Kessler Sekt

Foundation and historical method

Kessler was founded in 1826 by Georg Christian von Kessler and is described as Germany’s oldest producer of sparkling wine. The founder brought the méthode traditionnelle from Champagne to Germany approximately two centuries ago. The house continued to use traditional methods and the same bottle-fermentation technique associated with its foundation. Production remained connected to its historical premises in Esslingen am Neckar, including a medieval cellar used to store part of the production.

Cavit takes control

Cavit acquired a majority interest in Kessler Sekt in June 2013. The partnership was intended to develop Kessler into a German reference for premium traditional-method sparkling wine while retaining the identity and history of the house. Cavit’s newer consolidated accounts record its controlling interest as 50.10%.

The production partnership increasingly linked Kessler with Trentino. Sparkling-wine base wines were sourced principally from the vineyards of Cavit’s Trentino growers; a 2016/2017 account identified Riesling as the exception. Chardonnay and Pinot Nero from Trentino subsequently became central to the renewed production. The wines were made sparkling and bottled in Germany.

Modernisation of the Esslingen operation

The first tranche of investment began during the 2015/2016 financial year and was completed in 2016/2017. It included a bottling line at Esslingen am Neckar, followed by work on a new disgorging line and the reorganisation of areas used to mature traditional-method sparkling wines. The Esslingen production and logistics operation was extensively revised, while Cavit technicians worked continuously with the German technical and management teams on production and maturation.

By 2016/2017, the renewed disgorging line and renovated traditional-method maturation areas were in operation. Kessler’s turnover was growing by approximately 10% a year in line with its five-year development plan, and the resulting margin permitted a dividend to shareholders. The brand and product presentation were also renewed, with commercial development beginning beyond Baden-Württemberg and initially targeting influential urban markets.

During 2017/2018, the production and logistics reorganisation approached completion, applying Cavit’s technological and energy-saving standards. Chardonnay- and Pinot Nero-based sparkling wines from Trentino were released or undergoing maturation, accompanied by redesigned graphics intended to interpret Kessler’s history in a contemporary form. Expansion activity focused on other German Länder, with Berlin and Hamburg among the priority metropolitan markets. Turnover again grew by approximately 10% year on year. A company profile for the period reported 2016/2017 turnover above €8 million; the following year’s communication recorded 7% growth and turnover once again above €8 million.

Industrial cooperation and market expansion

By 2018/2019, major investments had brought Kessler’s production structures into line with Cavit’s operating standards. The next five-year programme envisaged closer industrial cooperation on Charmat-method sparkling wines for Germany and further infrastructure to support growth in traditional-method production. The compound annual growth rate since acquisition was reported at 9.1%, and commercial expansion continued beyond Kessler’s established Baden-Württemberg market.

In 2019/2020, technological investment and the use of base wines sourced mainly from Trentino continued. Industrial cooperation assigned Kessler a particular focus on premium traditional-method sparkling wine while developing Charmat production through group synergies. The COVID-19 lockdown interrupted the previous growth trajectory: turnover was essentially unchanged from the preceding year, declining by 0.5%, and stood at approximately €9.5 million.

During 2020/2021, plans were developed to enlarge the production and storage facilities at Zell, Esslingen am Neckar. The objective was to increase total maturation capacity for traditional-method sparkling wine in step with commercial growth plans. Turnover remained approximately €9.5 million.

Stuttgart flagship and recent development

In 2021/2022, Kessler opened a flagship wine shop in central Stuttgart, presenting the traditional-method sparkling wines made by the company. It complemented the historical wine shop, which already accounted for a significant share of revenue alongside the quality HoReCa channel. The new Stuttgart shop contributed to an immediate 31% rise in net turnover, while compound annual growth since acquisition was reported at 9.9%.

In 2022/2023, turnover reached €13 million, 10% above the previous year, and net assets stood at €4.9 million. Kessler continued to make Classic- and Charmat-method sparkling wines at the historical Esslingen premises, retaining traditional bottle fermentation for selected cuvées and storing part of its production in the medieval cellar.

Turnover increased to €14.8 million in 2023/2024, a rise of 13%, while net assets reached €5.4 million. In 2024/2025, turnover rose by a further 3% to €15.2 million and net assets remained €5.4 million. The business continued to concentrate on premium and super-premium sparkling wines, principally for the HoReCa market, with both Classic- and Charmat-method production represented in its portfolio.

Kessler produces both Classic- and Charmat-method sparkling wines. Selected cuvées follow the méthode traditionnelle introduced from Champagne by Georg Christian von Kessler, and the house has retained traditional methods and its historical bottle-fermentation technique.

Sparkling-wine base wines are sourced principally from Cavit in Trentino. Chardonnay and Pinot Nero are specifically named, while Riesling was identified as the exception to Trentino sourcing in a 2016/2017 account. The base wines are made sparkling and bottled in Germany.

Production remains associated with the historical Esslingen am Neckar premises. Part of the output is stored in the medieval cellar. Modernisation beginning in 2015/2016 added a bottling line, a renewed disgorging line and reorganised maturation areas for traditional-method sparkling wines. The broader production and logistics layout was aligned with Cavit’s technological and energy-saving standards. Further plans examined an expansion of the production and storage operation at Zell to increase traditional-method maturation capacity.

Kessler’s principal focus is premium and super-premium traditional-method sparkling wine, with the HoReCa market as its main commercial channel. The portfolio also includes Charmat-method sparkling wines developed through industrial and oenological cooperation within the Cavit group.