Suntory and St. Pierre family ink ASC Fine Wines deal

ASC Fine Wines has announced the official completion of its ownership transfer back to the St. Pierre family from Suntory Group as the company ushers in "a vibrant and sophisticated wine culture" taking root in China. “Today marks both a homecoming and a springboard into the future,” said Don St. Pierre Jr, executive chairman and CEO of ASC Fine Wines. “We’re deeply honoured to regain stewardship of ASC, a company built on vision, resilience, and a passion for great wines." The deal, which was first revealed in April, was signed by both the St. Pierre family and Suntory Group yesterday (2 June), formally completing the share purchase procedure. Don St. Pierre Jr, now back at the helm having set up ASC with his father in 1996, said the next chapter of the business, dubbed ASC NextGen, "is about scaling that legacy with renewed energy, agility, and innovation to meet the next wave of opportunity in China”. The ASC NextGen strategy is designed to address the evolving dynamics of China’s wine landscape. The fine wine importer will build on its established distribution model to support brands looking to penetrate key economic cities, national key accounts and leading e-commerce platforms. Monica Xu St. Pierre, lead director of ASC, said: "We are building a company that is not only resilient, but also reflective of a vibrant and sophisticated wine culture that continues to take root in China.” ASC, which offers more than 1,200 labels from 100 wineries around the globe, has also said it intends to accelerate its direct-to-consumer initiatives with a dedicated team. The importer has also launched a membership club, The VintEdge Society by ASC, supporting its growth through digital tools, social media outreach and offline experiences. The St. Pierre family has also introduced a new initiative designed to support both current and future brand partners with tailored route-to-market solutions, set to launch later this year. This model is aimed at producers seeking more control over their brand strategy in China through both brand-led dedicated sales teams and targeted wholesale networks. ASC will offer platform, logistical support, and operational guidance to enable scalable and sustainable market entry, the company has said. ASC has partnered with GFS, a cold chain logistics provider invested by global logistics and infrastructure group GLP, to execute its NextGen vision. GFS will support ASC with warehousing, fulfillment, and value-added services. The logistics company has a network of 33 temperature-controlled warehouses in 23 major cities across China. GFS currently serves over 600 food service and retail clients, and the partnership is tailored specifically to ASC and the wine category.