F.W. Langguth Erben GmbH & Co. KG – Mosel and more

It is clear that F.W. Langguth is a major pioneer of the wine brand. The company markets popular, classic German wine brands, as well as wines from other areas of the world. Founded during the year of the French Revolution in 1789, the company is one of the most important wine producers in the world and has been familyowned from the beginning.

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In 1789, the year of the French Revolution, the 21-year-old Franz Wilhelm Langguth founded a wine business. At this early stage, the brand concept was already discernible, in the form of product quality wine-lovers could rely on. From then on, the young company grew and developed in the small Mosel town, which in the early 20th century ranked – together with Bordeaux – as one of the largest wine trading areas in Europe. The most important mile stones in the company’s history came after WWII and impacted from the outset on the supermarket business, with its focus on selfservice. Soon, “Langguth’s Himmlisches Moseltröpfchen” became well-known, having been launched by Wolfgang Langguth, the great great grandson of the company‘s founder, in 1952. The first major German wine brand, „Himmlisches Moseltröpfchen) sold up to 20 million bottles per year at its peak. It was the birth of the German branded wine. The name of Franz Wilhelm Langguth was retained in “ERBEN Spätlese” (launched 1964), and today the Erben brand stands for the most successful family of branded wines in Germany. It is the family’s intention to strengthen the position of Erben wines even further in the export sector.

The Langguth wine portfolio has long extended beyond the Mosel wine-growing region. At Langguth, people have a nose for trends and brand management. In 1964, Wolfgang Langguth and the brand pioneer, Hanz Domizlaff, developed the French wine brand “Medinet” in the unmistakable amphora-shaped bottle. The result was a mega sales success. Indeed, Medinet today is one of the most popular French wines in Germany. It was also Wolfgang Langguth who recognised the opportunities and potential of North African wines. The Edler vom Mornag and Château de Mornag wines, both imports from Tunisia, soon became very popular with consumers, another pioneering success.

In 1996, Langguth took over the historic H. Sichel Söhne with its export brand “Blue Nun”. To this day, Blue Nun remains in high demand worldwide, with one bottle even featured on the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 “Rumours” album. Today, other brands, such as “Toscanello” from Italy, “El Cortez” from Spain or “Kaya” from South Africa, round off the product portfolio of F. W. Langguth Erben. Naturally, the grapes for Langguth’s “organic” wine brands, for example the Sontino brand, are organically grown. Indeed, Langguth was among the first to recognise the potential of “organic” wines. All Langguth wines are made to the same requirements: “Every day, many thousands of bottles of our wines are opened and must re-earn their approval number’. A wine brand is nothing other than the trust thousands of wine drinkers place in its name or visuals – an island of constancy in the vast ocean of wines on the market.” In light of regular quality certifications and numerous awards earned by Langguth wines, including the International Competition MUNDUS VINI, not to mention other competitions, this trust seems well justified.

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In 1970, the production facilities were transferred from the original location in Traben to Mont Royal, a hill overlooking the town. There, Langguth’s internationally successful wines are bottled under stateof-the-art conditions. The name of Langguth stands – and in future will continue to stand – for a genuine pioneering spirit in the wine and branded wine sectors, for a customer-oriented, comprehensive range of wines and spirits, and for a quality philosophy driven by grapes harvested from Langguth-owned vineyards. With Wolfgang Langguth’s son Thomas and grandson Patrick Langguth, the seventh and eighth generations of the family are now working in the company. After years in senior management, Thomas Langguth is now a member of the Advisory Board. Patrick Langguth studied at the universities of Frankfurt and Rio de Janerio, and after internships in the USA, England and Romania, is currently head of Exports at the Langguth group. The company’s success story is set to continue: “What is important to me”, says grandson Patrick Langguth, “is that the family tradition should be continued. To me, this will be driven by our environment-friendly and resource-saving development of valuable brand personalities and by our international focus.”

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