Pernod Ricard sells Domecq brand

Pernod Ricard has sold Domecq, including its portfolio of brandies and Mexican winery, to Bodega Las Copas – a joint venture between the Emperador Group and Gonzalez Byass.

Pernod Ricard has sold Domeq to Bodegas Las Copas – a joint venture between Gonzalez Byass and Emperador.

Bodega Las Copas, based in Spain, is owned 50/50 by González Byass and Grupo Emperador Spain, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emperador – the Philippines-based brandy company controlled by billionaire Andrew Tan.

The sale includes Domecq’s portfolio of Mexican brandies Don Pedro, Presidente and Azteca de Oro and all related Domecq stock in markets including Spain, the US, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The sale also includes the company’s Ensenada winery in Mexico, which was the first commercial winery established in Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe and which produces Mexican wine brands including Calafia, Padre Xino and the premium X-A brand.

The last major acquisition by Emperador was in 2014, when it bought Whyte & Mackay from United Spirits for £430 million ($726 million).

González Byass meanwhile is a family winery founded in Jerez in 1835, and is known for its production of wines and Sherries, including Tío Pepe Fino and the the Brandy Solera Gran Reserva Lepanto.

“The disposal is in line with Pernod Ricard’s strategy to simplify its portfolio for growth and focus on its priority spirits and wines brands,” Pernod Ricard said in a statement. “It reinforces the presence of Bodega Las Copas in the global brandy category.”

The deal is expected to close before the end of the 2016/17 financial year.