Henkell & Co. presents itself under the slogan “Outstanding Quality” and introduces its new products at ProWein 2011

At ProWein 2011, the Wiesbaden-based sparkling wine, wine and spirit group will exhibit under the slogan “Outstanding Quality” – with good reason, as over the past few months, Henkell & Co. brands have garnered a lot of attention after winning several prestigious awards.

Henkell & Co. presents several new products for the current year: right on time for ProWein 2011, the company has launched Söhnlein Brillant Mild, a new taste of the classic sparkling wine. In addition to that the successfully launched product Mionetto il Spr!z now comes in a new small-size bottle and the recently acquired spirit brands Kuemmerling, Fürst Bismarck and Jacobi 1880 take the centre stage of Henkell & Co.’s ProWein presence as well.

On the international stage, Henkell & Co. started the new year by setting up three additional subsidiaries as of 1 January 2011: Henkell & Co. Baltic SIA in Riga/Latvia, Henkell & Co. Sverige AB in Stockholm/Sweden and Henkell & Co. Nederland B.V. in Rijswijk/Netherlands. These are exclusively import and distribution companies that complement the group’s independent production companies.

Henkell & Co. is represented by its own subsidiaries in fifteen different countries and exports its products to more than 80 nations around the world. The Group leads the sparkling wine market in eight countries, it tops wine sales in three countries, and it is Germany’s leading vodka distributor.

Outstanding quality: aiming high, winning prizes

Henkell & Co. has always been placing emphasis on quality: numerous significant national and international awards highlight the Group’s commitment to premium quality. Henkell & Co. uses only the very best ingredients, materials and processes at all subsidiaries, implementing efficient quality control measures and submitting to certification procedures on a regular basis.

Among the prizes worth singling out for mention is the National Honorary Award of the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (Bundesehrenpreis of the BMELV).

Fürst von Metternich Brut Vintage 2008 won two of the most important gold medals awarded to sparkling wines: one was presented at the DLG’s National Wine Awards (Bundesweinprämierung of the German Agricultural Society), while the second gold medal came at the French Vinalies Internationales competition. German consumer ecological magazine “Öko-Test” gave their highest approval rating to two brands, Fürst 2 von Metternich Riesling Sekt Extra Trocken and Henkell Trocken, in the sparkling wine and champagne category, while sparkling wine Adam Henkell Chardonnay Brut Vintage 2005 won the most recent product test conducted by Germany’s best-known consumer magazine “Stiftung Warentest”.

Spirits made by Henkell & Co. also live up to the company’s promise of quality. Wodka Gorbatschow, Wodka Gorbatschow Citron and Wodka Gorbatschow Platinum 44 were the proud winners of a gold medal from DLG (German Agricultural Society). The agricultural society also named Wodka Gorbatschow Platinum 44 as the “Best Vodka of 2010”, which also took gold as the “Best Clear Spirit of 2010” at the ISW International Spirits Awards. DLG selected the brand Pott-Rum 54 % vol as the “Best Rum of 2010”, putting it ahead of all of the other brands in its segment and winning the group yet another gold medal.

Söhnlein Brillant Mild: a popular brand, now with a sweeter variety

Söhnlein Brillant is Henkell & Co.’s top-selling brand and the cornerstone in the group’s long-running success story in the sparkling wine segment. At ProWein 2011, the group has now unveiled a new flavour for Söhnlein Brillant: starting now, Söhnlein Brillant Mild, a variety with a fine perlage and a mild dosage of 75 g/l, takes up its niche in the brand’s range, lending a fruity, sweet note and bringing the sense of carefree living enjoyed by younger sparkling wine drinkers to Söhnlein Brillant.

The harmonious structure of Söhnlein Brillant Mild, with an alcohol volume of 11 % vol, charms with a delicate bouquet, with hints of flowers and the honey sweetness of apple and mirabelle plum. Its pale gold colour has a green glint, and the sparkling wine is, like all other Söhnlein Brillant products, made only from selected vintages chosen from the very best wine-growing regions.

Current figures from the market show that milder sparkling wines are becoming increasingly popular – they currently account for over 11 percent of sales (source: IRI Handelspanel). The launch of the new product affirms the brand’s skill in identifying developments in the sparkling wine market (e.g. by launching two alcohol-free varieties) and its awareness that, to stay successful, its range has to be kept up to date.

Söhnlein Brillant Mild is available in a 0.75 l bottle.

www.soehnlein-brillant.de

Mionetto il Spr!z: now on sale in small bottles

Ready to enjoy – the pre-mixed drink, with its eye-catching orange colour, brought Italian verve to the market in 2010. Fresh and bubbly, Mionetto il Spr!z, launched last season by Italian subsidiary Mionetto S.p.A., made a splash in Germany and gained particular popularity there.

