CONNECTING ITALY AND CANADA
THE MAGAZINE OF THE ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CANADA – VANCOUVER EDMONTON CALGARY
FEATURE
ORGANIC
GROWTH IN
BASILICATA
ANCIENT TRADITIONS TURN
INTO INNOVATION
ITALY’S
ORGANIC
WINES
organic grape growing
and winemAking
techniques
FOOD THAT
TRAVELS WELL:
THE 100 MILE DIET
UNDERSTANDING
PESTICIDE USE
ORGANIC MEALS IN
ITALY’S SCHOOLS
PROMOTING HEALTH, FOOD, FARMING
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features
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Organic Growth in Basilicata
Catering to Italy’s
Schoolchildren
REGIONAL FOCUS
Food That Travels Well:
100 Mile Diet
BEST PRACTICE
Cutting Your
Pesticide Exposure
GUEST FEATURES
Italy’s Organic Wines
In Support of the Health
Benefits of Wine
CHAMBER NEWS
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Tara Foote
Elizabeth Iachelli
Brent Foote,
Footeprint Communications
Tara Foote, Elizabeth Iachelli,
Francesco Pellegrino, Giuseppe Mazza,
Jerome De Luca, Dusan Rnjak
JC Ospino, Alliter CCG
Elena Ontiveros
Sophie de Marigny
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ORGANIC
GROWTH IN
BASILICATA
ANCIENT ORGANIC TRADITIONS
TURN INTO INNOVATION
Less travelled than northern Italy, the south has long
kept many of its secrets. Despite the fact it is often
unbearably hot and dessicated, it has been inhabited
since ancient times. Bordering on the Tyrrhenian Sea
and the Gulf of Taranto, it forms the instep of the
Italian boot and in times past, tides brought in ship
after ship full of pirates and bandits. Earthquakes have
ravaged its interior, and droughts nearly starved its
people. But as inhospitable as it may seem, its inhabitants have managed to sustain and even improve life
and the agricultural systems that support it.
For centuries, communities of the south have relied
on the occupations of mining, fishing and agriculture to provide for their families in often-struggling
economies. Towards the end of the 1800s, small
farms in the Basilicata region (also known as Lucania)
were gradually abandoned for life in urban centres.
Family plots which had been handed down for centuries could no longer compete financially against
larger, commercial farms, and were being left to fall
into ruin. The relative remoteness of the area led to
various degrees of success with farming, but a lack of
underground water sources and numerous natural
disasters continually set back crop development and
any steps towards economic stability.
In the mid 1970s Italy’s government, along with the
European Union, began to look at ways to integrate
their weak agricultural economies with the alwaysprosperous business of tourism. Agritourism, or
agriturismo, was born. Incentives were then given to
farmers to help restore and conserve their historic
family buildings and create an attractive destination
Credit: Fototeca ENIT
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Basilicata’s organic meat, poultry and egg products come from farms that have been inspected to verify that they meet rigorous standards
which mandate the use of organic feed, prohibit the use of antibiotics, and give animals access to outdoors, fresh air and sunlight.
for travellers looking to explore the lesser-known Italy. The
culture of rural life naturally lends itself towards hospitality as
generous and warm homesteads welcome everyone. In the mid1980s, groups of Italian landowners already interested in organic
farming met together to form the Commissione Nazionale Cos’e
Biologico, or the National Commission for Organic Agriculture.
They worked with consumers to create the first self-regulatory
standards for organic farming for the country.
The region of Basilicata has been described as “Italy’s best
kept secret” and its agritourism has continued to increase in
popularity yearly since its inception. Basilicata’s population
is only slightly above six hundred
thousand. Although quite mountainous this is the only region of
Italy in which farm workers outnumber industrial workers. Farms
grow and market organic foods of
extremely high quality by following
the traditions of husbandry in the
area. The government regulations focus on products grown in
these regions that are not particularly arable and are therefore
limited in their levels of output. The farm is then able to advertise and market itself while earning income and in some cases
providing hospitality to travellers.
