Ivan and Pier Drink to Shanghai

Starting on 29 May, there has been a new restaurant open at Shanxi Bei Lu in Shanghai. On the sign, there are three letters: UVA. It's not an acronym, it's the Italian word for "grape" written on the window of a wine bar in a foreign country, and it entices passersby with enological promises full of expectations. Ivan Icardi and Piercarlo Panozzo are the two twenty-five-year old entrepreneurs who, after studying at Bocconi, decided to export the most renowned Italian product to the Chinese market. In addition to offering wine tasting with high quality wines accompanied by a selection of Italian dishes, soon a large part of Uva's business will be imports: "A small part will be through the wine bar, the rest will be distribution," explains Ivan. Barbera, Moscato, Barolo, in addition to wines from other Italian regions and several French and Australian labels.

Even though they have different backgrounds, both partners boast biographies with signs that would lead to their choice. Ivan is from a family of wine producers going back two generations, both on his father's side and on his mother's side. He grew up in Vaglio Serra, a small town near Asti, which is located on a green hill between the Belbo and Nizza rivers, and after his Master of Science in Management, he decided to continue his family's tradition. But not close to home: not in the Langhe area, but in Shanghai. His destination was the meeting point with Piercarlo, who, after a Bachelor in Business Administration, moved to Shanghai to attend a Master in Economics and work at a clothing trading company. After 5 years, Pier understood that he didn't see the clothing industry in his future, so he called his classmate and together they created Uva: "We combined Pier's knowledge of the Chinese market and my experience in wine production," explains Ivan. Uva is located North of the financial district Jing An Temple, "near traditional shops, old Chinese massage centers, red light shops and artist studios," says Ivan. "It's a small neighborhood in constant evolution which is similar to the Lower East Side in New York." During the first two months, the restaurant received a warm welcome from local and international clientele. Now, however, lots of residents are on vacation, thus current business does not reflect the actual situation. After the summer, when business settles back to its regular pace, the team will probably grow. For now, the two young men have three cooks (who are Italian), three servers, a bartender and two cleaners. The enoteca, with wood paneled walls, a central bar surrounded by tall stools and filled with hanging lamps and large mirrors, has a welcoming and "homey" atmosphere, say the owners, who focused a lot of attention on the interior design. "We're working a lot with social networks, which are even more effective here," they explain. "In particular we're using Sina Weibo a lot," which is a mix between Facebook and Twitter, and which is very popular in China. Uva appears after a quick search on the internet, with enthusiastic reviews on several local websites, which appreciate the excellent value for money, attentive service and the special Friday happy hour, which is the Spritz evening: with 35 Yuan, the equivalent of less than €5, customers get a plate of snacks, following the Italian (Milanese) tradition. Ivan is not only an expert enologist, he's also passionate about Chinese culture: "My knowledge of local tastes helps me suggest the wines most suitable to my customers," he explains proudly. Moving from a town of 280 inhabitants to the most populated Chinese city can be a bit of a shock, but Ivan doesn't seem to notice: "I don't miss home, because I have everything I need here." In a globalized world, "home" is anywhere that allows you to fulfill your ambitions. And, "a few Saturdays ago," he says, "Uva hosted a party for a very special group: Bocconi students who are completing the Double Degree in Management at Fudan University."