Ruggeri has introduced the patented packaging for its new premium Prosecco, Ladaltempo, at this year's ProWein.
Described as "entering the price point of Champagne," Ladaltempo means "beyond time." It is a 100% Glera Valdobbiadene DOCG from the 2017 vintage, which spent 60 months on the lees since spring 2018.
Gianni Zucchetto, Ruggeri's export manager, explained that Ladaltempo "is a summary of what our winemaker believes. Glera as a grape can not only be used for fresh, young wines – you can get a higher quality product if you handle it correctly. Ladaltempo was made from grapes harvested around Valdobbiadene, particularly in Santo Stefano."
"When the winemaker decides to make a limited edition like this, we start with a good harvest," Zucchetto shared. "2017 was considered a good harvest in Valdobbiadene. Before the project came to mind, there were already some batches of Prosecco set aside for additional maturation. We started thinking about this around two years ago. Five years on the lees allowed the wine to gain structure and complexity. We bottled it in spring 2023 and launched it in Italy in June."
Tasting notes for Ladaltempo include dried apricot, dried fig, white peach, jasmine, chamomile, and vanilla.
Innovative Packaging Design
"The packaging is all about time, with the label showing a sundial," said Daniela Ziegler-Scapin, Ruggeri's marketing and communications manager. "Our internal team worked with Pozzoli, a packaging design company known for gift boxes in Italy."
The sleek black box is unlocked by twisting the upper portion, which slides off to reveal the bottle. "As it’s cardboard, it is recyclable, though we assume that the end consumer will keep it," Ziegler-Scapin suggested. "We also have a wooden case in the same design."
"The price is important for a Prosecco – it’s entering the price point of Champagne," Zucchetto noted, pointing to its EUR 45 price tag in Italy. Only 5,000 bottles of Ladaltempo were produced, including 400-500 magnums. Zucchetto revealed that half of the bottles have already been sold through Ruggeri’s wine club and in-house hospitality, with a portion reserved for foreign markets.
"We wanted it to be available in our main export markets too, so we shipped it to the US, UK, Germany, and a few other markets in Europe," he shared. In the UK, it is distributed through Enotria & Coe.
When asked if this first edition will be followed up, Zucchetto said, "There will be a second edition, and a third edition, but this wine line is not tied to any concept in particular – it’s not tied to 60 months of aging, or a particular vineyard. It’s about what our winemaker and the team think is a good wine to release as a limited edition – it could be in two years, it could be in three years, there’s no specific timeline."
Ziegler-Scapin revealed that one constant will be the packaging style, though Ruggeri "might play with colors and other small elements" of the design.
Embracing Premiumisation
Encouraging consumers to trade up to a more premium Prosecco is a "daily struggle," according to Zucchetto. "We have two DOC wines, and all the rest are DOCG. Ruggeri focuses on the mid-premium segment, whereas most consumers buy in the low-mid price range. We’re selling to specific market niches that appreciate and know the difference. Everything we do aims to increase Prosecco's prestige worldwide – we wouldn’t be doing Ladaltempo, or vintage editions of wines such as Giustino B. Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, if we didn’t believe that."
"After Covid, the perception of quality increased in markets such as Italy and Germany," Ziegler-Scapin suggested. "Consumers focused more on small details when having an aperitivo at home due to the on-trade being closed and as a distraction from the situation. People now care more about product origins. However, with inflation and cost increases, people have less disposable income. While interest in quality remains, the quantity might decrease."
Source: The Drinks Business