Sparkling competition: Bottega looks to overtake APAC champagne sector with premium prosecco and RTD beverages

Bottega is best known all over the world for its golden-bottled prosecco, its core product in its sparkling wines business that also makes up some 65% of its portfolio.

The firm also developed a rose version of its prosecco during the pandemic, riding a rising trend for rose sparkling wines throughout the alcoholic beverages sector; and most recently launched an RTD Lemon Spritz made with its signature prosecco, mint and its own limoncello liqueur.

One of the key reasons for all of this portfolio expansion is that Bottega has its eye on taking on another sparkling wine, champagne, as the alcohol of choice particularly when it comes to airlines and when consumers are making more regular, everyday selections.

“The fact is that champagne is not only very expensive, but also getting increasingly hard to find,”​ Bottega Export Manager Airlines Valentina Dalle Mule told FoodNavigator-Asia​ at the recent Tax Free World Association (TFWA) event in Singapore.

“That said, the popularity of sparkling wines is actually increasing all over the world including in the Asia Pacific region – and the combination of these two factors means that there is a lot of room for prosecco to grow.​

“We are already seeing airlines move to prosecco as a suitable alternative to champagne as it is less expensive yet still gives premium indulgence.”​

In addition to the premium side of the sparkling wines sector, Bottega also believes that ready-to-drink (RTD) products are an important means of appealing to more consumers as well as airlines, both in terms of affordability as well as convenience.

“There is a definite rise in demand for RTD products in this sector, not only from consumers in general but also from airlines,”​ she added.

“This is closely related to the convenience factor that these products can provide – for instance our Lemon Spritz comes in cans which makes it lighter for easy transportation either on airplanes or back from supermarkets.​

“It also differs from other RTD cocktails in that it is more premium due to the use of prosecco – but all that needs to be added is just ice cubes and it is ready for drinking either on the plane or at home.”​

Design dedication ​

Many champagne consumers tend to pick the drink due to its association with luxury, and whilst Bottega prosecco may be priced at a more affordable tag, it has also utilized the power of packaging design to enhance and solidify its image as a luxury, high-end product.

“Bottega has our own dedicated graphics and design team, and their focus is solely on the creation of beautiful and eye-catching bottle designs,”​ Mule added.

“Even our most well-known regular Bottega prosecco has been designed in a gold bottle, which reinforces the luxury of the product visually.”​

One of the firm’s most eye-catching and sparkling bottle designs so far is the Bottega Stardust, a beautiful range of black (for regular prosecco) or pink (for prosecco rose) bottles decorated with crystals all the way from neck to base, a design which has won the company several awards over the past few years.