Black Tower boss to step down

Reh Kendermann joint managing director Nikolaus Schritz has announced his intention to “quit while you’re ahead” and step down at the end of this year.

Nikolaus Schritz (right) with his successor Alex Rittlinger

Having spent 20 years at the helm of the German producer famous for its Black Tower wine brand, Schritz reported: “Reh Kendermann is in solid shape, and I am leaving things in excellent condition.”

He pointed to the company’s 2013/14 financial results, which showed a 21% increase in year-on-year turnover to €81 million and a 23% uplift in volume sales. Last year the firm reported that Black Tower sales in the UK were edging closer to the volumes of its 1980s peak, aided by limited edition releases and new product development.

Schritz will remain on the Reh Kendermann board as a consultant for production, quality management and winemaking. The company’s owner and joint managing director Carl Reh commented: “I regret his decision greatly, but I respect his position and am grateful to him for his dedication.”

Reh paid tribute to Schritz’s “major contribution to turning Black Tower into the world’s most widely consumed wine from Germany, now selling a record 1.3 million cases around the globe. He has also consistently moved us forward on the issue of quality.”

His role will be filled by the company’s current head of marketing & German sales Alexander Rittlinger, who joined Reh Kendermann in 2007.

Commenting on this new responsibility, Rittlinger set out an ambition to build sales further in the UK, a key market for Black Tower, as he said: “I am looking forward to the challenge of helping shape Reh Kendermann’s future in this new capacity.”