Appointment of Christian Holthausen

RNS Number : 2434B

Gusbourne PLC

03 March 2014

 



Gusbourne Plc announces the appointment of Christian Holthausen as Head of Marketing & Communications

3^rd March 2014 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gusbourne Plc is pleased to announce the appointment of Christian Holthausen as the first Head of Marketing & Communications for Gusbourne Estate with effect from 3^rd March 2014.

A dual citizen of France and the United States, Christian Holthausen most recently was in charge of marketing and communications at Nyetimber, an English sparkling wine business based in West Sussex and Hampshire. Prior to arriving in England in the summer of 2012 after relocating from Paris, Christian spent seven years as the International House Communications Director for Champagnes Piper-Heidsieck & Charles Heidsieck based between Paris and Reims, having previously managed the American affairs of those two Houses from Rémy Cointreau USA in New York for five years. After completing his studies at New York's Vassar College and Paris IV La Sorbonne in 1998, Holthausen began his career in the wine industry at Champagne Veuve Clicquot.

Andrew Weeber, founder and chairman of Gusbourne Estate commented: "We are delighted Christian has joined us, he already shares our passion to create the best wines in this country, ones which can be compared with the greatest sparkling wines in the world. Christian will be working very closely with both CEO Ben Walgate and myself to continue to develop Gusbourne Estate's domestic and international reputation." 

Christian Holthausen commented: "The opportunity to join Gusbourne Estate, one of England's most prestigious and highly acclaimed wine producers, is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am looking forward to working closely with the team." 

About Gusbourne Plc and Gusbourne Estate

Gusbourne Plc, trading on AIM (Symbol: GUS), is engaged, via its wholly owned subsidiary Gusbourne Estate Limited ("Gusbourne Estate"), in the production and distribution of a range of high quality and award winning English sparkling and still wines from grapes grown in its own vineyards in Kent and West Sussex. The majority of Gusbourne Estate's mature vineyards are located at its freehold estate at Appledore in Kent where the winery is also based. Additional vineyards were planted in West Sussex in May 2013 and further plantings are planned in the next two years on Gusbourne Estate's freehold estate in Kent.

The planting of vines at Gusbourne Estate was the genesis of Andrew Weeber's dream shortly after the millennium. Andrew Weeber, who is now Chairman of Gusbourne PLC, recognized England's potential to grow top quality grapes for making world-class traditional method sparkling wines, Andrew located and acquired sites in Kent which offered a combination of exceptionally high sunshine hours and low rainfall with ideal soils.  

The first wines were released in 2010 and within the last four years, Gusbourne Estate has cemented its reputation as one of England's most prestigious wine producers with all wines created from one hundred percent estate-owned grapes. 

Gusbourne Estate dates back to at least 1410, when John de Gosborne's will was filed. Subsequently, the estate passed to Philip Chute, who won fame as the standard bearer to Henry VIII's men at arms in 1544. 'Goosborne' as it was then known, carried the crest of three geese, which can now be found in Appledore parish church and also on every bottle of Gusbourne Estate wine.

The Gusbourne Estate business was enlarged at the end of September 2013 with the addition of vineyards in Sussex as well as additional resources to support the planned further growth of the business, as part of a transaction which saw Gusbourne Plc admitted to AIM

For Additional Information

Andrew Weeber, Founder & Chairman [e-mail]

Ben Walgate, CEO [e-mail]

Christian Holthausen, Head of Marketing & Communications [e-mail]

 

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