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exploring taste—santa margherita gruppo vinicolo heritage—vyta, from stations to the world

I think that VyTA made the most of changes to certain hab- the Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo estates and letting it be
its of Italians, who started looking for a dose of authenticity appreciated by those who have never had the chance to taste it.
in response to the unbridled hedonism that characterized I wanted our wines to reach an even wider public and to share
similar projects over past decades. Our restaurants offer true the challenges Santa Margherita has overcome in order to serve
flavors and fresh products, genuine and rich in taste, without quality products. We thought that offering a glass of wine at all
superfluous conceptual elements. Our desire is to unite the el- stations would be a nice way to do this.
egance and functionality of the location with the best Italian
cuisine in terms of authenticity, freshness and sustainability, What are your strategic objectives for the next ten years?
aiming for the perfect pairing of food and wine. This means We are pursuing various development lines and will defi-
serving a good glass of Italian wine in a beautiful setting that nitely have to see which ones to implement. Without a doubt,
is not too far removed from its location. This essentially rep- the first is to develop a station network overseas, in France,
resents Italy: a higher quality offer than what could previously Germany, the UK and the Netherlands. The second instead
be found at stations, but accessible nevertheless. The pleasure concerns the opening of additional VyTA restaurants outside
of being in a beautiful place and enjoying something without stations in other Italian cities, including Milan, Florence and
feeling the burden. Naples. Finally, the third strategy is to win over other Euro-
pean cities with the same restaurants, and London is the first
How do you choose VyTA products? step in this direction. I think back to how Santa Margherita
VyTA products are selected from across Italy and you will find has contributed to making Pinot Grigio, Prosecco and Italian
every region of the country in each of our restaurants. A cer- sparkling wines some of the most well known and consumed
tain percentage is dedicated to local specialities, but in Milan in the world, and I believe we can make VyTA another out-
you will find products from Naples, and in Naples products standing Italian trademark abroad.
from Milan: the idea was to offer a “taste” of Italy, especially
to international travelers. There is no specific region of origin,
but there is definitely a focus on the city where the restaurant
is located. I am always impressed by the reputation the project
has earned over the years, with different types of people visiting
the stations from various parts of Italy. It has become a familiar
place, immediately recognizable, that people searched for when
traveling but couldn’t find before.

After conquering the major railway stations, you are look-
ing to expand in city centers, starting from Villa Borghese
in Rome. What other locations are you considering in Italy
and abroad?
Becoming a full-fledged restaurant brand and “leaving” the
stations is VyTA’s next target, and the Villa Borghese restau-
rant was the first step in this direction. The next location will
be overseas and outside the station circuit. In the early months
of 2017 we will start work for the upcoming opening of the first
VyTA restaurant in London, more precisely in Covent Garden.
It will be the first VyTA outside of Italy and will be the litmus
test for the future of the project by Santa Margherita Gruppo
Vinicolo.

What place does the VyTA project have in the Santa Mar-
The new VyTA café, located in Florence, in the former
gherita Gruppo Vinicolo corporate structure?
waiting room of the Santa Maria Novella train station,
We are extremely proud of our wine production and VyTA is designed by Architect Daniela Colli. Its defining features
definitely a great opportunity to share the wine produced by are the fine materials – green marbles, copper, glass,
antique boiseries and wood beamed ceiling.

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