Charles Heidsieck and Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brands on the Auction Block

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne

Fancy buying some bubbly? Bigger than a Magnum, Jeroboam or Methuselah? Word from the Champagne region is that two brands are up for sale, as French conglomerate Rémy Cointreau shops around the Charles Heidsieck and Piper-Heidsieck labels. As reported by Wine Spectator, the sale of the two brands—including 125 acres of vineyards owned by Rémy in Champagne-- will fetch “several hundred million euros.”

Both brands consistently get classic scores (95 to 100 points on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale) for their top cuvees. And Piper-Heidsieck has a considerable sales volume as the third most exported Champagne brand.

The rumor mills are churning about prospective buyers. Will it be LVMH, which already owns Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot? Or Vranken-Pommery, “which already owns the third, more value-oriented Heidsieck brand, Heidsieck-Monopole?” Or will Asian investors snag the prize? Stay tuned...