Other regions in Italy have embraced and profitted from the
benefits of agritourism, but the most positive results can be
seen in Basilicata. Since 2003, agritourism has increased by 25
percent overall in Italy. In Basilicata, known as the Green Heart
of Southern Italy, organic farms are generally family-owned. The
tradition of sharing a meal is an integral aspect of socializing
and is an Italian way of life. Guests become more aware of
the uniqueness of Basilicata and the quality and variety of the
organic foods that locals consume.
In the last few years, the number of organic farms in Basilicata
has increased visibly. In 2006, 66% of the total number
of organic farms were found in the
South, and only 19% in the North and
16% in the Centre. Basilicata farmers must have two years of farming
experience to qualify for an organic
certification application and then
must complete 100 hours of training on the ins-and-outs of organic
agritourism, such as hospitality, law, management, hygiene
and sanitation and transporting and processing food products.
Government funds are granted to help initiate the projects, but
are often not enough to cover the entire bill. Fortunately, many
establishments are able to recoup their losses quite quickly
once opening to the public.
this is the only region
of Italy in which farm
workers outnumber
industrial workers.
Due to incentives aimed at financing the growth of agritourism,
and of organic farming, which in recent years has become so
important to consumers, Basilicata finds itself assuming a
respectable place in the world market of organic food products.
Remarkably, the companies producing organic foods continue
to be the micro-businesses, family-run farm centres, whose
accomplishments, despite their size, have had a significant
impact on both the local and overseas market.
6 CONEXUS – FALL 2008
The regional economy is largely based on untreated crops of
citrus fruits, grapes, olives, vegetables and cereals. Some of the
typical local products such as mushrooms, truffles and medicinal plants are also becoming important sources of income, and
sheep and goat farming are performed on a large scale. Locals
make special pasta from wheat and lard. Basilicata also boasts
wines and foods that have been appreciated since ancient
times. Among the finest products of the region are the sausages
known as ucanica or luganega, which can be eaten fresh, cured, or
preserved in oil. Then there are the soppressate—pork sausages
dried and then preserved in extra virgin olive oil. Other treasures
of the region are the many cheeses: pecorino made from goats’
milk and casiddi and caciocavallo made from milk derived from
the Podolica breed of cows. The OM (only milk) Italian Quality
Food operates in this region using tradition and common values
in order to enhance the local products, whose authenticity and
food history merge into a unique taste. The OM Italian Quality
Food mark was born to give a specific and distinctive value to the
organic industrial productions typical of Basilicata.
Basilicata’s organic meat, poultry and egg products come from
farms that have been inspected to verify that they meet rigorous
standards which mandate the use of organic feed, prohibit the
use of antibiotics, give animals access to outdoors, fresh air and
sunlight. Production methods are selected based on criteria
that meet all health regulations, work in harmony with the
environment, build biological diversity and foster healthy soil
and growing conditions.
The peperone di Senise, or Senise pepper, is cultivated in a
number of villages in the provinces of Matera and Potenza, in
the heart of Basilicata. These include Senise, the village that
gives the pepper its name, which stands on the slopes of a hill
in the valley of the river Sinni. Traditionally used for flavouring
peasant dishes, the organic Senise pepper is today a specialty of the Basilicata region and has been produced with IGP
status (Indicazione Geografica Protetta—Protected Geographical
Indication) since 1996. Brick red in colour, the Senise pepper
may be eaten fresh. It has a slightly elongated form and thin
flesh, and contains very little water, making it particularly well
suited to being dried and turned into powder. In powdered
form, the Senise pepper is often used for making local cheeses
and cured meats, and for flavouring soups.
The Basilicata coastline on the Mediterranean has beautiful
organic food with strict laws in the regions about keeping its
food supply organic. Plentiful vegetables include fava beans,
artichokes, chicory and various greens, eggplants, peppers,
lampasciuoli (a bitter type of onion) and cauliflower. In addition, organic, seasonal fruit cheers up every good Lucanian
table, such as the citrus fruit, strawberries, raspberries,
peaches, pears and grapes that are only some of the varieties
cultivated on the plains around Matera.
