Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei

Last updated
Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei
Type Limited partnership (KG)
Industry drink industry   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Founded1832
FounderAdam Henkell  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Headquarters
Wiesbaden
,
Germany
Products Sparkling wine, Wine Distilled beverage
Revenue1.195 million (2020)
Number of employees
3,494 (2020)
Parent Geschwister Oetker Beteiligungen KG
Website www.henkell-freixenet.com

Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG, today Henkell Freixenet, is a German producer [1] of Sekt (German quality sparkling wine), wine and spirits based in Wiesbaden. From 1958 until October 2021, it belonged to Dr. August Oetker KG. Since November 2021, it has been a member of Geschwister Oetker Beteiligungen KG with a turnover of almost 2 billion euros and more than 8,000 employees.

Contents

History

Wiesbaden - Henkell Schloss, designed by Paul Bonatz Wiesbaden - Henkell Schloss.jpg
Wiesbaden - Henkell Schloss, designed by Paul Bonatz
13-02-28-sektkellerei-henkell-wiesbaden-by-RalfR-09.jpg

Adam Henkell  [ de ] founded the Henkell & Cie winery in Mainz in 1832. [1] [2] Twenty-five years later he commissioned the building of a “Champagne factory” in Walpodenstrasse in Mainz, making him among the first in Germany to master the technology of producing sparkling wine from wine. The Henkell Trocken brand was patented in 1894 under the management of Otto Henkell  [ de ], and in 1898 it became one of the first legally protected brands in Germany. In 1909, Henkell & Co. moved into its new headquarters in the independent town Biebrich. [3] The Henkell Trocken brand was marketed very aggressively from 1900 to 1920, with large-format ads regularly appearing in publications like Jugend and Simplicissimus . Artists commissioned to design ads for the campaign included Thomas Theodor Heine, Ernst Oppler, Lucian Bernhard, Gino von Finetti  [ de ] and Adolf Münzer  [ de ]. The Henkell headquarters was also depicted in several full-page advertisements in Lucian Bernhard's signature style.

Otto Henkell and Ludwig Stollwerck  [ de ]Ludwig Stollwerck are widely considered to be the inventors of joint advertising, a strategy they deployed starting around 1900. It was the first time marketing activities were jointly developed and funded by multiple companies within a single industry.

Joachim von Ribbentrop married into the Henkell family on 5 July 1920 by marrying Otto Henkell's daughter Anneliese. Otto Henkell then entrusted Ribbentrop with the establishment and management of the Berlin branch of Henkell & Co. [4]

In 1935, Henkell & Co. pioneered and patented the “Pikkolo” brand. The “black gentleman” (Schwarzer Herr) silhouette design debuted on the Henkell Trocken label in 1936 and for many years was its distinctive insignia.[ citation needed ]

National Socialism

Joachim von Ribbentrop became Germany's foreign minister under Hitler in 1938; in this position he ordered the deportation and killing of thousands of Jews, specifically in the Italian occupied zone in Croatia. The Henkell estate in Wiesbaden served as a headquarter of the German air force (Luftwaffe) from 1939 to 1945. During the Nazi era, the Henkell company used around 50 French prisoners of war for its wine and champagne production. [5] The company denied access to their private archives until 2019. [6]

