Producers of sparkling wine, and founded in 1888 as the "Deutsche Schaumweinfabrik in Wachenheim", it has become one of the most significant sparkling wine and semi-sparkling wine producers in Europe and the world in barely 20 years with operational sub-groups in Germany, France and central and eastern Europe. Group sales of approximately 222 million bottles were achieved in the 2015/16 financial year (converted to 1-1 bottles).