Reds Seal Wine Deal

Sir Alex Ferguson, his players and United commercial director Richard Arnold, together with the chairman of Concha y Toro Alfonso Larraín and global marketing manager Giancarlo Bianchetti, officially signed the partnership between Manchester United and Concha y Toro on Friday. This three-year deal makes Concha y Toro the official wine partner of the Reds.

At a ceremony at Old Trafford, Sir Alex showed his enthusiasm for the sealing of this partnership, saying: “There are many similarities between wine and football. In football we seek the best young players to develop and form them from their beginnings to making them outstanding Manchester United players.

"I have seen a similarity with Concha y Toro, which seeks to harvest the best grapes, produce the best wines and have the patience and intelligence to ensure that the end result is perfect. Viña Concha y Toro shares these qualities with Manchester United and it is therefore a tremendous pleasure for me to be part of this partnership which I sincerely hope will have an excellent future.”

Alfonso Larraín said that “at this time when Chile is celebrating its bicentenary, we are depositaries as a company of the global recognition that our brand of wines has achieved, reflecting the history of Chilean winemaking throughout our life and capitalising on the positioning achieved. Chile is a world-class wine-producing country. This partnership gives us a visibility and unique reach for a wine brand and this is why today is a landmark in our history."

Richard Arnold added: “We're delighted to be introducing Concha y Toro to Manchester United’s family of partners. With the club constantly seeking to engage with our fans outside of the UK, Concha y Toro’s strong presence within the South American territories makes them a perfect partner for Manchester United. I'm incredibly excited about the prospects that this partnership will bring to the club.”

The signing of the partnership continues on Friday night with a gala dinner hosted by club legends, at which guests will celebrate the special moment of Chile’s bicentenary. Finally, on Sunday the guests will have the opportunity to watch United take on Liverpool in one of the biggest games of the season.

The deal will see Concha y Toro’s presence on the digital boards at all home games, in addition to their wines being served within the hospitality suites at Old Trafford. Concha y Toro will also have the rights to use the club’s intellectual property and official emblems for communicational purposes, providing them with opportunities for merchandising and co-branding.