Prosecco Bar in Ukraine, waiting to toast peace

It is not infrequent for Italian wine, and Prosecco in particular, to lead the way on new and often courageous frontiers. And so while only timid steps forward can be glimpsed on the prospect of peace between Russia and Ukraine, Sandro Bottega, head of the historic Prosecco di Bibano (Treviso) winery, has decided to throw a stone in the pond. 'At the end of the summer,' he announced, 'we will open our first Prosecco Bar in Odessa, a city in southern Ukraine recently targeted by Russian drones in the war that is unfortunately still going on'.

The one in Odessa will be only the last of the Prosecco Bars opened by Bottega, but perhaps one of the most significant. "It is," Bottega added, "a concept store that aims to enhance and share good wine, genuine food and the convivial Italian lifestyle, all over the world and in different contexts, from airports to resorts and shopping centres. In addition,' the producer announces, 'we have decided that during the first six months of its opening and for two hours a day (from 5pm to 7pm), we will offer glasses of Prosecco, as a sign of closeness to life and friendship to the Ukrainian people'.

The initiative was stimulated by Bottega's Ukrainian importer but immediately embraced by the Treviso-based company. 'The decision came in the wake of the latest, hopefully positive news and in the wake of what we have negotiated in recent months,' Bottega added: 'life goes on and we must always bet on the prospect of a better future. On the other hand, if a company is well managed and if it is born from valid assumptions and needs, it, its products and its ideas, will survive at any juncture'.

The collaboration of sommeliers, chefs, architects and designers in recent years has given shape to the Prosecco Bar project launched by the company, creating a cosy and elegant ambience for venues where guests can enjoy a glass of Prosecco or another wine from the Bottega selection, paired with 'cicchetti', typical Venetian 'bacaro' snacks or, in any case, accompanying simple dishes made with the genuine ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine.

Prosecco Bars opened by Bottega to date can already be found on every continent, in the most beautiful Italian cities and around the world: Kuala Lumpur, Nice, Madrid, Basel, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Istanbul, Prague, Budapest, Stockholm, London, Birmingham, Belluno, Naples, Rome, Bologna, Milan and Venice.