Castelnau UK appoints new GM as Keith Isaac MW retires
With Keith Isaac MW set to retire next month as head of Castelnau Wine Agencies UK, the wine and Champagne importer has appointed Yann Bourigault as its new general manager.
Bourigault brings more than 25 years’ worth of wine and Champagne experience, including senior leadership roles at Bibendum Wine and Gérard Bertrand, and will head up the development of Champagne Castelnau and its on-trade presence in the UK.
News of the appointment came from Philippe Dessertenne, who is managing director of Terroirs & Vignerons de Champagne – which owns Champagne Castelnau and its UK import business, Castelnau Wine Agencies.
Dessertenne is new to the group, having joined in March from his previous role as MD of agricultural cooperative group LORCA, in advance of the retirement of Christophe Juarez, who had been at the helm since 2017.
In addition to positions at Bibendum Wine and Gérard Bertrand, Bourigault has export experience across USA and Canada, having previously held positions with Kobrand Corporation, Gallo Family and Les Vins Georges Duboeuf.
30 years on 30 June
Bourigault succeeds Keith Isaac MW, who will retire on 30 June after 30 years as general manager of Castelnau Wine Agencies.
“I am delighted to be joining Castelnau Wine Agencies at such an exciting time for the business,” says Yann Bourigault. “The UK is one of the world’s most dynamic and influential wine markets, and there’s a real opportunity for premium Champagne. Keith Isaac has done an outstanding job over the past 30 years and leaves a very strong foundation behind him. I’m looking forward to building on that and driving the next phase of growth for Champagne Castelnau.”
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Terroirs & Vignerons de Champagne (TEVC) is the leading Champagne Cooperative Union comprising 80 cooperatives representing 6,000 growers across 2,500 hectares of Champagne Appellation.
It is best known as the group behind the Nicolas Feuillatte label, the leading Champagne brand by volume in France and third worldwide.
TEVC acquired the fifth oldest Champagne brand – Abelé 1757 – in 2019 and in September 2023, the group boought Champagne Henriot, a Reims-based Négociant House founded in 1808.
Coming into effect on 31 December 2021, the merger with the Coopérative Régionale des Vins de Champagne (CRVC), owner of Champagne Castelnau, saw the two entities join forces under a new name: Terroirs et Vignerons de Champagne (TEVC).
Chaired by Eric Potié and managed by Philippe Dessertenne, TEVC employs 380 people and aims to become one of the three leading operators in the Champagne wine industry.
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