If you walk around the northern Italian industrial city of Torino, there are a few things that you pick up on. This city gets a bad rep. This is an Italian city for British people. Less fuss, less chaos, tidier round the edges, and a top footie team. But lovers of Italian brands will love it too. The Fiat 500? Nutella? And arguably the most successful drinks brand in Italian culture, the spumante and vermouth behemoth; Martini.
I LIKE BUBBLES, YOU LIKE BUBBLES, WE LIKE BUBBLES
Of course Martini is synonymous with their vermouth. It’s pretty much always Negroni o’clock somewhere at a Martini office. But don’t forget the ticking heart beat of their wine division, Asti Spumante.
People who think they know about wine in the UK have turned their nose up at this stuff in the past. That’s just because, like the German Rieslings of this world, no bugger in the 1970s and 1980s knew how and when to drink it. Chilled Asti Spumante (even on the rocks might I add) with a cheeky 4pm piece of cake? Afternoons don’t start much better than that.
They’ve now added a successful line of both entry level and premium Prosecco to the line too. I popped a Lambrusco in the suggestions box on my way out too 😉
NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING THE COOLEST KIDS IN TOWN
Martini, as a brand, is still dripping with 1950s and 1960s cool. I know fashion has a way of going in cycles but that kind of Italian Riviera chic just shows no sign of getting boring does it?
Look at the new Fiat 500 the other year. Fiat saved themselves from bankruptcy with that little bugger because they went back to the old “dolce vita” way of advertising things. We unashamedly love it.
All the old school Martini posters, all the George Clooney’s of the world lining up to advertise Martini Time. It’s just cool innit?!
THAT MUSUEM AT PESSIONE? WOW!
How do you get visitors coming along to see your massive, facelss, steel tanked plant out on the outskirts of Torino? Easy, buy a load of priceless, drinks-related antiquities and open a shit hot museum. Jam racked full drinking vessels hailing back up to 3000 years, this museum is now on course to welcome 25,000 visitors in 2018.
Once you’ve moved through the ancient pottery you hit wine making tools from the last 500 years, and then onto the 20thcentury marketing explosion, and a slightly trippy but equally cool interactive bar tender (pictured above).
I’m still waiting for that cocktail, mind 😉
Cheers
I visited the Martini boys and girls in early September 2018. A full trade-focused write up of the trip will be arriving shortly on The Buyer.
