Castel Group
A privately held French beverage group spanning wine, beer, soft drinks, bottled water, sugar and agricultural activities.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Castel Group, or Groupe Castel, is a French family-controlled beverage company founded in Bordeaux in 1949 by Pierre Castel. It began as a wine merchant and developed through a combination of bottling, vineyard ownership, brand acquisition, production and distribution. The group is associated with a broad portfolio of French table wines and Bordeaux brands, while its African business has become a major part of its industrial and commercial scale. Castel expanded beyond merchanting by acquiring vineyards and wine brands, including Château de Goëlane in 1957. It later acquired Société des Vins de France from Pernod Ricard in 1992, strengthening its position in high-volume French wine. The purchase of Nicolas, a French wine-shop chain, in 1998 added a direct retail and specialist distribution channel. Its wine portfolio includes Baron de Lestac, Roche Mazet, Vieux Papes, La Villageoise, Malesan and Sidi Brahim, alongside château and estate wines. The company has also expanded geographically within France, including moves into Loire and Burgundy production areas, and has sought greater exposure in English-speaking markets, Eastern Europe and East Asia. The group’s African expansion began decisively with the 1990 acquisition of Brasseries et Glacières Internationales, commonly known as BGI. It subsequently added SOLIBRA in 1994, Brasseries du Maroc in 2003, Brasseries Star Madagascar in 2011 and Nouvelle Brasserie de Madagascar in 2014. Through these and related operations, Castel produces and distributes beer, soft drinks and bottled water, and also has interests connected with sugar plantations and other agricultural products. African beer brands include Castel Beer and 33 Export, together with local labels produced by operating subsidiaries. The group has described Africa as a central strategic market, with operations extending across approximately twenty countries. Castel is one of France’s largest wine producers and has held a substantial position in French table wine. Its African beverage operations have also made it a leading brewer and soft-drink producer on the continent. The group has reported production of tens of millions of hectolitres of beer and soft drinks annually in Africa. Its wine activities include vineyards in France and in African countries such as Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia. In addition to mainstream wine, the company maintains a château and estate portfolio that includes properties such as Château d’Arcins, Château Beychevelle through a relevant ownership structure, Château Malbec and Château Montlabert. Castel is not publicly listed. Ownership remains concentrated within the Castel family through a network of private entities, holding companies and trusts. Pierre Castel moved away from day-to-day management during the early 2020s, while Gregory Clerc, formerly a tax lawyer associated with the group, was appointed chief executive in 2023. Later reporting described a dispute involving the management and governance of the Singapore-based holding company IBBM, including contested shareholder resolutions concerning Clerc and chairman Pierre Baer. The group’s governance and succession arrangements therefore remained subject to legal and shareholder uncertainty in the reported period. The company has also faced significant reputational and legal scrutiny. In 2022, French anti-terrorism prosecutors opened an investigation into allegations that Castel-related interests may have assisted the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic militia through financial and logistical support. The allegations concerned the protection of commercial interests in the Central African Republic and were framed in relation to possible complicity in war crimes. The investigation and subsequent reporting have made responsible business conduct in conflict-affected markets a major issue for the group.
