Henkell eyes new acquisitions

German sparkling wine maker Henkell & Soehnlein, which acquired the manufacturer of Angelli sparkling wine in Romania two years ago, is now interested to buy new brands on the Romanian market. Industry sources say Henkell & Soehnlein is interested in buying either the maker of Alexandrion brandy, a business owned by two Greek investors, or the Iranian-developed business Prodal a??94 Bucharest, the producer of Stalinskaya and Wembley. The two companies are among the most important players on the spirits market, each having revenues in excess of 40 million euros a year. The companies confirm that they have been contacted, but say there were as yet no detailed discussions as to acquisition plans. Henkell & Soehnlein took over Astese Production, the maker of the Angelli sparkling wine, from a group of Italian investors in an 11.2 million dollar (9.3 million euro) deal almost two years ago. Astese Production is the leader of the sparkling wine market in Romania with over 50% in market share. ZF