With the entry of Wiesbadener Henkell at Freixenet, the world's largest maker of sparkling wine

By Karl Schlieker

WIESBADEN – The Wiesbaden Henkell sparkling wine cellar rises after the approval of the European Commission in alliance with Spanish cava producer Freixenet at the world's leading maker of sparkling wine . The acquisition of the shares of the Hevia and Bonet families of 50.67% in the Freixenet SA The Catalan company Sant Sadurni of Anoia de Henkell is completed, announced the sparkling wines division, wines and spirits group Oetker to Wiesbaden.

"The cooperation with Henkell will not only give continuity to the traditional Freixenet society, but will also strengthen its international leadership in the world of cava," said Freixenet's Honorary President, José Ferrer Sala. The Spaniards had income problems during this time, but recovered in the meantime. With the Henkell Group, which is part of the Oetker Group and therefore financially sound, the position on the international market needs to be expanded. The partners complement each other well. While Freixent represents Cava's first global brand, Henkell owns the world's first Prosecco with Mionetto and the most exported sparkling wine from Germany with Henkell Trocken, he says.

Freixent realizes a turnover of about 530 million euros. and Henkell with a turnover of 702 million euros strongly represented in Europe and Eastern Europe. In Germany, Freixenet is present with a sales company. Hans-Joachim Momm, longtime director of Freixenet GmbH, based in Mainz, has retired regularly this summer

After a capital increase of Freixenet, the honorary president of Freixenet, José Ferrer Sala, he and José Luis Bonet Ferrer 50% stake in Freixenet SA – Henkell the other half. With this agreement and a supervisory board with the same number of votes, the shareholders want to guarantee a partnership at eye level. The company will lead Pedro Ferrer and Andreas Brokemper, spokesperson for the Henkell management in Wiesbaden. José Luis Bonet Ferrer and Albert Christmann, personally responsible associates of Dr. Ing. August Oetker KG. Henkell had been fighting for about two years to buy the shares of Freixenet and had announced in March a fundamental agreement, but that depended on the approval of antitrust authorities. Silence was agreed on the purchase price. According to the Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia, Henkell would have paid just under 220 million euros for his actions.

Read other news from the region? Try the full Print & Web Plus package for 9 days for free!