The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited, commonly referred to as The Wine Society, is the world's oldest wine club
having been founded on 4 August 1874 at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in London, United Kingdom.
[Edmund Penning-Rowsell, ''A Short History of The Wine Society'', 1989.]
The Wine Society was created and still operates as a
co-operative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
with each member being the owner of one share.
It has received several accolades from the wine trade industry throughout the years and is currently
Decanter
A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid (such as wine) which may contain sediment. Decanters, which have a varied shape and design, have been traditionally made from glass or crystal. Their volume is usually equ ...
Outstanding Retailer of the Year (for the seventh time in eight years) and the IWC Wine Club of the Year (for the third consecutive year).
History
The foundation of The Wine Society followed the last of the great
Annual International Exhibitions. Various countries had sent large quantities of wine in cask to the exhibition to be stored and poured in the cellars of the Royal Albert Hall, but visitors to the exhibition were unaware of its presence. With no return to show for their investment, the growers from
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
appealed to the British Government for assistance. In response to this, a series of lunches was held to publicise the wines. The organisers of this publicity drive were the "Committee of Gentlemen" that would become the founding fathers of The Wine Society:
Major-General
Henry Young Darracott Scott
Henry Young Darracott Scott RE (2 January 1822 – 16 April 1883) was an English Major-General in the Corps of Royal Engineers, best known for the construction of London's Royal Albert Hall.
Early life
The fourth son of Edward Scott of Plymouth, ...
was one of the architects of the Royal Albert Hall and Secretary to the
Great Exhibition Commissioners. After many of the lunch guests expressed an interest in purchasing wine, Major-General Scott proposed the setting up of "''a co-operative company''" to buy good quality wines on a regular basis to sell to members.
He served as The Wine Society's first Treasurer until his death in 1883.
Robert Brudenell Carter
Robert Brudenell Carter, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, FRCS (2 October 1828 – 23 October 1918) was a British people, British physician and ophthalmology, ophthalmic surgeon.
Early life
Born in Little Wittenham, near Didcot ...
FRCS
Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an intercollegiate basis by the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons (the Royal C ...
was a Fellow of the
Medical Society of London
The Medical Society of London is one of the oldest surviving medical societies (being organisations of voluntary association, rather than regulation or training) in the United Kingdom.
It was founded in 1773 by the Quaker physician and philanthrop ...
and worked as an ophthalmic surgeon at
St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Tooting, London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundatio ...
. He had previously served as a staff surgeon during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
. Carter replaced Major-General Scott as Treasurer and in 1895 became The Wine Society's second chairman. He remained a member of the Committee until his death at the age of 90. More than anyone else, Carter was responsible for the supervision and conduct of The Wine Society during its first forty years.
George E. Scrivenor, a senior
Customs and Excise official, became the first Honorary general manager and did much of the early day-to-day work of The Wine Society until another appointment forced his resignation in 1876.
Although there is no evidence explaining why Major-General Scott suggested following the example of the
Rochdale Pioneers
The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, founded in 1844, was an early consumers' co-operative, and one of the first to pay a patronage dividend, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement.
Although other co-operatives preceded it, ...
to form a co-operative society rather than a joint stock company, the founding members' aim was to buy wines direct from growers to ensure their authenticity and quality and to offer them to members at fair prices.
The "''Objects of the Society''" were originally published as follows:
* ''To purchase and import Foreign Wines, and to sell them at cheap rates to Members of the Society.''
* ''To introduce, in addition to the Wines in general domestic use, other Foreign Wines hitherto unknown or but little known in this country.''
* ''To endeavour to obtain Wines direct from the growers, in a pure, unadulterated condition, and, as far as possible, free from added spirit.''
* ''The Society is enrolled under the Industrial and Provident Societies' Act, 1876.''
* ''The Interest of a Member is limited to One Share.''
* ''No Dividend will at any time be payable on the Shares, which will form the Working Capital of the Society.''
* ''Wines will be sold at the lowest possible price, and for ready money only.''
The first Chairman of The Wine Society was Norman MacLeod, the 25th Chief of the
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod (; gd, Clann Mac Leòid ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is MacLeod of MacLeod, are known in Gaelic as ' ("see ...
