(August 24, 2000) Takeover of Le Monde des Grands Bordeaux Château Classic
Hamburg, 24 August 2000 – The German wine group Hawesko Holding AG (HAWG.F, 604270) has acquired 90 percent of the Bordelais wine negociant Le Monde des Grands Bordeaux Château Classic SARL in Saint-Christoly Médoc (France). As a result, Hawesko now has a foothold in the ultra-premium wine trade for the first time in Bordeaux.
The Bordeaux-wine trading company was founded in 1989 and makes about DM 10 million in annual sales, mostly ultra-premium Bordeaux wines of the classification "Premiers Crus Classés". Exports to Germany amount to 60 percent of annual sales; other important export markets are Austria, Great Britain and the USA. The owner of the company until now, Bergitta Reiss, will remain as managing director and retain a shareholding of 10 percent of the company. The acquisition will be effective from 1 September 2000.
Le Monde des Grands Bordeaux publishes a wine magazine under the same name which is directed towards private customers in Germany and Austria. It aims to educate the reader in feature articles written in German and French about the chateaus and personages in Bordelais.
Alexander Margaritoff, Management Board Chairman of Hawesko Holding AG: "With this acquisition in Bordeaux the Hawesko Group achieves not only the privileged status of being a local buyer in the Bordeaux wine trade, but also increases the Group's expertise in this special and important part of the ultra-premium wine trade."