After debuting in World Duty Free shops in June 2024, Della Vite has unveiled its first large-scale airport activation ahead of a busy Easter weekend of travel.

Della Vite celebrated its expansion in travel retail this week with the launch of an activation in partnership with Avolta at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. Words: Naomi Chadderton.

TRBusiness was on location at Heathrow yesterday (10 April) to meet with sisters Poppy and Chloe Delevingne as they launched the installation for their premium Della Vite prosecco ahead of a busy Easter weekend of travel.

Sisters Poppy and Chloe Delevingne, who founded the brand in 2020 alongside supermodel sister Cara, were in attendance to meet potential buyers and host tastings, as was Rupert Firbank, Commercial Director for Della Vite.

The activation, which runs until Wednesday 30 April, also offers travellers the chance to win a year’s supply of the prosecco via a social media competition.

Della Vite has taken over the liquor area in the T5 World Duty Free store with stock available for purchase on the stand, as well as at a nearby prosecco unit.

Big expansion plans

“This has been the first opportunity we have had to take a larger scale activation site that really shows off the brand, and to introduce Della Vite to more passengers over the Easter holidays and ahead of what will hopefully be a sunny Prosecco drinking summer,” Firbank told TRBusiness.

“While travel retail for us as a business is relatively new, it’s very important because it gives us extra visibility and more chances to do tastings. Della Vite is already in a lot of luxury establishments like Annabel’s and The Fat Duck, as well as Sainsbury’s, and we are the highest selling prosecco brand on Amazon, but travel retail gives us that extra chance to get in front of even more people.”

Poppy echoed this sentiment, adding: “At the airport the first thing you want to do is shop, so when you are trying to build a brand, what better opportunity is there to get it out to the masses and build global awareness than to get people to try it for themselves?”

Della Vite is now listed with Avolta and Lagardère Travel Retail in the UK, making it present at all major UK airports.

The brand is also aiming to broaden its international reach and recently shipped its first order to Qatar Duty Free – its first listing in travel retail in the Middle East.

“Offering a DOCG Prosecco and a Vintage DOC Rose, we are elevating the quality of prosecco available to passengers but still at a saving to English sparkling and Champagne,” explained Firbank.

“By bridging the gap between Champagne and standard prosecco, we also provide the retailer with a true brand, and as passengers trade up, a route to higher cash margins and category growth.”

Not one to rest on its laurels, the brand has big plans for travel retail in 2025 and is aiming to make its debut via cruise lines with its non-alcoholic Della Vite Zero product.

“Launching Zero continues our mission of building a range of premium vegan certified sparkling wines,” continued Firbank.

Naomi Chadderton flanked by Chloe Delevingne (left) and Poppy Delevingne (right), Co-Founders of Della Vite.

“This is a great tasting 100% Grenache, carefully de-alcoholised, sparkling rose that retains great fruit flavour and texture. It also has one of the lowest sugar contents on the market. These proseccos are also a fantastic upsell opportunity for cruise lines providing a top quality drink with greater complexity and mouth feel than many others due to extended fermentation time and much longer time on lees compared to standard prosecco.

“We are targeting ferry retail too, as Della Vite isn’t just about luxury, it’s about affordability and accessibility, and we’re also hoping to form partnerships with airlines,” he added.

The origins…

The brand itself was born one evening after the three sisters recognised that, between them, they couldn’t name a single brand in the category of premium, sustainably produced prosecco. As such, they decided to make one themselves.

“All our lives we’ve wanted to do something together as three sisters, and we racked our brains asking ‘what are we really, collectively good at?’,” joked Poppy. “We landed on drinking prosecco.”

She continued: “The standard of our liquid is incredible, and finally does the terminology of prosecco justice in the UK. Our brand celebrates prosecco for what it really is and where it comes from – Italy.

Naomi Chadderton caught up with Della Vite Travel Retail Sales Director Rupert Firbank (right) on stand at Heathrow T5.

“We are all quite individual in our own ways, but on this we could equally collaborate on something that we mutually all enjoy together,” added Chloe. “Not just drinking prosecco, but spending time together as a family and making memories”

Editing by Luke Barras-Hill