Tony Spawton dedicated his career to the marketing of wine as an expert for the Australian delegation to the OIV, teacher, consultant, writer and ambassador of a discipline he helped to create.

Originally from the country of Wales, he was an OIV delegate and expert for Australia between 1990 and 2008; in particular, he was the President of the “Market Analysis” Expert Group, and as such a member of the OIV Scientific and Technical Committee.

During long periods in Europe as an associate professor, Tony Spawton undertook research on risk reduction and changing consumption trends.

As Professor of Wine Marketing at the Roseworthy Agricultural College of the University of Adelaide, then at the School of Marketing of the University of South Australia, he was very active in different groups of the “Economy and Law” Commission and took part in the congresses in Cape Town, Paris, Lisbon, Bratislava, Budapest, Adelaide, Mainz and Buenos Aires.

His collaboration with numerous universities and schools led to him teaching in France, Spain, South Africa, Austria, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Hungary, Italy, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Portugal.

The author of a great many publications and of a reference book on wine marketing, he was an active member of the International University Association of Wine.

The OIV has highlighted and recognised his career dedicated to a new aspect of the field and the importance of wine marketing, which undoubtedly contributed to the significant development of the knowledge of markets and thus to the progression of the international wine trade, awarding him the OIV Merit Award in 2011.

One month ago, at the OIV headquarters, he was celebrating the 30th anniversary of the OIV Master's in Wine Management that he founded, surrounded by two generations of former students.

A graduate of the Paris Law Faculty and the research and development centre of the Department of Fraud Control, he began his career as General Counsel for the National Department of Control for Wines and Spirits (1964-1970), then as head of the bureau of wines and beverages at the Ministry of Agriculture (1970-1981).

Inspector General for Fraud Control, he was appointed by France as Commissioner-General to organise the OIV general assemblies in Paris in 1975 and 1982, for which he was the spokesperson for issues relating to designations of origin and wine quality. From 1982 to 1985, he presided the OIV "Regulation and Quality Control" Expert Group.

His legal competencies and knowledge of the vitivinicultural sector paved the way to his presidency of the "Wine" Group (1979) and "Spirituous Beverages" Group (1984) at the Council of Ministers of the European Union, his participation in the revision of the Paris Convention with the WIPO, his vice-presidency of the FAO Wine Group (1983) and his leadership of the French delegation to the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

After becoming Deputy Director of Consumption and Fraud Control, in 1985 he was elected OIV Director General and occupied the post until 1996, developing the activities of the Organisation, which grew from 33 Member States to 46 during this period.

Passionate about history and wine law, and proud of his Burgundy origins, he created the first wine law course in 1971 and loved sharing his passion with students in oenology, economy, agronomy or law at numerous French universities. This is how he came to be at the heart of the initiative to create the International Wine Law Association (IWLA) in 1987 and the International University Association of Wine (AUIV), which took charge of the OIV Master's in Wine Management.

For 20 years, he continued to share his skills as part of the IWLA, as part of the Académie Amorim over which he presided and with the UNESCO Chair "Culture and Traditions of Wine" at the University of Burgundy.

A great diplomat, he leaves us with the memory of a passionate and inventive OIV Director dedicated to the service of the world of vine and wine that he knew so well.

The OIV pays tribute to his memory and would like to extend its deepest sympathies to his family.