Vintage Cellars offers members change to win $1 million dollar bottle of whisky

Vintage Cellars customers will have a chance to win a $1 million bottle of whisky, one of just 100 ever made as the retailer launches massive expansion of its customer rewards program.

From March 2, the Vintage Cellars Wine Club will be known as the VC Club and members will be rewarded for their loyalty with immediate benefits such as member-only offers across spirits, beer and wine.

Every member of the VC Club who makes a purchase of $100 or more between March 2 and April 26, will go into a draw to win a bottle of ultra-rare Yamazaki 55 Year Old Japanese Whisky.

The Yamazaki 55 is made from a precise blend of malts that have matured for over 55 years in mizunara oak casks. The sale of a single bottle smashed sales records in 2020, selling for AUD$1.075m at an auction in Hong Kong.

Vintage Cellars Business Category Manager Ed Scully said,

“Since its beginnings as a single independent bottle shop to now having 86 stores across Australia, Vintage Cellars has become synonymous not just with quality wines but also with spirits and beers.

"As part of the Coles Liquor Group since the 1980s, we have been careful to maintain and nurture that independent spirit by offering top-quality drinks from local producers to suit the tastes of local customers."

The first Vintage Cellars store opened in Gawler Place, Adelaide with a range of top-quality wines.

“Vintage Cellars customers have always been at the vanguard of fresh trends, whether that’s new wine varieties or the explosion of craft gin in recent years and our re-imagined rewards program has been designed to reflect a broader range of customer preferences.

“Wine will always be a hugely important part of our offering, however Australian drinking trends have evolved in line with the emergence of exceptional craft beers, boutique spirits, and premium global products, such as Japanese whisky.

“I’m thrilled that we now have a loyalty program that rewards all of our customers, whether they are wine lovers, spirit drinkers, craft beer lovers or a blend of all three.”

The simplified program will deliver immediate rewards, including special member-only pricing as well as personalised offers suited to each customer’s unique profile.

Existing members are also included and invited to exclusive tasting events, new product information and local releases across wine, beer and spirits.

Vintage Cellars has one of Australia’s best ranges of Japanese whisky, which has grown exponentially in popularity over the past decade to the point that many older examples are now almost impossible to find – and can therefore fetch stratospheric prices.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our new loyalty program than by giving one lucky VC Club member this incredibly rare bottle of whisky, one of the most sought-after spirits in the world,” Mr Scully said.

To be in the running for this exceptionally rare whisky, customers must be signed-up members of The VC Club and make a purchase of more than $100 (excluding tobacco or gift cards).

The winner will be announced after the eight week long competition ends on April 26th.

First launched back in 1994, the Vintage Cellars Wine Cub was a market-leading customer reward program and the first of its kind in Australia.

It was conceived to reward customers for their passion for wine and provide insights on new wine releases and special tastings of wines from Australia and around the world.

It quickly garnered an impressive membership base and in 2014 the Wine Club launched a dedicated app for members.

The revamp follows customer research by Vintage Cellars which found members wanted immediate rewards on all purchases as well as access to exclusive drinks-related content and events.