Henkell Freixenet has taken full ownership of Vinicom. Following the transaction, the German-Spanish alliance now holds 100% of the Portuguese distributor. The complete acquisition was finalized on September 3, 2024, according to Henkell Freixenet. Previously, the company held a 49.5% stake.
In response to a query from WEINWIRTSCHAFT, Vanessa Lehmann, Head of Communications for Henkell Freixenet Holding, assured: “No personnel or strategic changes are planned with the full acquisition of Vinicom. (…) We will continue our excellent collaboration with partners and greatly value the outstanding work of the existing team.”
Citing data from IWSR, Henkell Freixenet stated that Portugal ranks among the top 30 sparkling wine markets worldwide (excluding Champagne and Lambrusco). From 2019 to 2023, the market showed an average annual growth rate of 6.2%, making it one of the top 10 fastest-growing sparkling wine markets in Europe.
Dr. Andreas Brokemper, CEO of Henkell Freixenet, commented: “We see strong momentum and future opportunities for our brands, such as Freixenet and Mionetto, and for our partners to further develop this growing market alongside a stellar portfolio of Portuguese wine brands.”
Francisco de Sousa Coutinho & Henkell Freixenet founded Vinicom in 2004. Since then, the family-owned company has served as the distribution partner for the Portuguese market. In addition to Henkell Freixenet’s sparkling and still wine portfolio, renowned Portuguese brands such as Lavradores de Feitoria, Quinta do Vale Meão, Quinta de Sto António, Howard’s Folly, and Blackett Porto Wines are also marketed.
Henkell Freixenet, the sparkling wine, wine, and spirits division of Geschwister Oetker Beteiligungen KG, closed the 2023 financial year with record revenue of €1.23bn (net revenue excluding sparkling wine and spirits tax), representing a sales increase of 4.1%.
