With the continuing rising demand for Cognac on a global scale, it’s down to those at the sharp end of the market to put adequate plans into place to help prevent a severe shortage in the future. And one of the big stumbling blocks (aside from the necessary process of aging, harvest yields etc.) is adequate storage facilities foreaux-de-vie now and in the future.
Yesterday, CEO of Remy Martin, Patrick Piana, unveiled a major project that the house has undertaken at their Merpins site as a strategy against this issue.
Storage capacity: 40,000 hectolitres
Piana said that the idea is to prepare for the future, leaving nothing to chance. The demand for Cognac at present already outstrips supply, and this will only increase once the Indian and Brazilian markets truly come to full force. He hopes that this long term plan will give Remy Martin not only a safety net, but also a major advantage over their competitors. However, he also believes that forward planning such as this will not only benefit Remy Martin, but the Cognac industry as a whole.
And it’s not only storage that’s on Remy’s mind, because they’re also modernising the packaging unit, with the renewal of bottling line ’20.’ The new storage unit should be operational by April 2013, and work on the bottling line begins in the first half of the New Year. Piana also mentioned the possibility of larger scale extensions on the Merpins site, saying they’re considering the possibility of four additional wineries.
Remy Martin are not the only large Cognac house to be looking to the future, asHennessy is also of a similar frame of mind. They’re currently developing a project for a second bottling plant in Salles d’Angles, due to commence in 2014. AndMartell has plans for a new bottling plant next year at its site in Lignieres.
Source: https://blog.cognac-expert.com/sagittarius-storage-stock-remy-martin-merpins/