by Eugene Vorotnikov FoodBizDaily.com Moscow
January 05 2010 - German Henkell&Sohnlein Sektkellereien, one of the world’s largest wine producers which owns the Kyiv Stolychny factory of sparkling wines, is planning to start bottling cognac under its own brand at the Simferopol cognac plant in 2010, according to Valeriy Romansky, the executive director of Stolychny factory.
"We want to launch production of cognac under our own brand. We have defined producers who will realize the project," Romansky said.
Yuriy Naumchuk, the deputy director on sales and marketing, said that the company plans to start the sale of cognac under its own brand from April 2010. The product will be considered as that of the middle price segment.
Romansky said that in spite of crisis, Henkell&Sohnlein is still interested in the purchase of Ukrainian companies, including cognac enterprises."We are most interested in Crimean producers," he said.
Earlier Henkell&Sohnlein Sektkellereien said it was in talks on the purchase of another Ukrainian enterprise located in Crimea.
Stolychny has been producing champagne since 1954. In October 2007 Henkell&Sohnlein Sektkellereien acquired a stake of over 75% in Stolychny.
In 2008, the share of Stolychny on the Ukrainian market of sparkling wines was 20%.