Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei KG
Appealing to people’s tastes for over 150 years – Germany’s most popular and best-selling export sparkling wine brand
Adam Henkell opens his “champagne factory”
The story of the famous Henkell brand begins with wine merchant Adam Henkell. Inspired by what he saw as a French lifestyle, he and a business partner started the Henkell & Cie winery, in which he became sole owner in 1839. However, he kept his sights fixed on creating a company that produced sparkling wine like French champagne, and achieved this goal in 1856, when Adam Henkell opened his own sparkling wine business in the Walpodenstraße, in the city of Mainz.
Grandson creates Henkell Trocken brand
Adam Henkell and later his son Rudolf expand the family business over the next few years, but it was Adam Henkell’s grandson Otto Henkell who makes sparkling wine the sole focus of the company. With outstanding international wines as the starting point, the company starts producing its very special cuvées. One of its masterpieces is the Henkell Trocken brand. In his time, Otto Henkell obeserved that “connoisseurs prefer dry sparkling wines which bring out the finesse of their base wines particularly well.” He was right – as has been proven by the spectacular success of Henkell Trocken, registered trademark since 1898.
Henkell Trocken sells over three million bottles
Smart business practices and the confidence to try new things were the hallmarks of Otto Henkell’s activities. He recognised the importance of advertising early on and invested in publicity with the huge sum of 100,000 marks as early as 1904. These advertisements were fresh, clever and satirical at times. They made references to topical events and used contemporary artists. The company placed ads in popular magazines such as “Jugend“ and “Simplicissimus“, and Otto Henkell worked with Stollwerck and Adam Opel on joint campaigns. All of the money and effort invested in advertising and the company’s branding policies paid off: in 1906, Henkell Trocken reached the record-breaking sales figure of 3 million bottles.
Inaugurating Henkellsfeld
The company’s success meant that space soon became an issue: though headquartered in Mainz, it had 50 production sites scattered far and wide. Famous architect Paul Bonatz is hired to build the new headquarters in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, and after just two years, Henkellsfeld, an imposing classical building with wine cellars seven floors deep, is completed. Along with its ultra-modern production and storage facilities, the building also has splendid reception rooms for cultural and social events – something that the company, with its roots in the region, saw as its obligation even then.
Pikkolo and the “Gentleman in Black”
World War I brings production of Henkell Trocken to a temporary standstill. In 1929, after Otto Henkell’s death, his brother Karl and nephew Stefan Karl focused on ensuring that the brand remains successful. In 1935, the company trademarks the name Pikkolo for its quarter-sized bottles, and one year later, the “Gentleman in Black” became the symbol of Henkell Trocken. In 1944, when Otto Henkell’s successors die in World War II, the young Otto Henkell II takes over the family business. Despite the partial destruction of the Henkellsfeld headquarters and the collapse of the sparkling wine market, he manages to revive the success of Henkell Trocken and turn it into a byword for sparkling wine from Germany.
Success during the economic miracle
Extensive advertising put the brand on course for success in the 1950s. Otto Henkell II proves to be a far-sighted businessman, expanding the company’s import business, laying the foundation for strategic purchases and participations, and keeping pace with changing tastes by launching new products. This includes the 1964 introduction of the highly affordable Rüttgers Club brand, which quickly becomes market leader by sales volume. In 1979, the company launches the premium Adam Henkell brand, named to commemorate the company’s founder.
The Henkell brand today
To mark the start of the new millennium, the company expands its range of products to include fresh varieties with different flavours, and it modernises its advertising image. In 2004, it adopts the slogan “Cheers to life”, and over the following years celebrates a whole string of anniversaries. In 2006, Henkell Sekt was 150 years old, and one year later, the winery celebrated its 175th birthday. On 27 November 2009, a ceremonial act was held to mark the 100th birthday of the Henkellsfeld building. In the same year, famous German publishing house Langenscheidt named Henkell Trocken brand of the century for sparkling wines, a distinction that is a particular source of pride for the company and validates the successful decisions which characterise its history.
