(May 31, 2000)
Hamburg, 31 May 2000. Hawesko Holding AG (HAWG.F, 604270), the German wine-trading group, announced today that its subsidiary Weinland Ariane Abayan GmbH was able to win over the Italian wine producer Marchesi Antinori Srl as a supplier from 1 January 2001. Antinori is one of the most important and well-regarded wine producers in the world and is based in Florence, Italy.
"Antinori produces a wide range of top-quality wines, whose distribution we will develop further in the German market," said Anton A. Rössner, managing director of Weinland Ariane Abayan. Abayan is part of the Wein Wolf Group, which Hawesko acquired in 1999.
Hawesko Holding AG is Germany's leading seller of premium wines and champagne. With three distribution channels - mail-order and internet (main brands: Hanseatisches Wein- und Sekt-Kontor, Winegate.de), wine stores (Jacques' Wein-Depot) and wholesale (Wein Wolf; Champagner Wein Distribution) - the Group achieved sales of DM 413 million in 1999 with 450 employees.
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Further information about Antinori can be found at their website www.antinori.it.