The European Committee of Wine Companies (CEEV) brings together 26 EU Wine company leaders in Porto for the 2nd edition of the “Club of CEOs”

Porto, 18 October 2022 – EU wine global challenges and opportunities are discussed in Porto by 27 leaders from some of the EU’s major wine companies during the second edition of the CEEV “Club of CEOs” meeting.

On 18^th October, the European Committee of Wine Companies (CEEV) organised the second edition of its “Club of CEOs” in Porto, Portugal. The meeting gathered around the table 27 senior representatives (see list below) from major wine companies from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, to discuss the major threats and opportunities the EU wine sector is confronted with.

CEEV President and chair of the meeting, Mr Mauricio González-Gordon explains: “I’m glad we could, finally, organise the second edition of the Club of CEOs. This meeting is an opportunity for EU wine company leaders to get together, to discuss among them the main issues at stake for our sector and shape the long-term strategy of CEEV. Maintaining a collective reputation, as a sector, is a prerequisite for wine companies.”

Hosted by Mr Fernando Guedes, President of Sogrape, the meeting in Casa Ferreirinha was followed by a visit to Sogrape’s historic Quinta de Azevedo estate. “It is a great honour for me to host the second meeting of the CEEV Club of CEOs. I deeply believe in peer collaboration as the best way to ensure the sustainability and continuity of our sector, especially considering the global dimension of the challenges we are facing”, declared Mr Guedes.

In this second edition, wine leaders discussed three key topics with a strong underlying reputational dimension for the wine sector: the relation between wine and wine consumption and society, the concept of sustainability in the wine sector and the opportunities offered by no- and low-alcohol wines.

“It was important for our European trade association to touch base with the leaders of the wine companies we represent to better understand their vision on key issues.  Threats and opportunities are today global and gathering wine leaders from different EU countries to share, discuss and coordinate was a welcomed initiative for everyone”, said Dr Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, Secretary General of CEEV.

The first edition of this successful event took place in Barcelona in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. Club of CEOs meetings are organised to feed the long-term strategy-planning of CEEV, in parallel with the day-to-day collaboration with its national member associations. The next Club of CEOs meeting is expected to take place in France.

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List of participants

CEEV
Mauricio González Gordon, President of CEEV & Chairman of González Byass

France
Michel Chapoutier, President Director General – M. Chapoutier
Laurent Delaunay, President – Badet Clément
Samuel Montgermont, Director General – Les Grandes Serres
Manuel Reman, CEO – Krug

Germany
Christoph Mack, CEO – Mack & Schühle AG
Christof Queisser, CEO – Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien GmbH

Italy
Quirico Decordi, CEO – Vinicola Decordi
Federico Girotto, CEO – Masi Agricola S.p.A.
Ettore Nicoletto, CEO – Angelini Wines & Estates
Domenico Zonin, President – Casa Vinicola Zonin S.p.A.

Portugal
Fernando Guedes, President – Sogrape
Francisco Valadares Souto, Vice-President – Sogrape
Luisa Amorim, President & CEO – Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
Renato Berardo, President – Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal
Martim Guedes, Board Member – Aveleda
Antonio Marquez Filipe, COO – Symington Family Estates Vinhos SA
Eduardo Medeiro, Vice-President – Bacalhôa Vinhos de Portugal
Dirk Niepoort, President – Niepoort Vinhos
Pedro Pereira Gonçalves, CEO – Ravasqueira – Grupo José de Mello
Pedro Pintão, CEO – Poças
Antonio Soares Franco, President – José Maria da Fonseca

Spain
Santiago Frias Monje, President – Bodegas Riojanas S.A.
Sergio Fuster Merino, CEO – Raventos Codorniu S.A.
Emilio Restoy, Board Member – Zamora Company
Miguel Torres, President – Familia Torres