Henkell Freixenet targets Southeast Asia expansion
Sparkling wine goliath Henkell Freixenet has marked Southeast Asia a priority for long-term expansion, hoping to win over a young base of “experimental, occasion-driven and lifestyle-orientated” consumers with its Mionetto and Freixenet brands. Amelie Maurice-Jones reports.
Yesterday, the German-based group, which is the world’s largest sparkling wine company, announced it would push towards “internationalisation” after flat sales in 2025.
And speaking to the drinks business, Vanessa Lehmann, head of communications at Henkell Freixenet, has flagged Southeast Asia as a particularly key growth market, driven by a combo of “favourable demographics, evolving consumption habits and strong channel development”.
The German-based sparkling wine giant, which is part of the Oetker Collection, will showcase its portfolio at this year’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition and Conference, which will take place in Singapore in May, in a bid to cement itself in the market.
At the trade show, the company will focus on promoting its global icon brands, Freixenet and Mionetto, to the Asian market. It will also spearhead a tasting session introducing the concept of a Spritz.
Finding new fizz moments
“Across the region, we see a young, urban consumer base that is increasingly engaged with international brands and open to new drinking experiences,” said Lehmann. “At the same time, sparkling wine is becoming more relevant in social and lifestyle occasions, moving beyond traditional celebrations.
“The continued development of both on-trade and modern off-trade channels is accelerating category growth and strengthening brand visibility, making Southeast Asia a priority for long-term, sustainable expansion.”
Global Travel Retail push
When it comes to Global Travel Retail (GTR), the Asia Pacific region has become a vital region for the sparkling wine giant – merging solid passenger flows, a fast-evolving travel retail landscape and curious consumers keen to try new ways to drink.
At the same time, the region is benefiting from expanding infrastructure and relevance as a global travel hub, Lehmann added, which reinforces the strategic purpose of travel retail for brand building.
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In Southeast Asia, the firm’s focus is on strengthening its footprint in priority markets – Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. These are countries where the company has already expanded listings for Freixenet and Mionetto. Looking forward, Henkell Freixenet will prioritise the on-trade in the first two countries, seeking to “build equity, drive trial and engage consumers in social and experiential settings”.
In Thailand, the strategy shifts to expanding modern off-trade distribution to increase listings for core brands and broaden reach.
Freixenet and Mionetto ‘key drivers’ of growth
Lehmann said its global icon brands Freixenet and Mionetto were “key drivers” in the company’s performance across Southeast Asia, with both benefitting from the continued growth of Prosecco, and Spritz boom, with Freixenet Italian Range and Prosecco flagged as a key contributor.
These are trends the producer is keen to keep tapping into. “One of the most important trends in Southeast Asia is the continued growth of Prosecco and sparkling wine as lifestyle drinks, increasingly enjoyed on informal and social occasions. Closely linked to this is the strong rise of spritz and aperitivo consumption, particularly in urban on-trade environments,” Lehmann explained.
“This trend is a key driver of category growth and is reshaping how consumers engage with sparkling wine.”
Strategy alignment
Mionetto Aperitivo has launched in more than 15 countries over the last two years. In 2025, it debuted in in Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, and the company will showcase its new Freixenet Solare Aperitivo at Vinexpo Hong Kong in May, further expanding its aperitivo offering.
“Overall, consumers in Southeast Asia are becoming more experimental, more occasion-driven and more lifestyle-oriented – trends that align very well with our portfolio and innovation strategy,” Lehmann summed up.
The company is also emphasising the no and low category, which is developing quickly across the region, with innovations like Mionetto Orange Spritz RTS, the Freixenet Solare Aperitivo range (available without alcohol) and the new Freixenet Diamond alcohol-free line.
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