The story behind our new labels
The story behind our new labels
Early 2026, we kicked off a rebranding project for our communication across the board.
After digging deeper into the wine market and what it demands, studying the constant shifts in Italian wine tourism, and mapping out our target audience, we stopped and took a proper look at ourselves.
We took a snapshot of who we’d been, who we are today, and worked out the direction to take for the future.
The values we want to convey, our vision and mission, the message we stand for in the world of wine.
We’ve started sharing all of this on social media, through our wine-and-food experiences and our own way (always unique) of doing hospitality.
We’re a niche wine estate, among the first in Italy to do wine tourism before the term even existed.
But above all, we’ve always been a very young team, hugely passionate about wine (thanks in part to Luca, our winemaker, who manages to pass on his passion even to those who know little about wine), and since our wines don’t carry a big-name appellation behind them, we’ve put everything into a great hospitality service, that had to exceed the expectations of whoever rang our doorbell.
Our tasting is different from the other because every wine comes paired with a delicacy chosen to balance perfectly with what’s in the glass.
But more than anything, it’s the nice chit chat that builds up between staff and guests.
At the end of this whole overhaul of our communication, we realised something was still missing.
And that missing piece was perhaps the most important part.
Since appearances count, we realised our labels no longer reflected the image we’d decided to put across.
What the new labels needed to say
Once we’d got the owner on board with the project, we all agreed that the new labels needed to tell the story of what we worked to communicate every day when hosting guests in the tasting room:
- warmth
- friendliness
- initiative
- flexibility
But above all, we needed to put wine back in its proper place.
The debate around wine and health is a heated one at the moment. Rightly so.
Our communication isn’t about denying the principle of moderation, but about shifting the focus elsewhere: towards the convivial and social side of things.
In a society that’s growing more and more individualistic, we want to bring attention back to health as collective wellbeing, as a moment of connection and building bonds.
Not a defence of the product, but a broader reflection on its cultural and human value.
Knocking wine off the pedestal that snooty sommeliers put it on years ago, and putting it back at the centre of the table, which is where we reckon it belongs.
In a simple setting, of company, of relaxation, where the bottle becomes a tool for conversation and the backdrop to a social ritual that’s been around for thousands of years.
Bringing it back to being a product that’s approachable and accessible to everyone.
Once we’d worked that out, we just needed to find someone who could understand what we had in mind and turn it into something real.
Into a visual identity that was recognisable and true to who we are.
Let me introduce you Frank
Thanks to a mutual contact, we were lucky enough to meet and work with Francesco Barberini, a graphic designer from Parma.
He introduced himself to everyone as Frank.
So he’s always been Frank, and from here on we’ll call him Frank.
Working with Frank turned out to be one of the best collaborations Cantina Il Poggio has had with anyone outside the business on a shared project.
A true professional, Frank managed to read our minds and put on paper (very quickly) everything we’d been picturing for the new labels.
The starting point for Frank, as inspiration, were our two bottle-fermented sparkling wines, Vedova Nera and Vedovona.
Inspired by the characters of Guareschi, writer, journalist and caricaturist from the Parma lowlands, he was our thread back to the local area and to our owner’s home town.
The moustache you’ll see shortly on the character on the new labels is his.
We chose to start with the two vedove (“widows”) because they were the labels people found most charming, the ones that sparked curiosity, and that’s exactly the extra bit of conversation we, as staff, wanted to spark with our guests.
Frank sent over some sketches of a possible label character: a figure from the countryside, embodying Emilian tradition.
We later decided to give him a dog for company, a faithful companion to man, often present in rural tradition.
Label by label
Vedova Nera and Vedovona, the two bottle-fermented wines where it all began
Both inspired by Guareschi, the widows belong to his world of social and literary satire, but there’s another fun bit of history we often share with guests about how these labels came to be.
There was a time when Salsomaggiore was known across Italy for its spa treatments, but also, at the same time, for its glamour, its extravagance, the high life, and yes, its casinos and nightclubs too.
Legend has it that ladies would travel down by train from all over northern Italy to take the waters, and that during the journey they’d slip off their wedding rings.
When they went out for a cocktail, they’d be approached by perfect Casanovas, who’d ask: “Signora, are you on your own?”, to which she’d swiftly reply, “No, I’m a widow!” 😉
Of course, even though the original labels were much loved (by guests and staff alike), we decided to bring them in line with Frank’s style, just like all the others.
