Introduction: “Our travel retail assortment is focused on our best-selling wines; SKUs that are well-known and premium,” says Masi Agricola Export and Travel Retail Director Piergiuseppe Torresani as he looks back on the biggest highlights from Masi’s 30-year presence in the channel. Over the years the Italian winemaker has launched many high-end wines, including Nectar Campofiorin and Nectar Costasera Amarone, designed exclusively for travel retail.
Torresani emphasises the importance of sustainability, with Masi giving a lead through organic wines, packaging innovation and lightweight bottles, reducing its environmental impact.
Looking ahead, Torresani sees growth opportunities in Asia, supported by Masi’s omnichannel strategy, ensuring a seamless consumer experience across both physical and digital platforms.
What role does travel retail play in your overall strategy today, and how has it evolved over the years?
Travel retail plays a very central role in Masi’s international strategy. Thirty years ago, Masi was one of the first Italian wineries to approach the channel. The primary goal has always been and still is to showcase our most popular wines within a premium retail environment. Over time we built strong partnerships with major travel retail operators and what was mainly a brand-building activity became also a lucrative business opportunity.
We started with a small presence in the airport of Verona, our hometown, and today we are present in some of the major airports around the world as well as cruise lines, ferries and diplomatic territories.
Can you tell us about the wines you are focusing on for travel retail, such as the Nectar Campofiorin and Nectar Costasera? What sets them apart from your other offerings?
Our travel retail assortment is focused on our best-selling wines across markets. Retailers want SKUs that are well-known, premium and can generate significant volumes.
In 2010 we saw an opportunity as travellers were looking for something that cannot be found elsewhere. In 2012, we launched Nectar Campofiorin and Nectar Costasera Amarone, wines inspired by two other Masi classics but with a special blend, taste profile and packaging. Since then, these wines are central in our travel retail assortment.
Masi has introduced a new label design for Nectar Campofiorin. How important is packaging innovation and how does it contribute to the customer experience?
Packaging is the dress of the wine; it is the only way for the consumer to recognise a specific wine. It is the appearance but at the same time it is central. Most often it is the first and only way for consumers to interact with a certain wine brand.
Probably more than 90% of each winery’s communication is done through the label. This is even more relevant in travel retail where travellers have limited time to go through the assortment; a touch of colour, a certain drawing, a detail can make the difference. This is the reason why we keep evolving our packaging. You cannot always stay with the same dress; you need to be in line with design trends and consumer needs.
Masi Agricola has consistently promoted sustainability. How are your sustainable practices reflected in your products for the market?
First, we are farmers, we grow grapes in the fields. We work and live in a natural environment and we do our best to preserve it or even make it better. The Masi Green project started many years ago, taking into account all the actions – small and big – that have an impact on the territory and the community in which we operate.
For travel retail we have two main goals: to increase the penetration of our organic wines, such as our Lugana Lunatio, and to grow the use of our lightweight bottles. Reducing 20-30% of the glass weight means less energy to produce the bottle, recycle it and to transport it around the world.
Imagine if all the wineries would adopt lightweight bottles, we could save a huge amount of energy. One of our most recent product launches, Fresco di Masi, combines all the elements of a sustainable wine: it is organic, with low intervention in the cellar, lightweight bottle and recycled/recyclable components.
At TFWA World Exhibition you’ll be presenting a new vintage under the Nectar Costasera Amarone label. Could you share more about the stylistic evolution of this wine and what travellers can expect?
The TFWA World Exhibition will be an opportunity to present a preview of the 2019 vintage of Nectar Costasera Amarone, characterised by the prevalence of Corvina grapes that give the wine richness of fruit, with pleasant hints of cherry as well as great softness and pleasantness.
This signature Masi product will also present itself with slight updates in packaging; the new label design combines the classic Masi style with some new premium details: an outline of the logo and other golden details emphasise and reinforce historical elements of the label.
Rosa dei Masi is another travel retail highlight this year, reflecting a growing global trend towards rosé wines. What inspired this renewal, and how do you see this category evolving?
The rosé category has became more and more significant in recent years. Rosé wines, neglected or forgotten for many years, are on the contrary wonderful wines as they are very versatile. They can be appreciated as an aperitif, paired with a large variety of food and can even be used in cocktails.
Rosa dei Masi has been one of our most popular products for many years. Recently we decided that it was the moment to step up. In a world flooded by pink rivers we decided to regenerate Rosa dei Masi from a small mountain ruscello (brook).
Our updated Rosa dei Masi is produced with Merlot grapes from vineyards in Valpolicella, where high temperature variations produce incomparable aromas and sustained acidity. The result is a finer wine with intense and persistent aromas.
The packaging design followed the same path, becoming more elegant. The beautiful pale-pink colour of the wine with salmon and ‘onion skin’ reflections can be admired thanks to the transparent bottle and the small but refined label. The label features the characteristic oval shape of Masi’s historic labels, enriched by a profusion of rose petals drawn in ink with a light stroke, completing the message of lightness and delicacy.
Masi has been a key member of the Travel Retail Fine Wine Alliance (TRFWA). How does this collaboration help Masi enhance its presence in the duty-free market?
The TRFWA started among friends sharing similar value in the vineyard and in the way of conducting business. The six of us strongly believe in the value of the travel retail channel. Our partnership helps us to share ideas, information and opportunities.
On the other side it is also a chance for buyers to find us close to each other at TFWA. In a few metres they can visit six great wineries from some of the best wine regions of the world.
Throughout 2024 we experimented with some in-store activities together, bringing for the first time our alliance and wines in the eyes of the final consumers. This was the start; I am sure other ideas will come for the future.
With your presence growing internationally, especially in key markets like Canada, what are your geographical priorities in travel retail over the next few years?
In travel retail the biggest opportunities will come from Asia. While other areas are already well covered, in Asia the wine category is still in a development phase. It is greatly appreciated by a small portion of the population but there are many other potential consumers that are curious to experiment this unique product.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its following consequences have created a temporary slowdown of a long-term growing path for the wine category in Asia. I believe that we will see the return of this trend.
Technology and consumer preferences are rapidly changing. How is Masi leveraging these changes to improve the retail experience for travellers?
Our strategy is omnichannel: we work to provide a consistent customer experience across both physical and digital touchpoints. The retail experience must relate to the experience the consumer can have online, through our social channels, websites and corporate ecommerce.
For the consumer there is no longer a distinction between physical and digital space, the brand and product must have a coordinated image across all channels and communicate messages that are not only relevant to consumers, but also consistent. This is our goal.
Looking ahead, what exciting projects or innovations can we expect from Masi Agricola in the travel retail space?
There are a few projects we will announce next year that will have an impact on travel retail. At the same time, we will be committed to consolidating the many novelties we have presented recently that still have space to grow in this channel. ✈