This region has long practised the art of preserving food. Since
the earliest of times it has been out of necessity—the few and
impracticable roads limited the possibility of travelling for
foodstuffs and the harshness of the climate meant that one
collected provisions for the long term. Self-sufficiency was the
way of life, as was the exclusion from the merchant traffic and
from any hope of making progress in commerce.
As poor and isolated as it was, Basilicata’s farming society left
its succeeding generations with ancient teachings and culinary
customs that are still in practice today. And it is these methods
of traditional organic farming that once led to near-poverty,
that now contribute to Basilicata’s growing prosperity.
Organic or Whole
Food Celebrations
in Basilicata
AUGUST – La sagra dei Fagioli di
Sarconi. (Bean Festival and Open Air
Market - Sarconi, Potenza). August
17 – 19, dedicated to “his majesty the
bean”. Not only a bean feast but a
chance to taste other scrumptious local
produce like honey and cheese.
SEPTEMBER – Sagra dell’Uva e del
Granturco (grape and corn festival),
Grassano, Matera. September 12-23.
Sagra dei Fichi Secchi (dried fig festival)
at Miglionico, Matera. As well as eating
them, one is amazed at what can be
done with dried figs! Here they are made
into garlands and even dolls. Held on the
second Sunday of September.
OCTOBER – Sagra della Castagna
(chestnut festival). The harvest of these
traditional nuts happens in a number
of towns and villages in Basilicata with
their own chestnut festivals. Stalls are
erected along the streets of the village
and you can taste all kinds of winter
dishes featuring this essential winter
food. Try the one at Paterno in Potenza
on October 25.
DECEMBER – La Sagra delle Pettole,
Montescaglioso, Matera. Held on
December 15, this ancient recipe is
made basically from flour, water, salt
and yeast. The ingredients are made
into balls and fried until golden brown.
Sounds simple enough but the technique
and recipe are a jealously guarded
secret passed down from mother to
daughter over generations.
CONEXUS – FALL 2008 7
Catering
to Students
ITALY addressES Nutritional
health AT AN EARLY AGE
Imagine sitting down to a school lunch of homemade pasta and lentil
soup, local chard with lemon and freshly baked bread. Around the
world people are rethinking what is being fed to our children.
The current school meal system in Italy is arguably the most progressive programme worldwide
addressing the social and nutritional health of the child, along with taste and a clear philosophy
of environmental stewardship. If the food served is not organic, it is at least seasonally and
locally sourced, fairly traded and is always cooked from scratch.
The Italian model of sustainable food procurement has a long
history in Italy. The earliest pioneering experiences in organic
agriculture dates back to the 1960s but actually took off in the
1970s, involving farmers and consumers seeking an improved
quality of life and consumption. During the mid 1980s, the
first local coordination agencies established the Commissione
Nazionale Cos’è Biologico (National Commission for Organic
Agriculture). The assemblage was made up of representatives
of organizations and consumers’ associations from each Italian
region and it established the first nation-wide, self-regulatory
standards for organic farming. Today there are nine officially
recognized certification agencies operating in Italy.
The National Institute published the Guidelines for a Healthy
Italian Diet in 1986, clearly promoting the Mediterranean food
model in public catering stating: “Our aim is to guarantee the
promotion of organic agricultural quality food products in
public institutions that operate school and hospital canteens.
We strive to provide in the daily diet the use of organic and
traditional goods as well as those from local areas, taking into
account the guidelines and other recommendations of the
National Institute of Nutrition.”
The Italian government then passed a law in 1999 stipulating
the use of organic ingredients in canteens in public institutions, schools and hospitals. Initially, few local governments
were willing to give grants and those in breach of the law were
not prosecuted. As a result, several years passed before the
regulations were implemented.
