This article was posted on Facebook this morning. My Portuguese isn't great but the translation helped. It appears Dirk's sister Verna is out at Niepoort. WOW!
Here's the Google translated version....
Dirk Niepoort is the one who will continue the family legacy in wines. To what Wine Magazine has learned, Dirk has reached a familiar understanding and begins to take over the destinies of the project that has been reinventing throughout the last years. The sister, Verena Niepoort, who shared the management of the company, will follow another professional path.
Born in 1964, Eduard Dirk Niepoort became a reference for Portuguese wines, constantly challenging new approaches and ways of interpreting wine. In this way he has successfully made it into the most well-known personality of Portuguese wine on an international scale.
Dirk joined his father, Rolf Niepoort, in 1987. And now he is launching in the wine the sons, representatives of the sixth generation Niepoort, Daniel and Marco.
Moses Botbol wrote:I thought not too long ago, Dirk was leaving Niepoort, no?
Yes, Dirk had threatened to leave but was able to work it out with Verena and mother at that time. Appears he's had enough and somehow was able to get his sister to totally leave the company. It will be better for the company and employees that's for sure.
Two weeks ago this was somewhat news, but in Europe it was already known by insiders in PT. I heard this twice the first day we were in Lisbon, then the following day again while in Dao region and from all over the place while in Porto.
Dirk will purchase the stock of his sister. Not disclosed yet whether he will also buy his mother's shares. It matters not, it was allegedly Verena who tried the coup d'etat in 2016, that ultimately failed. She had convinced her mother to put their shares together as a bloc to remove Dirk. Everyone knew the company would fall apart if he left and leverage was greatly on his side at that time. His father remained neutral and would not take sides in the family dispute.
Dirk will once and for all, entirely control his company's destiny and future without interference.
There has been more to the story, but it is based on rumor, speculation and innuendo and I don't share that info, whether fake news, or not.
Dirk emailed me over a month ago to tell me that they'd finally reached a settlement. He was very relieved as the whole saga has been deeply upsetting for him.
I don't think we should try to dissect this story - just celebrate that one of our favourite producers is now sailing calm waters again..
Tom Archer wrote:Dirk emailed me over a month ago to tell me that they'd finally reached a settlement. He was very relieved as the whole saga has been deeply upsetting for him.
I don't think we should try to dissect this story - just celebrate that one of our favourite producers is now sailing calm waters again..
For sure. Im glad that Niepoort will see calm waters and move forward after this.
