By James Atkinson
Victorian wholesaler Crush Wines and its consumer subsidiary Liquormart have been announced as the official wine partners of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) until 2015.
The partnership will see Crush Wines and Liquormart provide a selection of their boutique wines for both the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix till 2015.
The deal represents a significant shift by the Grand Prix Corporation away from its previous relationships with South Australia-based, national wine suppliers such as Hardys and Wingara Wine Group.
L-R: AGPC CEO Andrew Westacott, Crush Wines director Matt Schmidt and James Halliday
Crush is a premium wine wholesale business supplying directly to over 500 restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels. It has a portfolio of boutique Victorian brands including Azmiuth, Eight Horse, Mister Fox, Rowsley Fault, Seville Hill and Silverwood.
Director of Crush Wines and Liquormart, Matt Schmidt told TheShout the deal will provide valuable exposure to Liquormart, the consumer direct business that has about 20,000 online customers from around Australia.
"And obviously the opportunity for Crush to get some brand association with the Grand Prix is something that we're really proud of too," he said.
Grand Prix CEO Andrew Westacott said: "The AGPC celebrate the quality and diversity of Victorian produce and what better way than to support our Victorian boutique wineries by championing the talented winemakers across its many regions through our world class events."