Chairman of the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA), Richard Worth, said in an interview recently that the America’s Cup was still trying to work out exactly who the audience for the new product was.
While those selling the America’s Cup might want the audience to be one-thing, buyers of the America’s Cup seem to think they know who will be watching.
In addition to the official luxury timepiece, official lawyers, official superyacht concierge service and official tax advisors, the Americas Cup have announced the ‘official wine region’ of the 34th America’s Cup.
The Napa Valley has been named the official wine region of the 34th America’s Cup – The deal means that the Napa Valley will be:
…the only wine region featured as a getaway destination for attendees of the San Francisco-based America’s Cup events.
The partnership with The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) and The Napa Valley Destination Council (NVDC), will also mean that fans attending America’s Cup events in the United States through 2013 will exclusively feature Napa Valley wines.
Clay Gregory, NVDC CEO and President thinks he knows who the people watching the America’s Cup are. He says:
Many of the America’s Cup enthusiasts love the same things that the Napa Valley is known for – great wine, food, arts and wellness activities. We are very excited to have the opportunity to invite them to experience our beautiful region while they are in the Bay Area, and we look forward to sharing the best we have to offer,”
It is perhaps no coincidence that Domaine Chandon is located in the Napa Valley. By making the Napa Valley the Official Wine Region for the America’s Cup, the event can still serve a version of Moet and keep major partner Louis Vuitton happy.
The partnership ticks a lot of boxes for the America’s Cup, though it is yet another ‘in-kind’ sponsorship deal. The promise of bringing the event to San Francisco is to deliver economic benefits for the city and the state of California. The Napa Valley should do quite well out of the partnership – give away some product and promote the wines and wine-tourism to an affluent market.
Whether or not the deal can work the other way is another thing. Can the big brands based in Napa convince their wine drinking audience to care about the America’s Cup?
