Wine Profile - Jared Crouch
By Kate White, Cafe Society August 2009 - Issue 62
For a man who refused to drink alcohol until the age of 23 because he “didn’t see how it would better my football career”, Sydney Swans defender Jared Crouch has delved into a new business venture far removed from the world of both a professional athlete or teatotaller. Last month Crouch launched his own wine label, Brothers Parade, with life-long mate and wine connoisseur Trent Fraser.
While Crouch received an introduction to wine far removed from the more trodden path of most young men, he has approached his new enterprise with an intense vigour and passion, excited by meetings, tastings and grapes. “I went from never having a drop to drinking a bottle of Yalumba 1995 Vintage,” Crouch says of his once reluctance to drink alcohol. “Now I’m a lot better educated, and one of my most favourite things is a good glass of wine.” Which is no doubt the reason for him becoming the wine ambassador for Club Swans.
Brothers Parade grew from a concept initially developed over a bottle of wine one New York evening. “Trent has always been involved in wine, to some degree or another – and he is my unofficial fifth brother – so our business partnership has been an easy progression. The name Brothers Parade is reflective of the experiences both Trent and I have had of The Parade in Adelaide; a street that has long been a part of our journey.”
The Parade forms the background of many childhood and early adolescent experiences encountered by both Crouch and Fraser. It was in an establishment along The Parade that Crouch first signed on with the Swans after he was picked up in the 1995 AFL Draft.
A player often described as solid, never flashy, 31 year-old Crouch has achieved accolades much sought after and seldom realised in a playing career, including a premiership and inclusion in the 2003 and 2004 International Rules squads. Miraculously, Crouch survived his first nine seasons at the Swans without injury, a feat that flies in the face of the physical
demands of AFL.
Away from the game, Crouch is focused on developing the Brothers Parade portfolio while enjoying life with his new wife, Rebecca. And while his four official brothers, and unofficial sibling, remain dispersed across Australia, Crouch is enjoying his time in Sydney. “Sydney is painted as a cold business hub, but I really feel it is far less pretentious than a lot of other places. I like that you can go to a cafe or the pub in your thongs and boardies and have a glass of wine; you don’t need to put up a front for the sake of it.”
Wine Profile - Jared Crouch (145.25kB)
Watch Online Videos with Jared Crouch, Les Hill, De Bortoli Wines and Paul Creighton from Select Cellars.