Just in time for ProWein 2011, Mionetto has unveiled a 0.2 l bottle for the unconventional pre-mixed drink from its ever-popular fruity and fresh frizzante line of products, “il”. With its summery colour and its tingly dry taste, the premix is on course to win over even more fans now that it is available in smaller bottles, adding to its spectacular success from last year.

Mionetto il Spr!z, a flavoured wine-based drink not only tastes wonderfully fresh, but it is also really eye-catching, something which is bound to increase its appeal for younger consumers when out in clubs and bars or at fashionable events. The clearglass 0.2 l bottle is the miniature version of its larger sibling, and both have the same, elegant design, the same flowing writing on the label and the same stylish look common to all products from Mionetto’s “il” line.

German trade publication Rundschau für den Lebensmittelhandel named Mionetto il Spr!z as the best-selling product in 2010.

The new small bottle for Mionetto il Spr!z now joins the product’s other bottle sizes, 0.75 l and 0.375 l.

www.mionetto.com

Kuemmerling: popular herbal liqueur finds a new home at Henkell & Co.

When it acquired the cult brand Kuemmerling in 2010, Henkell & Co. became the proud owner of what is doubtlessly the leading spirit in Germany’s impressive smallbottle segment. The premium herb-based liqueur with 35 % vol is familiar to absolutely everyone in the entire country: the venerable half-bitter in its typical coneshaped bottle has been produced since the end of the 1930s using the same unchanging recipe of select ingredients, and it differs from its competitors by being less sugary in taste. 2004 saw the introduction of its fruit-flavoured variety, Kuemmerling Orange, which only has 24 % vol. With tangy orange as an additional ingredient, it is an appealing new product thanks to its mix of fruit and a slight bitter taste, the latter being reminiscent of the original variety.

The Kuemmerling brand has been made at Bodenheim since 1963. It has almost always been among the top 20 best-selling spirits in Germany, and for years, the liqueur has held the number one spot for sales of drinks in 0.02 l small bottles. 4 Three new Kuemmerling ads have been on air since February, bringing the good times associated with the brand to your television and signalling a return to classic TV ads for the popular half-bitter.

The new ads sport the slogan "Small bottle – big fun" and are meant to appeal not only to long-term connoisseurs of the drink but also to people who have yet to discover its delights. The ads will be aired throughout the year in ad breaks during ARD’s sports programme Sportschau as well as during suitable series on privately owned stations. The campaign aims to create 788 million contacts.

Kuemmerling’s small bottles are sold in packs of 25, 12 and 3. The liqueur is also available in 0.5 l and 1 l bottles, the latter designed for commercial use in bars and restaurants.

www.kuemmerling.de

New product in the spirits segment: mild Fürst Bismarck Doppelkorn grain spirit

Yet another addition to Henkell & Co.’s spirits segment came in the shape of the upscale Fürst Bismarck, a grain-based spirit featuring a particularly rounded and mild flavour. The premium spirit really does go back to the “Iron Chancellor” Otto Fürst von Bismarck of the late 19th century: it is made in the family-run distillery of the Bismarck family and follows an old recipe using rye and wheat.

The clear spirit is notable for its pure, mild character, and its production involves a particularly painstaking distillation process that uses only the finest ingredients. The mashing and fermentation process is unique, and the final product has an alcohol content of 38 % vol, earning its designation as Doppelkorn in Germany.

The brand is inseparable from the stylishly shaped, brilliant green bottle which bears an imprint of the von Bismarck coat of arms. Fürst Bismarck is appreciated not only for its fine taste, but also for its long history and dedication to tradition and enjoyment.

Fürst Bismarck is available in a 0.7 l bottle.

www.fuerstbismarck-kornbrand.de

A time-honoured brandy: Jacobi 1880

Another new product to grace Henkell & Co.’s range of drinks is the brand Jacobi 1880 Alter Weinbrand V.S.O.P. This masterly brandy-composition has an alcohol volume of 36 % vol and can look back on a history that stretches back 130 years, making it quite literally an old favourite.

Jacobi 1880 is created from fine wines grown in regions famous for their vineyards. Its 5 outstanding quality is borne out by its particularly mild character and flavour, which is as pure as it is natural. The brandy’s composition comprises several carefully distilled components, and, stored in barrels of Limousin oak, it spends a full year maturing – twice as long as most brandies and the reason why it has V.S.O.P. in its name.

This brandy has a beautiful amber colour in the glass and offers connoisseurs a very special experience. Its pedigree is clearly visible at the point of sale – the very bottle is a hallmark of distinction, its sleek shape emphasising the brand’s elegance and perfectly complementing Henkell & Co.’s other products.

Jacobi 1880 is available in a 0.7 l bottle.