Vedova Nera, a sparkling rosé made from Barbera, is the perfect wine for a carefree weekend with your mates, especially if it might be the last one 😅
Vedovona, a sparkling white made from Malvasia, is the beach wine: paired with a bit of focaccia and a stunning sunset, it’ll stick in your memory for sure.
The Sparkling Wines
Parmigianino, the sparkling wine in honour of Parma and our local area
Parmigianino was a well-known painter from Parma in the Baroque era (around 1600); the Basilica di Santa Maria della Steccata in Piazza della Steccata in Parma holds several of his frescoes.
Since this bottle is our only DOC and represents Parma through and through, we wanted our character to try his hand at painting, with his faithful four-legged friend acting as his model. A brut sparkling wine made from Malvasia Aromatica di Candia, ideal for popping open when good news arrives 🍾
Liberty, the sparkling wine for sabring
Our character and his dog dressed in tails, as if heading to the opera, because Liberty is the wine we always recommend for big celebrations (graduations, birthdays, weddings and so on).
A sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Trebbiano, it has a bottle neck that’s perfect for sabring, a symbol of good fortune after graduation or before “happily ever after” 👰🤵🏻
Salsese, the wine for the people of Salso
A tribute to our town of Salsomaggiore, Salsese brings to mind Emilian tradition, with its village fairs and festivals.
The character playing the accordion and the dog raising a toast capture a festive mood, the light-hearted atmosphere of village celebrations.
A sparkling red made from Merlot, Barbera and Bonarda, fresh, easy-drinking and fun, it’s the perfect bottle for grandparents, who still enjoy a glass all the way through the meal 🍽️
Gelasio, the versatility of Malvasia
Cantina Il Poggio is based in Salsomaggiore Terme, but more precisely in the hamlet of Cangelasio.
It seems the name “Cangelasio” comes from the fact that, during pilgrimage season, travellers passing through would stop here to swap their donkey.
Sitting at almost 500 metres above sea level, a tired donkey arriving here would be swapped for a rested one.
Hence the image you see on the label.
Gelasio, a still white made from Malvasia, aged in acacia barrels for 6 months, has structure while still being elegant: perfect for your next romantic dinner ❤️🔥
Falstaff, the biggest joker of the bunch
Falstaff was the main character in an opera by Giuseppe Verdi (bringing us back once again to our owner’s home town, Busseto).
A proper Casanova, a real fibber, who’d woo any lady regardless of whether she was married or not.
So we decided to do a little cameo, showing our character wooing one of the two vedove.
It’s not clear whether he’s getting knocked back or whether he’s actually winning her over: we’ll leave it to our guests to decide which version of the story they prefer 😎
Falstaff, a still red made from Barbera, is your faithful shoulder to cry on: and since it has no added sulphites, it’ll spare you a nasty headache the next day 😉
Otium, a still red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera and Bonarda
Otium, taking it easy.
We wanted to capture pure, genuine relaxation, so what better idea than our character, leaning against a tree in the shade, having a nap with his dog between one job in the fields and the next.
Otium, a still red made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera and Bonarda, perfect alongside whoever’s on grill duty at a spring picnic or in the middle of August 🥩🔥🍷
Il Poggio and Pensiero keep their classic look
We decided not to change the label of Poggio and Pensiero.
Being the two most established, most prized and most significant wines from the estate, we’ve set them apart from the other eight, creating two distinct lines.
Poggio, a still red made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a small percentage of dried Bonarda grapes, spends 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels.
It’s that important, serious wine that always makes you look good. Perfect to give to your boss for their birthday, or just before asking for that promotion 😎
Pensiero, a late-harvest Malvasia, aged in acacia barrels for 12 months, is the wine that even your uncle who doesn’t normally like sweet wines will drink at Christmas along with Panettone. Try it and see 🥧
The project has reached the finish line, our bottles finally have the look they deserve, and our message is now loud and clear.
Wine isn’t a drink that demands grand praise. It’s not just alcohol.
It just wants to be part of everyday life again and help rebuild human connections between people.
And Cantina Il Poggio is here to champion exactly that!
Cantina Il Poggio | Together, we experience wine 🥂