Gelato loves Wine: FirstGlass opens its first pop-up stores in Badiani gelaterias in London
Italy’s most innovative single-serve wine has chosen the British capital for its international debut. And it is doing so in the most unexpected—yet most fitting—place imaginable: side by side with Florence’s other great icon, Badiani artisanal gelato.
There comes a precise moment when an idea stops being simply beautiful and becomes inevitable. For FirstGlass, that moment arrived while looking at a map of London: a city that loves Italy with an almost religious devotion, where Badiani gelaterias—founded in Florence in 1932, just a short walk from our Lungarno Acciaiuoli—have already become landmarks of authentic Italian gelato in neighborhoods such as Chelsea, Mayfair, and Covent Garden. The question was simple: what if, alongside London’s finest gelato, there were also a glass of Italy’s most innovative wine?
Badiani and FirstGlass share more than just their hometown. They share an uncompromising commitment to quality, a refusal to settle for the ordinary, and the belief that every moment deserves something extraordinary.
Since 1932, Badiani has upheld the tradition of authentic Florentine artisanal gelato, with its iconic Buontalenti recipe—carefully guarded for generations and now legendary in London. FirstGlass, born on Florence’s Lungarno Acciaiuoli, has reinvented the way people enjoy wine: precisely 100 ml—the equivalent of a perfect glass—in an innovative format that preserves all the organoleptic qualities of a freshly opened bottle.
Why London? Why Now?
London is the global capital of wine curiosity. It is a city where wine bars showcasing natural wine selections coexist with the historic cellars of St James’s, and where consumers’ palates are among the most educated and open-minded in the world. It is a city that does not need to be convinced of the excellence of Italian wine—it is simply waiting to be surprised by the way that excellence can be experienced.
The pop-ups inside Badiani gelaterias are more than just retail spaces. They are a statement of intent: FirstGlass isn’t looking for supermarket shelves or traditional wine shop displays. It is looking for the right moment, the right setting, and the right person. And London—with its curious locals and neighborhoods where Saturday afternoons are still best enjoyed on foot—is exactly the kind of place where that moment exists, every single day.
How to experience FirstGlass
Simply step into one of Badiani’s London stores, and you’ll find the FirstGlass selection displayed alongside the gelato counter.
For the occasion, part of the FirstGlass team has travelled directly from Italy to be in London and welcome you in person. We will be delighted to share the stories behind the wines, the territories they come from, and the wineries that have chosen to be part of this new way of experiencing and celebrating Italian wine. But, as always, the best sommelier is still your own instinct.
Every FirstGlass bottle tells a story that goes far beyond the wine itself. It speaks of the trust placed in us by winemakers who chose to believe in our vision, entrusting us with their labels to bring Italian wine beyond the traditional boundaries of wine tasting.
From small family-run wineries to well-established estates, every producer that joins FirstGlass contributes to a shared vision: showcasing Italy’s extraordinary winemaking heritage through an innovative format, without ever compromising on quality, regional identity, or the authenticity of every bottle.
Behind every sip are people, vineyards, families, and stories that deserve to be discovered. FirstGlass is where these Italian winemaking excellences meet those who want to experience Italian wine in a new, accessible, and authentic way.
