Announced at Vinexpo this week (June 15) the Languedoc-Roussillon cooperative and InVivo plan to be at the forefront of the agri-food sector and wine in particular and, in doing so, create a French wine producer of international size.
The stated objective of the two is to “speed up the development of the two arms of the company: Cordier for the brands and petits châteaux and Mestrezat for grands crus".
The new grouping came about partly as a result of InVivo buying the large Bordeaux merchant, Cordier Mestrezat Grands Crus, which owns the Cordier wine brand. Vinadeis, as it is now, already owns 22% of that merchant.
Vinadeis chairman Bertrand Girard told Drinks International: "France has some of the most famous wines in the world but we have not been able to create high profile brands for the heart of the market due to the structure of the French wine sector which is very fragmented and small scale.
"France has found it hard to find a way in the branded wine market. We know the recipe. We have the technical ability. We have the vineyards and we have the climates.
"We can be the king of varieties. We have the quality and the volume. We can build brands. Out of this garden we can get the best expressions of each varietal and express them in our own style - finesse, elegance, not too oaky.
"We do have a big ambition, a clear vision to develop brands," said the former Danone executive.
About Vinadeis
1,600 winegrowers
45 estates & châteaux
11 wineries
17,000 hectares of vineyards in Aquitaine and the Rhône Valley.
400 employees
Turnover: €268m (France 73%/27% export)
Exports to: 60 countries)
About InVivo
223 cooperatives
300,000 farmers
8,000 employees in 28 countries
Turnover: €5.4 billion (2013-2014).