Expansion

In 1975, the company acquired Sektkellerei Carstens KG in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. Further acquisitions and corporate mergers followed. In 1986, Otto Henkell sold the winery to the entrepreneur Rudolf-August Oetker, who had previously acquired Söhnlein Rheingold Sektkellerei  [ de ] in Schierstein in 1956. After an initial period of individual growth for both companies, former competitors Henkell & Co. and Söhnlein Rheingold KG merged in 1987 to form Henkell & Söhnlein Sektkellereien KG, based in Wiesbaden-Biebrich. Both companies continued to be managed through 2009, after which they were consolidated into parent company Henkell & Söhnlein Sektkellereien KG. Henkell & Söhnlein Sektkellereien KG took the first step towards forming a European beverage group in 1988, when it acquired the Austrian Scharlachberg label, with the exception of the brandy of the same name. Henkell & Söhnlein, Austria, was founded with its own sparkling wine production facilities in Vienna and its own brandy bottling plant in Salzburg. In 1992, the parent company acquired Hungarovin Kft. in Budapest, the Hungarian market leader for sparkling wine, and in 1995, it acquired a majority stake in Kurpfalz Sektkellerei KG, located in Speyer, Germany. Henkell & Söhnlein Polska Sp. Z o.o. was founded in Warsaw in 1996, and in 1997, Deinhard Sektkellerei KG  [ de ] in Koblenz was added to the portfolio, as well as a qualified majority in Vinpol SP. Z o.o. in Toruń, Poland. In 1999, the Group acquired a qualified majority in Sekt Českomoravská vinařská a.s., Starý Plzenec, Bohemia, Czech Republic, and in 2000, it acquired a majority stake in the Slovakian sparkling winery Champagner-Fabrik J. E. Hubert  [ de ] s.r.o., based in Sereď. Gratien & Meyer S.A.S. in Saumur, France, was purchased in the same year. In 2003, Henkell & Söhnlein acquired the distribution and trademark rights for the Menger-Krug sparkling winery in Deidesheim and S.C. Astese Production S.r.l., in Bucharest. The brands Kupferberg Gold and Scharlachberg Meisterbrand were added to the portfolio in 2004, and in 2006, the company acquired the spirits brands Der Gute Pott and Stern-Marke from A. Racke GmbH & Co. in Bingen am Rhein, Germany. In October 2007, the company expanded further with the acquisition of Kyiv-based sparkling wine producer Kyiv Factory of Sparkling Wines "Stolychny" and closed the site in 2019. [7] In May 2008, Henkell & Söhnlein Sektkellereien KG acquired the Italian company Mionetto, a maker of international award-winning spumante and frizzante sparkling wine brands. Following multiple mergers, effective 1 January 2009, Henkell & Söhnlein Sektkellereien KG was renamed Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei. In March 2018, Henkell bought 50.67% of Freixenet, a Spanish wine company, and in April, Filipopolis, a Lithuanian liquor distributor. [8] Henkell reorted the acquisition of Bolney Wine Estate English sparkling wine based near Brighton, Sussex on the 14 January 2022. [9]

Subsidiaries

The following subsidiaries belong to the Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG group of consolidated companies: Deinhard KG, Sektkellerei Kupferberg, Kurpfalz Sektkellerei GmbH, Fürst von Metternich Sektkellerei GmbH, Schloss Johannisberger Weingüterverwaltung GbR, Menger-Krug Sektkellerei GmbH, Gorbatschow Wodka KG, Scharlachberg Weinbrennerei GmbH und H.H. Pott Nfgr. Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH. The following companies not based in Germany also belong to the Group: Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei Ges.m.b.H (Austria), Törley Sparkling Wine Cellar Ltd. (Hungary), Vinpol Sp. Z o.o. (Poland), Bohemia Sekt a.s. (Czechia), Hubert J.E. s.r.o. (Slovakia), Alfred Gratien S.A.S., (France), S.C. Angelli Spumante & Aperitive s.r.l. (Romania), Kiewer Sektkellerei Stolichniy (Ukraine) and Minonetto S.p.A. (Italy).

In March 2018, Henkell bought 50.67% of Freixenet, a Spanish wine company. The purchase included its Australian subsidiary, the Wingara Wine Group, owner of Katnook Estate in Coonawarra and Deakin Estate in the Murray Darling region near Mildura. [10]

Company profile

In 2020, Henkell Freixenet posted revenue after consumption taxes of €972m. This reflects a revenue decrease of -7.4%. In 2020 the company had 3,494employees. The board of directors is composed of Andreas Brokemper (International Activities and Controlling), Eberhard Benz (Manufacturing and Purchasing), Frank van Fürden (Sales, Marketing and Logistics). [11]

Brands

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparkling wine</span> Wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide

Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine is usually either white or rosé, but there are examples of red sparkling wines such as the Italian Brachetto, Bonarda and Lambrusco, and the Australian sparkling Shiraz. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry brut styles to sweeter doux varieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biebrich (Wiesbaden)</span> Borough of Wiesbaden in Hesse, Germany

Biebrich is a borough of the city of Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany. With over 38,000 inhabitants, it is the most-populated of Wiesbaden's boroughs. It is located south of the city center on the Rhine River, opposite the Mainz borough of Mombach. Biebrich was an independent city until it was incorporated into Wiesbaden in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Schlumberger von Goldeck</span>

Robert Alwin Schlumberger, Edler von Goldeck was an entrepreneur and the first producer of sparkling wine in Austria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German wine classification</span> Overview of the wine classification system in Germany

The German wine classification system puts a strong emphasis on standardization and factual completeness, and was first implemented by the German Wine Law of 1971. Nearly all of Germany's vineyards are delineated and registered as one of approximately 2,600 Einzellagen, and the produce from any vineyard can be used to make German wine at any quality level, as long as the must weight of the grapes reaches the designated minimum level. As the current German system does not classify vineyards by quality, the measure of wine ’quality’ is the ripeness of the grapes alone.