History
Castel Group was established in Bordeaux in 1949 by Pierre Castel as a wine merchant. Its early growth came from expanding beyond trading into bottling, vineyard ownership and brand management. The acquisition of Château de Goëlane in 1957 marked an early move into wine property ownership. Over subsequent decades, Castel built a large French wine platform that combined production, branded wine and distribution. A major turning point came in 1990, when Castel acquired Brasseries et Glacières Internationales, or BGI, a significant African brewing group. This transaction created the foundation for the company’s long-term African beverage strategy. In 1992, Castel acquired Société des Vins de France from Pernod Ricard, reinforcing its position in French table wine. The 1994 addition of SOLIBRA broadened the African business into soft drinks. Castel also expanded its route to market in France through the 1998 purchase of Nicolas, a specialist wine-retail chain. The group continued to build its African footprint through the acquisition of Brasseries du Maroc in 2003, Brasseries Star Madagascar in 2011 and Nouvelle Brasserie de Madagascar in 2014. Its African operations came to encompass beer, carbonated beverages, bottled water, sugar and related agricultural activities. Castel’s brands include Castel Beer and 33 Export, as well as national and regional brands made by local subsidiaries. A strategic partnership with SABMiller, initiated in 2001 through reciprocal stakes in African beverage operations, was revised in 2012. Under the revised arrangement, the partners combined their Nigerian businesses under SABMiller’s control while Castel was to handle the Angolan operations. In wine, Castel developed a broad portfolio ranging from mass-market table wine to Bordeaux and estate offerings. The group’s branded labels include Baron de Lestac, Roche Mazet, Vieux Papes, La Villageoise, Malesan and Sidi Brahim. Baron de Lestac became one of the best-selling Bordeaux brands in the 2000s, with red and white Bordeaux AOC expressions and a higher-tier Les Hauts de Lestac label. Castel also acquired or developed a collection of château and estate properties, and in 2008 expanded its French wine activity into the Loire Valley and Burgundy. The company simultaneously pursued international growth, particularly in English-speaking countries, Eastern Europe and China. By the mid-2010s, reported vineyard holdings included properties in France, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia. Wine remained important in France, but African beverages became the group’s larger operating platform by scale. Reporting in 2023 described the African business as generating roughly €5 billion in annual revenue and employing about 40,000 people across around twenty countries, while the wine business was reported at approximately €1 billion in revenue. These figures are reported estimates and are not treated here as audited group financial statements. Castel remains privately held and controlled by members of the Castel family through holding structures and trusts. Pierre Castel reduced his direct involvement in daily management in the early 2020s. Gregory Clerc became chief executive in 2023. Governance tensions later emerged around IBBM, a Singapore-based holding company connected with the group. In 2026, family members led by Pierre Castel’s daughter Romy asserted that shareholders had removed Clerc and Pierre Baer from the board; IBBM contested the validity of those resolutions. A temporary court order restricted the two executives from acting as IBBM directors while proceedings continued, although contemporaneous reporting still identified Clerc as group chief executive. The group’s African activities have also generated serious scrutiny. In 2022, French anti-terrorism prosecutors investigated allegations that Castel-related interests had provided money and vehicles to the Union for Peace militia in the Central African Republic to protect commercial positions. The matter was reported as a possible complicity-in-war-crimes case. Castel’s history is consequently defined by both its transformation into a multinational beverage operator and the legal, governance and ethical controversies associated with operating in complex markets.
- 2026
IBBM governance dispute
[1]A family-led challenge to the governance of IBBM produced contested resolutions and temporary court restrictions involving senior executives.
- 2023
Gregory Clerc becomes chief executive
[1]Gregory Clerc took the chief executive role as Pierre Castel stepped back from daily management.
- 2022
Central African Republic investigation opened
[1]French prosecutors investigated allegations concerning possible support for an armed militia and potential complicity in war crimes.
- 2014
Nouvelle Brasserie de Madagascar acquired
[1]Castel added another Malagasy brewing business.
- 2012
African partnership reorganized
[1]Castel and SABMiller revised their African partnership, including arrangements for Nigerian and Angolan operations.
- 2011
Brasseries Star Madagascar acquired
[1]The group added a major Malagasy brewing operation.
- 2003
Brasseries du Maroc acquired
[1]Castel expanded its North African brewing operations through Brasseries du Maroc.
- 2001
SABMiller partnership established
[1]SABMiller acquired a minority stake in Castel’s African beverage operations, while Castel acquired stakes in SABMiller’s African businesses.
- 1998
Nicolas acquired
[1]Castel purchased Nicolas, a French wine-specialist retail chain.
