French giant invests in Cape wine

After snapping up L'Avenir and Le Bonheur in Stellenbosch, French wine giant AdVini has bought 50% of Forrester Vineyards, aiming to double its sales in the next few years.

By Dave Chambers

20 Sep 2016

Advini will distribute Ken Forrester wines in mainland Europe and Asia, while Forrester - who is staying on as CEO and retains ownership of his property - and his team will drive sales in the North American and English markets.

Forrester, often referred to as the "King of Chenin", said: "The deal with AdVini is a fantastic opportunity for me to tie up with a massive distribution network and one which is especially strong in new markets for me, such as Europe and, in particular, Asia."

The former restaurateur started his winery in 1994 when he bought a farm in the Helderberg.

"I began talking to AdVini about four years ago when I was looking for a network to help me to expand into Asia," Forrester said, adding that the aim was to increase sales from 80,000 cases a year to more than 200,000 within five years.

AdVini marketing manager Jean-Pierre Durand said the decision to focus on South Africa began with the purchase of the Laroche brand in 2010.

Source: The Times