The essentials
The Comité interprofessionnel des vins d’Alsace (CIVA) — the umbrella body representing more than 950 growers, cooperatives, and négociants across Alsace — elected a new president on June 26, 2026, at its general assembly in Colmar.
Who’s taking over: Didier Pettermann, a winegrower in Dambach-la-Ville, succeeds Serge Fleischer, who led the organization for five years (2021–2026). This isn’t his first time in the role — he already served as CIVA president from 2016 to 2021, so this is a return, not a debut.
The line that made headlines: Alsace wine in a can
The most-quoted part of his inaugural address was his position on packaging. Pettermann opened with the question that seems to be framing his mandate: how does the region adapt to sell to a new generation of consumers?
@flyingwinewriter France just said "put our wine in a can" 🍷🥫 the new head of Alsace's wine industry wants to ditch the bottle for good — swipe to see why (and the twist nobody's talking about) #winetok #wine #foodtok #alsace #winenews ♬ origineel geluid – Paula
His answer was direct: the offer needs to diversify, because the 75cl bottle format is “increasingly out of step” with current drinking habits, as the traditional family meal fades. What has held steady, though, is aperitif culture — and that’s where he sees the opportunity.
His exact words: “Il faut proposer les vins d’Alsace en canette” (“Alsace wine needs to be offered in cans”).
The important caveat: two producers are already doing this — Wolfberger and Arthur Metz — but using declassified Alsace wine (“déclassé,” not claiming the appellation) or wine sourced from elsewhere. Pettermann said he’s in favor of other companies following suit, but with wine that actually claims Alsace origin. In his words: “Canned wine is a real subject” (“La canette est un vrai sujet”).
The rest of his roadmap
Beyond the canned-wine point, his stated priorities include:
- A co-presidency structure for the interprofession alongside the AVA (Association des viticulteurs d’Alsace) — he wants shared governance across the entire supply chain
- Climate change research, in a context where he says “dérèglement climatique” is already reshaping the vineyard’s parameters
- New packaging formats beyond cans specifically (mentioned as a general direction, not limited to cans)
- Rebuilding Alsace wine’s presence within Alsace itself — he wants the region to “become a prophet in its own land” again, strengthening communication in the region’s major cities
- Generational renewal in the vineyard
His closing line sums up the tone of urgency: “Il faut travailler vite. Le monde ne nous attend pas” (“We need to move fast. The world isn’t waiting for us”).
Context: why this matters
This transition comes at a difficult moment for the sector: both Pettermann and his predecessor Fleischer agree the trade is facing falling consumption and climate disruption, and both explicitly reject resignation — “not going down without a fight” is the repeated refrain in regional press coverage.