- 1994
SOLIBRA added
[1]The group acquired the African soft-drink and brewing company SOLIBRA.
Products and positioning
A vertically integrated, family-owned beverage group combining high-volume French and international wine with large-scale African beer, soft-drink and water operations.
Wine
Baron de Lestac
A Castel Bordeaux wine brand offering red and white Bordeaux AOC wines. The red is based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, while the white combines Sauvignon and Sémillon. The range has been sold in standard bottles and bag-in-box formats. Les Hauts de Lestac provides a higher-positioned Haut-Médoc expression within the broader brand family.
Wine
Malesan
A French wine brand in Castel’s Bordeaux and table-wine portfolio. Malesan is positioned as an accessible branded wine and has historically ranked among the largest-selling Bordeaux brands in France.
Wine
Roche Mazet
A high-volume French wine label owned by Castel and associated with approachable everyday wines distributed through the French and international market.
Wine
Vieux Papes
A Castel table-wine brand serving the mass-market French wine segment. It forms part of the group’s large portfolio of nationally distributed, accessible wine labels.
Wine
La Villageoise
A Castel-owned wine brand focused on everyday consumption and broad retail distribution. It is part of the group’s French branded-wine business.
Beer
Castel Beer
A core beer brand of Castel’s African brewing operations. It is produced through group subsidiaries in multiple African markets alongside local and regional labels.
Beer
33 Export
An international beer brand in Castel’s African portfolio, distributed through the group’s brewing and beverage subsidiaries in several markets.
Wine estates
Château and estate wines
Castel’s château and estate division includes properties such as Château d’Arcins, Château Barreyres, Château Beychevelle through a relevant ownership structure, Château de Goëlane, Château Malbec and Château Montlabert. These holdings support the group’s higher-tier and property-led wine offering.
Controversies
2026
Family dispute over IBBM governance
Members of the Castel family contested the authority of Gregory Clerc and Pierre Baer at Singapore-based holding company IBBM. The dispute involved allegedly disputed shareholder removals and a temporary Singapore High Court order. The matter was reported as unresolved.
2022
Central African Republic militia-support allegations
French anti-terrorism prosecutors opened an investigation into allegations that Castel-related interests provided cash and vehicles to the Union for Peace militia in the Central African Republic to protect commercial positions. The allegations were examined as possible complicity in war crimes; the reference material does not establish a final judicial outcome.
Brand decisions
2023
Management transitionStrategyBackground
Pierre Castel reduced his involvement in daily management during the early 2020s.
Action taken
Gregory Clerc was appointed chief executive.
Aftermath
The transition was followed by a later dispute over the governance of the Singapore-based holding company IBBM.
2008
Expansion of French wine footprintStrategyBackground
Castel aimed to broaden its wine supply and reduce reliance on a single French production region.
Action taken
The group expanded from southern France into the Loire Valley and Burgundy.
Aftermath
Castel’s French wine activities covered a wider range of regional origins and styles.
2001
SABMiller African partnershipStrategyBackground
Both groups were expanding their African beverage activities and sought a structure for cooperation.
Action taken
SABMiller acquired 20 percent of Castel’s African beverage operations, while Castel acquired a stake in SABMiller Africa and SABMiller Botswana.
Aftermath
The partnership was revised in 2012, including a division of responsibility for Nigerian and Angolan operations.
1998
Nicolas retail acquisitionM&ABackground
Castel had built a substantial wine-production and brand portfolio and sought greater control over specialist distribution.
Action taken
The group acquired Nicolas, a French wine-shop chain.
Aftermath
Castel gained a direct retail and specialist wine-distribution channel in France.
1990
Entry into large-scale African brewingM&ABackground
Castel sought to expand from its French wine base into African beverages.
Action taken
The group acquired Brasseries et Glacières Internationales, creating a platform for subsequent African beer and soft-drink growth.
Aftermath
African operations became a central part of Castel’s international business.
Recent events
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