Silvia Tettamanti, Giulia Bacci and Francesca Vigo are three entrepreneurs with a shared interest: their passion for wine. After living abroad and returning to Florence, Italy, they decided to create a new, unique, all-female concept based on drinking wine from a perfume-like, elegant bottle.
The concept behind First Glass is being able to share special moments with your loved ones while each one enjoys their favourite type of wine since the wines are bottled in personal containers. The brand honours the traditional wine-making process, deep-rooted in Italian culture. Still, it considers that innovation is vital in every business.
For this reason, they ventured to modernize the wine industry by introducing a model that allows you to discover different wines in a classy and delicate format. Silvia (S), taking care of the business part; Giulia (G), in charge of the design; and Francesca, the enologist, are the leaders of this original concept and complement each other with their skills. They are driven by their vision to merge tradition and innovation through a one-of-a-kind wine experience.
How did your professional paths cross, and how was First Glass born?
G: We started a year ago and connected through mutual friends. The three of us like wine, and we had this idea [creating First Glass], so we used to ask Francesca (the enologist) all the time about it. She [Francesca] is in charge of selecting the wine and was working for a big wine company [back then]. When we connected, we started thinking about having something smaller to try all the time. So, we decided to come back to Florence and start this project, which I found really interesting because wine is a beautiful concept, but sometimes a lot of people do not know much about it and do not want to open an entire bottle because it is too expensive. Therefore, it has been challenging for all of us. Since I am involved in the design part, it was a challenge to find a way to design a new concept for the wine experience. For Francesca, it was challenging to test different wines, spend a little bit less, and research. And Silvia, she was in the managing area that we needed.
How would you describe your target audience?
G: Our customer likes design, unique things, and something new because the bottles are also beautiful to keep in the house as a souvenir or even in the fridge so that you can serve it all the time for dinner.
S: Our customers are the early adopters, the people that are willing to try something new without being sceptical.
What does the shape of the bottles denote?
G: I design a bottle that is more like a perfume than an actual bordelaise, which is the name of the wine bottle. I do this design because, even though we work in the wine industry, we want to be different. It has to be more like jewellery, a unique piece you can keep. Yes, there is wine inside the bottle, but it looks more like perfume. A lot of people stop by, thinking it is perfume.
So, the idea was conceived not only to focus on the wine but also on the bottle.
G: Yes, so you can keep the bottle and even use it differently. You can put inside salt and oil. You can put anything inside and decorate your house. However, if you prefer to throw away the bottle, we always recommend considering recycling by dropping the glass and the aluminium in the correct bins.
And the packaging itself is very well thought out and special. Did you envision First Glass also being a gift idea from the start?
G: Absolutely! It is a beautiful idea. Rather than returning with just one bottle you need to check, this one is 100 ml, so you can easily carry in your hand luggage on the flight, and you can bring home more, multiple bottles, up to ten. This new concept of wine experience makes you know a little bit more about wine, so the more you try, the more you know.
What is your approach to sustainability, both in the product and the packaging?
G: We support reusing and recycling. Our packaging, for instance, is made of paper, which can later be used for something else. We do not use plastic.
S: We reuse our bottles. We recycle all the bottles for our B2B partners, so we collect them every time we go for a new delivery and reuse them. Also, for the bottles that are not recyclable [from our part], because maybe tourists bring them home or they travel, we will soon introduce a set of compatible caps that can transform this bottle, for example, for olive oil. Hence, you can reuse it for olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or salt. Also, they [the bottles] are beautiful for plants, to be used as small vases.
What have been the most significant challenges, in terms of business, for First Glass in this first year?
S: The biggest challenge has been doing something for the first time. When you are the first one, there is no written path. Italy, for instance, is a beautiful country with many advantages. Still, it is also a country where bureaucracy is really intense, so changing the mindset has been challenging. We wanted to bottle wines in this format, and it was the first time, so sometimes the answer we would get was “we have never done this” or “things have never been done in that way, not in this way”. So, this was a challenge to try to change people’s mindsets. And presenting such an innovative concept in a country where wine is rooted in our heritage, it is culture and tradition. It has been going on for centuries. So, changing a little bit the rules of the game has not been easy, but we are innovators, just like the winemakers that decided to work with us at the beginning. They believed in us initially when it was just an idea. We were selling a project with an excellent presentation, but it was it.
We know we have an excellency (wine in Italy). We are among the top producers in terms of quantity but also quality. Italian wines are known worldwide, so we really wanted to innovate this world, but at the same time do it with respect, elegance, and sophistication. So, as you can see, we chose glass, a traditional material. The cap is a screw cap, which is a technical cap to close wine, so we innovate. Still, we try to keep our foot into the tradition and what is also accepted by the winemakers to believe in us.
Where is the wine from First Glass produced? In which regions?
S: We bottle wines from each region of Italy. Italy is the only country in the world where wine is produced in every area, which is unique to our country. It is also the country with the widest variety of single varieties. We have around 1200 varieties. Our goal is also to have the world-renowned names, the international grapes, but at the same time, it is about discovery, curiosity, and trying something new that you were unaware of. We like to find small gems, small varieties that are not so well-known. For example, we have Canaiolo, an ancient variety from Tuscany and it is usually used to blend Chianti Classico, so they make Chianti Classico with Sangiovese and the blend, whereas this winemaker makes 100% Canaiolo, which is not an easy wine to make, it is not common to find. So, this is something rare and unique in our shop that is not easy to find elsewhere. This is also the idea: discovery and getting to know small gems that otherwise you would not have known.
For some, drinking wine from a regular-size bottle can symbolize sharing when you open it and drink it with friends, whilst this new format could be considered too individual. What are the advantages of drinking wine from a personal bottle?
S: For me, there are two main advantages. One is linked to the quality of the wine. When you are ordering a glass of wine in a bar or a restaurant, you do not know when the bottle has been opened, whereas with First Glass you are sure that the bottle is opened for you or even by you. That is a big plus. Now, coming to sociality vs individuality, for sure having one bottle is sharing and conviviality, but at the same time, people have different tastes, so sometimes if I drink only white and I am with three people that drink only red, I either give up my wine or I have to drink the wine chosen by others. We want to give social moments where everybody can enjoy their favourite wine. It is still sharing but making sure you are enjoying your favourite wine. Sometimes we have groups of five people that try all the wines, which is hard to do if you order a regular-size bottle.
Where can the wine from First Glass be found?
S: At the moment, we have this store in Florence. We are planning to open more and become a global brand that is present in the big cities. Our second store will also be in Italy, and then for sure the key international cities in Europe, but also overseas, in the United States or in Asia. We also have a website where you can buy our boxes, and soon you will be able to make your own selection and choose your own wines. We will offer a membership program, so you can subscribe and each month receive at home new wines. Like I said before, it is about discovery, curiosity and getting to know the world of wine more. And we are also present in the B2B market: hotels, restaurants, and brands. Soon it will be offered in fashion and luxury brands to the customers. We also want to be present in fields that are not usual for wine, such as department stores, concept stores, and design; combine our brand with fashion, design, art, or music and be present in events. We look for fields in which we are not a competition but a complement.
Do you plan on introducing new products soon or continue with wine for now?
S: For now, wine is our identity. We want to be recognized for the wine brand, for single-serve wine. But then maybe in a second step… most of the time, the wine producers also produce excellent olive oil or excellent distilled grappa or balsamic vinegar, so it would be nice one day to integrate more Italian excellencies in our format, but for sure, for now, the focus is on wine from all over Italy and also soon wine from the key wine-making regions of the world.