Vivendi-Seagram
22 novembre 2000
The merger between Vivendi and Seagram (which includes Martell cognac) should be settled on 11 December.

Martell : 25 million francs to attract young people
22 novembre 2000
For the last 18 months, sales of cognac have picked up throughout the world, due to advertising, notably for the use of the alcohol produced in the Charente as an aperitif. Martell in turn is launching a vast international campaign (which will not be seen in France as a result of the Evin law) with a budget of 25 million francs to attract new and young consumers. This campaign is being launched just as the former number two in the cognac world (it lost its place as heir apparent to Hennessy to Rémy-Martin) is up for sale, along with the rest of the former Seagram spirits division, now part of the French giant Vivendi.

Rescue plan for armagnac
15 novembre 2000
Armagnac, like cognac, is in difficulty. A 40 million franc rescue package for the sector was signed last week at Eauze, with 30 million coming from the government and the five regional authorities concerned and 12 million from industry professionals. This money will be used to regain market share and to modernize companies.

Sabaté harvesting the web
15 novembre 2000
Sabaté, the world’s second largest producer of corks, which has just made a public offer of exchange with the Diosos cooperage group, is to launch a professional reference portal for the wine industry "winebusiness.com" with the aim of becoming the world’s leading source of information and analysis of the wine market.

Segonzac : rebirth of the the University
15 novembre 2000
After several years of crisis, the University of Wines and Spirits in Segonzac, now linked to Poitiers University, is once again on a solid footing. Its rebirth has been welcomed by local elected representatives and dealers’ representatives.

Allied Domecq in a strong position
8 novembre 2000
The Allied Domecq group, which would like to take over the spirits branch of the Seagram group (Martell) has announced sharply improved results with a 16 % increase in profits (674 million euros) and a turnover of 4.5 billion. This is a result of the group’s refocusing on its major brands and places it at the top of the list of potential companies to take over Seagram’s spirits activities.

Alliance in barrel-making
8 novembre 2000
The group Chene et Cie (turnover of 230 MF, parent company of the Taransaud cooperage) has just taken a 39 % stake in Thalès, the Bordeaux company specializing in reconditioned barrels and warehouse maintenance, one of the market leaders in hygiene for the wine industry. In this way, the Chene group hopes to strengthen its activities in maintenance and financial help for stocks of barrels.

BNIC accounts looking healthy
1er novembre 2000
After the penalizing effects of the redundancy scheme in 1999, the BNIC accounts have returned to the black. In another move, on Monday the assembly of the BNIC approved the terms of the ministerial order for the cognac production region : QNV (quantity of wine normally produced) of 6 hl of pure alcohol per hectare for cognac, 105hl/ha for white wines and an agronomic production ceiling of 130hl/ha.

Sexy ambassadors for cognac
25 octobre 2000
The cognac houses are changing their image : a sexy style for Martell, which is launching an unprecedented international advertising campaign (except in France, courtesy of the Evin law), and will now be represented throughout the world by "Miss Martell", a very attractive ambassador. Courvoisier (Jarnac)has chosen the Afro-American style and hopes to appeal to this community in the US by playing on hip-hop culture and the "sequins and spangles" image. About ten young Americans have been selected to represent the brand.

Cognac : subsidies under threat
18 octobre 2000
Moves in Brussels to call into question the payment of subsidies by Europe for the transformation of cognac vineyards into the production of local wines, as part of the implementation of the revised common organization of markets, threaten the vineyard re-conversion plan in its entirety. The president of the regional council, JP Raffarin, a former member of the European parliament, has referred the matter to the European commissioners.