James Burston admits that when he first saw the cylindrical bottle design that has made VOGA Italia a success in over 70 countriesaround the world, he did not see a future for it in what was at the time a far more risk averse, price dominated UK wine industry.
“The UK market was not yet ready to embrace such an innovative proposition, capable of challenging the traditional codes of wine,” he says.
In other words, VOGA was not out of step; the market simply was not ready yet.
Some 20 years later he is now tasked, as part of the team at Italian Wine Brands, that took over VOGA Italia from its previous parent company, with masterminding its trading strategy for a very different wine sector.
A wine market that has arguably fallen completely into VOGA Italia’s lap. Whilst in the past it may been hard to get the all important gatekeepers guarding the shelves of the major UK supermarkets and big on-trade groups to invest in a brand that packages itself in a cylindrical bottle. Those same buyers are now very aware that consumers are looking for drinks that are relevant to their lifestyle and how it makes them feel.
Which is exactly how VOGA Italia was brought to the market, initially in the US, all those years ago. A disruptive wine brand that was willing to challenge the norms of the traditional wine market with a consumer first strategy focused on appealing to a younger drinker that was looking to buy into brands that shared their values and understood the experiences and types of products they want to buy.
VOGA Italia set out to capture the imagination of younger consumers around the world with its iconic, modern packaging that evokes the best in Italian fashion and style, while establishing itself as the perfect choice for ‘Aperitivo Time’ – an internationally recognised occasion for socialising, sharing and enjoying life in style. It was built to be ambitious. It was created to be different, to stand out and be noticed. That attitude still drives VOGA Italia today.
VOGA Italia, as it says, “quickly became a collection of concept wines for the modern consumer looking for the perfect combination of style and pleasure, with an innovative, recognisable and distinctive style that has earned the brand prestigious international design awards”.
Creating the wine industry’s first cylindrical glass bottle for its Pinot Grigio, a distinctive design that was subsequently extended across the entire range of still wines and subsequently the breakthrough diamond cut bottles for its range of Proseccos. All made to ensure they capture the wines “stand out intensity, richness and balance”.
Or as it says: “Packaging is not only decoration. It is part of the product experience and helps VOGA stand out on shelf.”
A bottle of VOGA Italia was not just a bottle of wine “it was a statement of style” designed to make anyone drinking out of it feel “sophisticated and cool”.
“I, too, have come to believe that we are bringing genuine product innovation to the market at exactly the right time,” stresses Burston.
The right time
A number of factors have now come together to make this the right time for VOGA Italia to fulfil its potential, particularly within the major grocery retailers.
It has the disruptive packaging at the point of sale that major retailers want. It has the lifestyle relevance that younger consumers are looking for and how it fits into their lives.
“The iconic bottle plays such an important part in the buying decision for consumers at the point of purchase,” stresses Burston, which is a crucial factor in why the major retailers are now so interested in listing it.
Crucially it is perfectly positioned to appeal to more and more people looking to enjoy ‘Aperitivo Time’ on the back of the success of drinks such as Aperol with its range of celebratory Prosecco DOC wines.
“It is a new drinking occasion that we can appeal to,” says Oliver Yemm.
He says a key part of its ambitious growth strategy is to promote itself as a drink for any “modern occasion” be it at a rooftop bar, an aperitivo before dinner, or to welcome friends at home.
It is looking to back up its drive into grocery retailing by working with destination bars, clubs and lounges in key cities across the country using the slogan - “Aperitivo Time. Drink in Style” - as widely as it can.
It all also continues to align itself and promote the brand at major fashion and style events such as the big fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan as well as targeting other key cities and occasions like the Miami beach party scene.
Special packaging
To help mark its 20th anniversary VOGA Italia is releasing a Limited Edition range of specially designed bottles from celebrated Italian illustrator Ale Giorgini one of Italy’s best-known illustrators, who has worked with major international brands including Adidas, Armani, Jeep, Lavazza and Ferrero. He has created eye-catching wrap around designs for its Pinot Grigio DOC cylindrical bottle range featuring a man and woman sharing a drink, expressed through a modern graphic style that resonates with younger generations and captures the spirit of Aperitivo Time.
Oliver Yemm says it has become a tradition for the brand to work with an Italian designer during key brand milestones to create a collectable bottle, such as for the 20th anniversary this year. Which also plays nicely on its sustainability credentials as so many of its bottles are used again for a variety of uses like water bottles or vases.
Huge aspirations
VOGA Italia has been identified as one of the key global brands that its new owners, Italian Wine Brands, wants to drive and take to new levels of growth and success.
This is fully aligned with Italian Wine Brands’ broader strategy to strengthen its position as one of Italy’s most important and influential wine producers and suppliers, with a portfolio spanning sparkling and still wines from the country’s leading wine regions. The Group ended 2025 as Italy’s leading privately owned Prosecco producer and is also a leader in Pinot Grigio production.
As part of the IWB Group, VOGA Italia plays a key strategic role within this portfolio: strengthening the group’s presence in the globally recognised Aperitivo Time occasion and engaging younger consumers through a distinctive combination of wine, iconic design and contemporary Italian style.
Oliver Yemm explains: “We have huge aspirations for the brand. Italian Wine Brands stated strategy over the next seven years is to build true global iconic wine brands and VOGA Italia’s appeal as a modern, lifestyle-focused wine brand is very much part of that strategy.”
The VOGA Italia range
The VOGA Italia range is split between its sparkling, Prosecco DOC styles, with its standout distinctive diamond cut decorated bottle design, and its selection of Italian varietal wines in its breakthrough cylindrical bottle.
In all there are currently nine wine offerings in the range and they include:
Cylindrical Bottles:
- VOGA Pinot Grigio DOC
- VOGA Merlot IGT.
- VOGA Rosato Tre Venezie IGT
- VOGA Moscato Frizzante Provincia Di Pavia IGT
- VOGA Prosecco DOC still
Sparkling Range in Diamond Cut Bottle:
- VOGA Prosecco DOC Spumante Brut
- VOGA Prosecco DOC rosé Spumante Extra Dry
- VOGA Sparkling Moscato Gold Edition
- VOGA Prosecco DOC Black Edition
