Introducing the project "Buta Stupa™"
"EVENTO" Press Release - January 21, 2004
The idea upon which this project is based is very simple and would bring a smile to the lips of those who belonged to past generations and believed in the principle of not wasting good things and of taking nothing for granted. The lack of such principle is responsible nowadays for questionable behaviors, among which abandoning an unfinished bottle of wine at the end of a meal at the restaurant.
Quality wine costs a lot to make it and is expensive to drink, so, why waste it? Wouldn't it be wiser and less expensive, to take it home and close the evening with a final, pleasant toast there? The "Buta Stupa™" project answers these questions directly, offering restaurateurs the opportunity of giving their clients the unfinished bottle, re-corked and packaged, along with the bill.
As we know, sometimes wine prices are prohibitive, which often generates a dilemma for restaurant patrons.
A typical dilemma presents itself when, of two people only one drinks wine, but a full bottle is far too much for one person. Another typical case is when a group of people has almost completed dinner, the wine is finished, but they avoid ordering another bottle. The problem faced by the clients is the same in both cases. "If I order another bottle, I will pay for it but drink just part of the wine."
With " Buta Stupa™" wine wasting will no longer be a problem, even if we know in advance that we are not going to drink it all. There are three advantages, the first of which is for the client, who will now feel free to order a bottle of wine even at the end of the meal, knowing that he or she will enjoy all of it. The second is for the restaurants, which improves its image with its patrons because of the added value to their services. The third advantage is for the producers, who, in addition to selling more wine, acquire a longer "exposition" for their labels.
The success of "Buta Stupa™"
Though it started in July 2003, the project became official in September at the Douja d'or in Asti, Italy, at the event "Caro vino quanto mi costi" ("Dear wine, how expensive you are").
In that occasion, the "Operation Buta Stupa™" was officially launched at the presence of well known wine producers (Lamberto Gancia and Sergio Chiarlo among others), restaurateurs (Piero Fassi of 'Gener Neuv' and Andrea Alciati of 'Relais San Maurizio' among others), as well as press, economy and banking personalities.
An idea whose time had come, the initiative did not take long to catch on. The need to face the problem of escalating prices won over the natural suspicion of restaurant owners. Acceptance and support have grown constantly, reaching 51 associates by November 2003. The curiosity about the project stimulated the interest of radio stations, newspapers and magazines, which published several articles. Most of all however, it was featured prominently on Italian national TV, as Anna Maria Cremonini broadcast a segment within Tg 2's show "Costume e Società", ("Habits and Society").
In order to promote the names of its associates, "Buta Stupa™" has so far participated in important Piedmont enogastronomic trade shows, the latest of which took place in Castellinaldo. At such event, the project expanded its reach thanks to local TV coverage, with news broadcast by Telestudio and Quinta Rete. Overall, it received enthusiastic acceptance and feedback from the main beneficiaries of the initiative, the producers, restaurateurs and consumers.
At EVENTO, we are convinced that simple ideas are often the most successful, thus we embraced the project from the beginning. We worked hard and with strong commitment to promote it in many ways, including by way of paid ads as well as by listing the associates on the "Buta Stupa™" web site.
"Buta Stupa™" press coverage
- Vini di Bar Ristorante (Bar and restaurant Wines) - November 2003
- Il Venerdì di Repubblica ("Friday of Republic", weekly distributed with the newspaper "La Repubblica")- 10/24/2003 "NON LASCIATELO AL RISTORANTE" ("DON'T LEAVE IT AT THE RESTAURANT")
- La Stampa ("The Press", newspaper)- 09/19/2003 "IL CLIENTE NON HA FINITO IL VINO? DATEGLI LA BOTTIGLIA" ("THE CLIENT DIDN'T FINISH THE WINE? GIVE HIM PR HER THE BOTTLE")
- La Stampa - Asti and Province - 09/17/2003 "VINO TROPPO CARO AL RISTORANTE? SE NE DISCUTE DOMANI ALLA DOUJA" ("WINE TOO EXPENSIVE AT THE RESTAURANT? DEBATE TOMMOROW AT THE DOUJA")
- La Stampa - 09/12/2003 "I RICHIAMI DEL SETTEMBRE ASTIGIANO" ("THE CALL OF SEPTEMBER IN ASTI")
- Enotime - 11-12/2002 "LA BOTTIGLIA AVANZATA AL RISTORANTE? ME LA BEVO A CASA!" ("UNFINISHED BOTTLE AT THE RESTAURANT? I'LL TAKE IT HOME")
- I viaggi di Repubblica ("The Voyages of Repubblica", a column in La Repubblica newspaper) - 05/11/2000 "LA GIOIA DEL VINO, LA NOIA DEL CONTO" (THE JOY OF WINE, THE ANNOYANCE OF THE BILL")
- La Stampa Tuttolibri (Book column on the La Stampa newspaper) - 04/12/1999 "ELOGIO DEL VINO AVANZATO, ALIAS BUTA STUPA" ("PRAISE TO THE LEFTOVER WINE, AKA BUTA STUPA")
- La Stampa "Giro di vite" - 25/11/1999 "OPERAZIONE BUTA STUPA" ("OPERATION BUTA STUPA")
All articles are available for download from the official "Buta Stupa™"web site – Press Release
Translated from Italian by WineCountry.IT |
|
|
