Press release
Vranken-Pommery and Castel
join forces to create the world leader in rosé wines
Reims and Bordeaux, 18 November 2013
The two French family groups are planning to combine their know-how, skills and resources to consolidate, the position at the forefront of the global rosé wine sector, of their signature in French wines, including Listel and Billette.
Vranken-Pommery, Europe's leading wine grower, will retain full ownership of the Domaines and Châteaux and provide its partner, Castel, with the supplies needed in terms of both quality and quantity to apply the strategy aimed at conquering international markets.
Castel will grant Vranken-Pommery access to its distribution networks, in particular on the high-potential markets of China, Russia and Africa.
The transaction will ensure the Listel - Gris de Camargue and Billette-Rosé de Provence already leaders in France, a major commercial boost on new markets, with a sales target of around 40 million bottles.
By combining resources with Castel in this way, Vranken-Pommery will reinforce its undertaking to develop Camargue rosé wines and distribute them worldwide.
This partnership will take practical form within a new structure called Listel SA, in which the two groups will each hold fifty per cent.
This new entity will preside over the development of their brands and soon become a leading world player in the production and marketing of rosé wines from highly reputed vineyards.
Listel SA will be established by Vranken-Pommery, bringing in its entire "Négoce Listel" branch of activity, and by Castel, which will make an equivalent contribution in cash.
Listel SA will also take control of the Listel Provence Côtes de Provence trading activity, including the Billette brand.
The net value of all these activities currently amounts to € 42 million.
This transaction is, of course, subject to compliance with the procedures and validation of the plan in social, tax and regulatory terms.
About Vranken-Pommery
Vranken-Pommery is the second largest champagne group. Its portfolio comprises the leading brands of VRANKEN with its Diamant and Demoiselle vintages, POMMERY with its Louise and POP vintages, CHARLES LAFITTE and HEIDSIECK & C° MONOPOLE. Vranken-Pommery owns the ROZES and TERRAS DO GRIFO port wine brands. Finally, the group is the leader in France in Rosé Wines with Sable de Camargue - Gris de Gris - from LISTEL and les Côtes de Provence - Rosé Wines - from BILLETTE.
The Vranken-Pommery Group, Europe's leading wine grower, directly manages vines covering over 2,500 hectares.
About the Castel Wine Branch
Founded in 1949, the Castel family business is today the leading French wine operator and ranks third in the world.
Since it was established, the company has optimised both vertical and horizontal development in all fields of winemaking, so that today it is at once owner, grower, winemaker, producer, trader, bottler and distributor (owner of the Nicolas wine merchants' network).
Castel owns 22 chateaux covering over 1,400 hectares in France.
Its presence in all the main French winemaking regions assures it an outstanding range available thanks to its 22 winemaking, bottling and logistics centres on an international scale -in over 130 countries- where its presence is developed in particular by its 26 subsidiaries across the globe.
Contacts
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| Vranken-Pommery Monopole : Patrice Proth, Secrétaire Général + 33 3 26 61 62 34, comfi@vrankenpommery.fr | Presse Claire Doligez, +33 1 53 70 74 25, cdoligez@image7.fr Caroline Simon, +33 1 53 70 74 65 caroline.simon@image7.fr |
For further information about Castel, please ask the Press Service :
Thomas Marko & Associés
Lise Forestier +33 1 44 90 87 47 lise.f@tmarkoagency.com
Julie Carpier +33 1 44 90 87 44 julie.c@tmarkoagency.com
