Edrington has acquired a 50% holding in Spain’s Bodegas Grupo Estévez to support the provision of casks for single malt Scotch whisky The Macallan.
The “substantial investment”, the price of which was not disclosed, will see the Andalusia-based wine and brandy producer supply ex-Sherry casks for the group’s flagship single malt. Balancing the arrangement will be the addition of Grupo Estévez’s Sherry and aperitif brand, Valdespino, to Edrington’s portfolio.
“This will be the first time we have used our … Sherry for cask seasoning, and we are so pleased that we will do this exclusively for The Macallan,” said CEO José Ramón Estévez, who will continue to lead the company’s operations. “We are also extremely excited to be working with The Macallan team to help build our exceptional Valdespino Sherries and aperitifs internationally.”
Family-owned Grupo Estévez claims to be “the main winegrower” in Spain’s Andalusia region, on the country’s south coast. The company has 940 hectares of property.
Earlier this year, Edrington updated its Global Travel Retail management team as The Macallan was lined up for a “strengthening [of its] position in the channel”.
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