. The first Trustee was
Earl Spencer KG, the
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
statesman, who had also been one of the Great Exhibition Commissioners.
Other famous members during The Wine Society's early years included
Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, the Rt Hon
Earl Russell
Earl Russell, of Kingston Russell in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 30 July 1861 for the prominent Liberal politician Lord John Russell. He was Home Secretary from 1835 to 1839, Foreign ...
,
Sir Henry Wood and
Alexander Fleming
Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist, best known for discovering the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. His discovery in 1928 of w ...
.
The Wine Society grew gradually and, without any external shareholders to consider, surplus trading profits were used to provide better services to members and to increase the value of its wines.
By 1965, The Wine Society was operating out of three separate cellars in London: one under the
London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
, one at Joiner Street under
London Bridge Station
London Bridge is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Southwark, south-east London. It occupies a large area on three levels immediately south-east of London Bridge, from which it takes its name. The m ...
and one at St James's Bond in
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of Dogs ...
(which flooded at high tide).
In 1965, thanks to the foresight of the then chairman
Edmund Penning-Rowsell
Edmund Lionel Penning-Rowsell (1913–2002) was a British journalist considered the doyen of Britain's writers on wine, and possibly the world's longest-serving wine correspondent.
Biography
Rowsell came from an upper middle class London family ...
and treasurer Norman Alexander, The Wine Society moved to more suitable premises in
Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
to the north of London, where all its operations have since been concentrated.
The freehold of the Stevenage site was acquired in 1983, adjacent land purchased, a fleet of own delivery vans built up, and over of temperature-controlled warehouses have been built between 1965 and 2008 to contain some seven million bottles of wine.
Membership
In order to trade with The Wine Society, proof of membership is required as only members with
share certificate
In corporate law, a stock certificate (also known as certificate of stock or share certificate) is a legal document that certifies the legal interest (a bundle of several legal rights) of ownership of a specific number of shares (or, under Ar ...
s are able to purchase its wines. People may be proposed for membership either by other existing members or by The Wine Society's company secretary by filling a form with formal election to membership following within a short time.
[The Wine Society](_blank)
. Buying a share of the society provides lifetime membership and a share can be
bequeathed
A bequest is property given by will. Historically, the term ''bequest'' was used for personal property given by will and ''deviser'' for real property. Today, the two words are used interchangeably.
The word ''bequeath'' is a verb form for the ...
to a family member or friend.
Wine buyers
The Wine Society's eight buyers, who have been referred to as "''some of the best noses in the business''",
are briefed to buy only wines that they are enthusiastic about from producers who share their passion for quality at all price levels.
The team is led by Pierre Mansour and includes three
Masters of Wine
Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification (not an academic degree) issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional know ...
: Sebastian Payne MW, Joanna Locke MW and Sarah Knowles MW. Two previous Heads of Buying who have now stepped down still make up part of the team of Buyers; Tim Sykes, who headed up the department from 2012 to 2017 and Sebastian Payne MW who was Head of Buying between 1986 and 2012.
According to Charles Metcalfe of the International Wine Challenge, "''much of The Society's success is down to the buyers – truffle-snufflers, experts at finding interesting parcels from smaller producers and not buying for the sake of fashion.''"
Management
The board of The Wine Society is known as the Committee and it consists of up to 13 members. Eight are elected by the membership; one is the Chief executive; and up to another four may be co-opted for limited periods by the eight elected members. The elected members appoint from their number the chairman and Deputy chairman (known as the Officers).
The Committee has responsibility to the members for the direction of the business, with day-to-day management in the hands of an executive team led by the Chief executive.
The current CEO is Stephen Finlan.
See also
*
Classification of wine
The classification of wine is based on various criteria including place of origin or appellation, vinification method and style, sweetness and vintage,J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 752 & 753 Oxford University ...
*
Wine tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...
*
Opimian Society
*
British co-operative movement
The United Kingdom is home to a widespread and diverse co-operative movement, with over 7000 registered co-operatives owned by 17 million individual members and which contribute £34bn a year to the British economy. Modern co-operation started wit ...
References
External links
The Wine Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wine Society, The
Organizations established in 1874
Retail companies established in 1874
Consumers' co-operatives of the United Kingdom
Wine tasting
1874 establishments in England