E & J Gallo Winery is a winery and distributor headquartered in Modesto, California. It was founded in 1933 by Ernest Gallo and Julio Gallo, and is the largest exporter of California wines. E & J Gallo Winery is the largest family-owned winery in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brancott Estate</span>

Brancott Estate is the brand adopted since 2010 by Pernod Ricard for New Zealand's largest wine producer, formerly Montana Wines, which now operates as the New Zealand division of Pernod Ricard Winemakers. The name comes from its Brancott winery in Blenheim, and was chosen to reduce confusion in the United States market with wines from the state of Montana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparkling wine production</span> Method in wine production

Sparkling wine production is the method of winemaking used to produce sparkling wine. The oldest known production of sparkling wine took place in 1531 with the ancestral method.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Oetker</span> German food manufacturer

Dr. Oetker is a German-French multinational company that produces baking powder, cake mixes, frozen pizza, pudding, cake decoration, cornflakes, party candles, and various other products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">József Törley</span>

József Törley is credited as having established one of the most successful brands of sparkling wine outside of the Champagne region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Törley</span> Sparkling wine producer

Törley is the leading sparkling wine producer in Hungary. It was founded by József Törley in 1882 in Budafok and over the course of the following years became one of the leading sparkling wine producers in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freixenet</span> Catalan sparkling winery

Freixenet is a Cava producer, headquartered in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Spain. It is the largest producer of traditional method sparkling wine worldwide, and the largest exporter of Cava. The company was founded in 1861 and now belongs to Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutz (wine)</span>

Deutz, formerly known as Deutz & Geldermann, is a Champagne producer based in the Aÿ region of Champagne. The house was founded in 1838 by William Deutz and Pierre-Hubert Geldermann and has since been run by successive generations of the Deutz and Geldermann families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuemmerling</span>

Kuemmerling is the brandname of a type of Kräuterlikör from Germany, belonging to the group of Halbbitter.

Angelli Spumante & Aperitive is one of the most important sellers

Princess Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg was a Russian aristocrat, philanthropist, artist, and patron of the arts. She published her books and watercolours under the name Tatiana von Metternich. She supported charity, especially the Red Cross and the Order of St. Lazarus, which she served as Grand Bailiff for Germany. She was a founding member of the Rheingau Musik Festival, made parts of Schloss Johannisberg available as concert venues for the festival and served as the president of its Kuratorium until her death.

Wodka Gorbatschow is a German vodka brand. It has been produced in Berlin since 1921. Since 1960, it is owned by the Söhnlein Rheingold AG, a part of the Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG, which is owned by Dr. Oetker since 1996.

Paul Alfons Maria Clemens Lothar Philippus Neri Felix Nicomedes Prinz von Metternich-Winneburg was a German-Austrian racing driver and President of the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI), before becoming President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pott (rum)</span>

Pott also known as Der Gute Pott is a spirits brand for brown overseas rum of the company H. H. Pott Nachfgr. Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH Rumhandelshaus, in Flensburg. It has been a subsidiary of Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei, a member of the Oetker Group, since 2006.

Hans Liska was an Austrian artist, painter, commercial artist and illustrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sekthaus Carl Graeger</span> German sparkling wine producer

Sekthaus Carl Graeger KG is a sparkling wine producer. It was established in 1877. Since 1997 it is headquartered in Bingen am Rhein.

References

  1. 1 2 "World Gin Club 🌍 Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG 🍸". World Gin Club. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  2. ↑ Felicity Carter, The sparkling way of Henkell Freixenet, retrieved 3 November 2019
  3. ↑ Die Sektkellerei Henkell
  4. ↑ Deutsche Biographie. "Ribbentrop, Joachim von - Deutsche Biographie" (in German).
  5. ↑ "Halb Schloss, halb Fabrik" (in German). 2009-11-17.
  6. ↑ "Wie Düsseldorfer Firmen mit ihrer NS-Zeit umgehen" (in German). 2019-01-29.
  7. ↑ Henkell Freixenet Business year 2019 press release 28 May 2020, retrieved 22 March 2022
  8. ↑ "Henkell & Co. sees revenues rise by 5% to €526m". The Drinks Business. 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  9. ↑ "Henkell Freixenet Buys Bolney Wine Estate". glassofbubbly.com. 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  10. ↑ Alana House (20 March 2018). "New owner & winemaker for Katnook Estate" . Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  11. ↑ "Press | Henkell Freixenet". www.henkell-freixenet.com. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.