InVivo’s wine business due to be restructured as it celebrates its 10th anniversary in the industry

ierre Philippe is joining Cordier by InVivo, the wine subsidiary of the French co-operative group, with a specific mission to “re-establish a wine trading business”. According to information shared by the company, the new tool is still in the launch phase and is part of InVivo’s new wine strategy which involves the Sudvin sourcing company and the Cordier sales branch. Sudvin buys wine in bulk primarily from 10 co-operative member groups.

Since the departure of Philippe Leveau in August 2024 – prior to that he had been deputy managing director since 2020 – Cordier has been managed in the interim by Thierry Blandinières, InVivo’s managing director. Blandinières has made no secret of the fact that he aims to restore order to the company after a decade of projects and developments that have generated mixed results. The co-operative group became involved in the wine industry in 2015 and has announced its ambitions for its Mythique label – as an iconic Pays d’Oc and AOC Languedoc brand – and has completely overhauled Café de Paris, which is now available as Vin De France, alcohol-free, Crémant de Bordeaux and in re-usable bottles. However, as consumption and cash-flow continue to decline, no company is emerging unscathed from the industry crisis.

Pierre Philippe therefore has his work cut out. A Bordeaux-trained winemaker, he has studied for the OIV wine economy master’s degree and the Aix-Marseille graduate school of management master’s degree. He has worked for Ropiteau Frères in Burgundy (Meursault) and Compagnie Rhodanienne (Taillan Group) but his name will forever be connected to the Buzet co-operative winery. Philippe took over management of the winery in the summer of 2005 at a time when it was defaulting on payments and reeling from the effects of excess inventory, particularly of 2000 vintage wines which not did generate the prices expected and were sent off for crisis distillation. Philippe was let go by the winery at the start of 2024.