Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei Ges.m.b.H., Austria
From the first foreign subsidiary to the clear market leader for sparkling wine
Stepping across the border
In 1952, the European Coal and Steel Union came into being, the forerunner of today’s European Union. In the same year, ambitious company Henkell & Co. founds its first subsidiary in post-war Europe when it opens a distribution company in Vienna. The subsidiary’s initial objective is to make classic sparkling wine Henkell Trocken familiar in Austria, but things change in 1955 when the company buys famous Viennese sparkling wine producer Meinl and can start producing Henkell Trocken and other drinks in Austria itself.
Merger expands range in Austria
Like in Germany, sparkling wine enjoys a surge in popularity in Austria in the postwar period, and Henkell Trocken quickly becomes the most widely sold brand. The merger of Henkell & Co. and Söhnlein Rhein- gold KG also has a positive effect on the products on sale in Austria: The country’s sparkling wine drinkers can now enjoy other brands such as Fürst von Metternich, Söhnlein Brillant and Kupferberg Gold.
Sparkling wines from Henkell & Co. compete for top position
Globalisation has an effect on the sparkling wine and spirits market as production shifts to Germany. However, in Austria, Henkell Trocken continues to be made exclusively from Austrian wines. It is not unusual to see two brands from the same group, Kupferberg Gold and Henkell Trocken, go head-to-head in a battle to see which one tops the market for sparkling wine in Austria.
