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Pernod Ricard is expanding its wine portfolio in France’s Côtes-de-Provence with the purchase of French wine estate Aux Terres de Ravel. The acquisition, which includes 280 hectares of vineyards, means that Château Sainte Marguerite will now extend over more than 500 hectares in the Côtes-de-Provence area – doubling Sainte Marguerite’s winegrowing capacity. It will facilitate the continued development of its super- and ultra-premium vintages, Symphonie, Fantastique and Marguerite en Provence. Château Sainte Marguerite is jointly owned by the Fayard family and Pernod Ricard after Pernod acquired a majority stake in the winery in 2022. The deal includes the sale of 20 hectares to several young local winegrowers as part of a support programme implemented by the land use and rural settlement organisation Société d’Aménagement Foncier et d’Etablissement Rural (SAFER). Olivier Fayard, managing director and member of the founding family of the Sainte Marguerite vineyard, said: “This project should help support our growth in France and internationally. We are delighted that young winegrowers will also benefit from this move”. Frédéric Ravel, representative of the Ravel family – founders of Aux Terres de Ravel, added: “We are very pleased to see our family heritage join Sainte Marguerite en Provence, whose values we share and who will continue to develop the estate in the same spirit that has prevailed until now”. The transaction is expected to be complete during the summer period this year. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.