An accredited charitable organisation since December 2014, the primary purpose of Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin (Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations) is to protect, celebrate and transmit the cultural, historic and intellectual dimensions of wine, officially acknowledged as an element of France’s cultural heritage in 2014. The Foundation is also committed to bringing this living, universal heritage to the widest possible audience. The three founding members of the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin are the City of Bordeaux, the Bordeaux Wine Board and the bank Crédit Agricole Aquitaine. The foundation is also fortunate enough to be backed by the Clarence and Anne Dillon Dunwalke Trust and HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg. The City of Bordeaux, commissioning authority and owner of the building, will put La Cité du Vin entirely at the disposal of the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin, allowing the foundation to fulfil its mission: acknowledging, celebrating and promoting wine as an icon of our universal, living heritage. The foundation is thus responsible for the operations and future development of Cité des civilisations du vin. In addition to running La Cité du Vin, the foundation will back cultural, educational and scientific projects and actions in France and around the world which correspond to its three core priorities: recognising the cultural and historic importance of wine, celebrating and passing on the immense wealth of knowledge accumulated in the field of wine, and supporting further research and public action focused on the culture and civilisations of wine.