By SIMON HENDERY
The head of the world's third-largest wine and spirits marketing company has made a whistle-stop visit to New Zealand to toast the business's latest brand acquisition.
Paris-based Patrick Ricard, chairman and chief executive of Pernod Ricard, met Auckland staff of subsidiary Orlando Wyndham. He also visited Orlando's newly acquired Framingham Wine Company in Marlborough.
Australian company Orlando, whose brands include the successful Jacob's Creek, bought Framingham, its only New Zealand wine asset, for an undisclosed sum in February.
Ricard said Framingham's production was tiny compared with brands such as Jacob's Creek, but other Pernod Ricard companies worldwide were keen to include it in their portfolio.
It was important for Pernod to have a quality New Zealand wine within its fold, he said.
"When we started with Jacob's Creek 14 years ago, not one bottle was sold outside of Australia. Last year, we sold 5.8 million cases outside of Australia.
"I'm not saying that we are going to do the same with Framingham, but who knows?"
Jacob's Creek is distributed in more than 60 countries and one of Pernod Ricard's major spirits brands, Chivas Regal whiskey, is distributed in more than 100 markets.
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