Korbel switches from Brown-Forman to Henkell Freixenet
Californian ‘Champagne’ producer Korbel has concluded its six decades-long distribution partnership with Brown-Forman, teaming up with sparkling wine powerhouse Henkell Freixenet instead.
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Korbel Champagne Cellars, founded in Russian River Valley in 1882, is a historic producer of traditional method sparkling wine in California. Although California fizz has been referred to as ‘Champagne’ for more than a century, the 1919 Treaty of Versailles prohibited this after lobbying for French producers, but, according to Forbes, as the US did not ratify the agreement, it can still get away with using the geographically-defined term for its sparklings.
Since 1965, the Korbel brand has had a sales, marketing, and distribution relationship with Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman. According to the spirits giant’s website, the partnership with a wine producer came about as “consumer trends were changing” 60 years ago.
However, effective 30 June 2025, Korbel will be partnering with Henkell Freixenet, which has a portfolio containing numerous sparklings, including sekt, Cava, Prosecco, Champagne and crémant.
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“We deeply value the rich history and collaborative spirit that has characterised our relationship with Korbel and its owner, Gary Heck. Going forward, we will each pursue our respective long-term growth objectives,” said Brown-Forman Corporation CEO and president Lawson Whiting, announcing the break up.
However, shortly after the press release from Brown-Forman was issued, one came in from Henkell Freixenet announcing that it would be handling Korbel from July onwards.
“It is a great honour for Henkell Freixenet to be designated as the exclusive global partner for Korbel, and we are thankful for the trust the Heck family places in us,” commented Dr Andreas Brokemper, Henkell Freixenet CEO. “Drawing on our global presence and expertise, we are committed to further expanding the brand. This collaboration represents a great enhancement to our sparkling wine portfolio.”
Korbel’s Heck said that he “deeply appreciates” the years of collaboration with Brown-Forman and that the new arrangement with the Mionetto and Champagne Alfred Gratien owner would aid in “positioning for future growth” and assist with “the strategic objective of expanding our brand presence”.
Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
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