economic growth.

The upcoming Global AVA Summit is scheduled for 2026 and will be held across several locations in Hungary and Croatia. The event will begin with three days in Budapest and Badacsony, Hungary, featuring lectures, collaborative workshops, and winery visits. It will then move to Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Split in Croatia for another three days of meetings and exchanges. Delegates from all member regions are expected to attend, meeting with local wine and tourism leaders to share ideas and introduce their wines.

Mirena Bagur, executive director of the Global Artisan Vintners Alliance, said that the organization remains focused on programs that connect communities through best practices not only in winemaking but also in tourism and related sectors. She welcomed Paarl as a significant addition to the group, noting that its location in the southern hemisphere brings a balanced mix of perspectives for professional exchanges.

Tristyn Biggs, manager of the Paarl Wine Route association in South Africa, expressed enthusiasm about joining the Alliance. She said that Paarl values international collaboration and looks forward to exchanging knowledge and perspectives with other member regions. Biggs believes this partnership will strengthen both Paarl’s local industry and the global wine community.

The Global Artisan Vintners Alliance was established to foster collaboration among winemakers, wine associations, government representatives, tourism organizations, economic development agencies, and business groups. Its current members include Chilecito in Argentina; Vale dos Vinhedos in Brazil; Dalmatia in Croatia; Chinon in France; Imereti in Georgia; Badacsony in Hungary; Chianti Rufina in Italy; Baja California in Mexico; Alentejo in Portugal; Paarl in South Africa; Livermore Valley Wine Community in California; and Texas Hill Country Wineries in Texas.

Representatives from these regions participate actively in professional development opportunities, exchange programs, and joint marketing initiatives designed to promote their wines internationally. The Alliance encourages ongoing information sharing between members to help each region adapt to changing market dynamics and develop sustainable tourism strategies.

The organization is headquartered in Livermore, California. It continues to invite interested parties to learn more about its activities or sign up for its newsletter at theglobalava.org.