Former Freixenet owner commits 30 million euros to global expansion of independent Ferrer Wines group

Pedro Ferrer Noguer, the former owner of Freixenet, is preparing a new phase in the wine business after fully exiting the historic cava producer, directing part of the proceeds from the sale of his stake toward expanding Ferrer Wines, the still and sparkling wine group he founded with his family.

In an interview at the family estate of La Freixeneda in Sant Joan de Mediona, near Barcelona, Ferrer Noguer said he expects to invest about 30 million euros in the company's growth, though the exact allocation of those funds has not yet been finalized. The immediate focus is to strengthen the group's international presence. Ferrer Wines currently sells between 80% and 85% of its production in Spain, with exports accounting for about 10%, a share the company aims to raise to 30% within the year.

The move follows the Ferrer family's complete departure from Freixenet, which is now controlled by the German group Henkell. Ferrer Noguer noted that the company had already separated its still wine business in the 1990s and early 2000s, and that division was not included in the initial sale. In 2019, together with his sisters Mercè and Dolors and his cousin José Luis Bonet Ferrer, president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, he launched Ferrer Wines to continue developing that segment.

Ferrer Noguer said the project had long been a personal ambition and that he remained actively involved while still linked to Freixenet in recent years. His goal now is to build a company that does not compete with his former family business in scale, but does in reach and profitability. He said the group aims to establish itself as a successful and sustainable player rather than replicate the size of Freixenet.

The international strategy is already underway. Ferran Ribalta, chief executive of Ferrer Wines, said the company is working with distributors to expand its footprint in the United States and explore opportunities in Mexico and Brazil, while also looking toward Asia, with India identified as a longer-term market. The push reflects a broader view within the company that future growth will come from abroad. Ferrer Noguer pointed out that Spain represents only about 1% of the global wine market.

Ferrer Wines brings together a portfolio of wineries and brands from different regions. These include Can Sala, Hill, Vionta, Valdubón, Orube, Etcétera, Finca Ferrer and Conde de Caralt. The group produces Albariño wines from Rías Baixas, wines from Ribera del Duero and Rueda, operates a winery in Rioja, and maintains a smaller-scale cava production through Can Sala and Cavas Hill. It also holds vineyard assets in Priorat and Argentina.

On sparkling wines, Ferrer said the company intends to remain within the Cava designation of origin rather than join Corpinnat, a separate collective formed by several producers in recent years. For now, the company does not plan major acquisitions, focusing instead on organic growth. It has earmarked an initial investment of about 700,000 euros for new machinery at Cavas Hill.

Ribalta said the strategic plan is centered on improving brand positioning, margins and overall profitability. Ferrer Wines reported revenue of about 30 million euros last year. Ferrer Noguer continues to maintain an office at Freixenet and remains in contact with Henkell's management, describing the current leadership of the company founded by his grandfather, Pedro Ferrer Bosch, and later developed by his father, Josep Ferrer Sala, as professional and capable.