Emperador ups capacity with vineyard expansion

Philippines-based Emperador brandy, the world’s second largest spirit brand, is planning to further increase production with the expansion of its Spanish vineyard.

Emperador has purchased a further 230 hectares to expand its brandy business in Spain

According to Business World, the Spanish arm of Emperador, owned by Alliance Global Group, has purchased 230 hectares of land next to its current vineyard Vinedos del Rio Tajo in Toledo, Spain, in an effort to increase output.

The vineyard, which excluding the recently acquired land has an area of almost 1,000 hectares, is run by Bodegas Las Copas in a joint venture between Emperador and Sherry producer Gonzalez Byass.

Emperador Spain managing director Jorge B. Domecq told Business World that the group hopes to “achieve a yield capacity of 30,000 kilos per hectare against an average yield of around 6,500 kilos by the vineyard industry in Spain”.

“This means that for every hectare of this vineyard land, we will be able to harvest five times more wine grapes,” he said. “This will very well support the raw material requirements for our brandy production.”

It is thought that Emperador’s total vineyard land area will reach almost 2,000 hectares by 2016.

The IWSR revealed last month that Emperador had overtaken Thai spirit Ruang Kao as the world’s second largest spirit brand, but still produces half of the volumes of the world’s largest spirit brand Jinro Soju.

Emperador is also expanding into the Scotch whisky industry following its purchase of United Spirits’ Whyte & Mackay for £430 million.