just-drinks.com editorial team – Remy Cointreau has said that it expects offers for its Champagne business before the end of 2010.
 
The  group’s director-general, Jean-Marie Laborde, told journalists  in Paris  today (30 November) that preliminary offers for the  Piper-Heidsieck and  Charles Heidsieck Champagne business are expected  by the end of the  year. He said interest in the division has been  strong.
Remy  announced earlier this month that it had appointed the  investment arm of  Credit Agricole bank to organise an auction for the  Champagne division.  The group told just-drinks that the Champagne arm was “not profitable enough”.The company’s half-year results,   released today, underlined its point. Champagne remained in the red  for  the six months, reporting operating losses of EUR2.8m versus losses  of  EUR3.5m a year earlier, despite recovering some of the sales lost  in  2009.