Some Italian regions have been pioneers in organic school
catering and have implemented the national law and supplemented it with their own regulations. For example, the government of the Emilia Romagna region stipulated that by the
end of 2002, 100 percent organic meals were to be served in
nursery schools and to schoolchildren up to the age of ten
years. The guidelines
were met and are
still successfully in
place six years later.
Thanks to these
regulations
the
number of school
canteens
using
organic food products continues to
increase countrywide. Whereas nine
years ago only 69
schools serving organic meals were to be
found in the whole of
Italy, today over one
A SELECTION OF ITEMS THAT YOU
MIGHT SEE ON A typical Roman
school lunch MENU.
million meals made from organic ingredients are served each
day in over 1,200 canteens.
Behind the Italian model of a multifunctional view of school
meals is Italy’s practice of granting citizens the right to social
education and the consumers’ right to health. The right to social
education makes certain that the school meals must also function to educate children about consumption and about local
cultural and food traditions. The right to health establishes
high standards in relation to the safety and quality of products
and services destined to children. This comprehensive view of
school meals supports creative procurement in three ways: (i)
it allows contracting authorities to retain
complete control over the service, (ii) it
allows for the sustaining of local operators and (iii) it demonstrates a realistic
interpretation of value.
school lunch
pasta, rice, soup or pizza
First course ofer
 Orzo prim av a
 Parmigi ana ricewith pe arl barley
 Vegetable soup a
 Pizza margherit
meat, fish, eggs,
Second course of
cured meats
or
,
se
ee
ch
,
lentils
th olives
wi
st
ea
 Chick en br
in
at
gr
au
t
le
fil
d
 Co
et
el
 An om
 Mixed sheep cheese
Serv ed with
d or raw
 Vegetables—cooke
d
ea
br
h
es
 Fr
Dessert
 Se asonal fruit
 Water
Undoubtedly, Rome leads the country
with the school meals programme. The
city’s efforts are the most far-reaching
globally in support of the definition
of health that includes the social and
nutritional health of the child, along
with a clear philosophy of environmental management.
Rome has a staff of 70 nutritionists who
help assure that menus as planned provide the levels of energy and nutrients
recommended by the Italian Society
for Human Nutrition and follow the
guidelines of the National Institute for
Research on Food and Nutrition. Local
health authorities monitor for health and hygiene concerns.
The city also contracts an independent company to carry out
over 1,100 inspections each year.
The basic programme structure is almost entirely privatized
with food companies employing the staff needed to prepare
and serve meals in publicly owned facilities. Most recently,
contracts with six companies were selected from a pool of 57
smaller food businesses. The companies provide the lunch
service plus a mid-morning snack. A three-year contract
supports both a steady amount of business as well as a
certain competitive edge.
School food contracts are not awarded to the lowest bidder,
but to the provider offering the best value. Low purchase
price is emphasized, but food quality and food service
infrastructure are also important criteria. Food quality
considerations include place of origin, food miles travelled,
organic production, fair trade and products from specially
designated regions (for example Parmesan cheese must
be exclusively from the Parmigiano-Reggiano region).
Infrastructure improvements include kitchen and dining room upgrades, training and education for staff and
teachers, and a well-organized and fully qualified food
service staff. By combining all the criteria, Roman schools
effectively offer nutritious, culturally appropriate meals for
their children.
the origins of their food, seasonal fruit and vegetables and
domestic livestock during courses at selected farms and ‘taste
workshops’. The school meals are extremely important for the
development of organic farming. They are not only useful to
promote an ecologically sound culture among children and
parents but also facilitate crop programming for the farmers.
In addition, efforts made in the Italian school kitchens are
integrated by complementary educational initiatives in the
classrooms. The Ministry of Agriculture implemented an
educational programme, called Cultura che Nutre (Culture that
Feeds), which educates school children about an informed and
healthy diet through the implementation of school projects
that emphasize the values of seasonality and territoriality in
the context of food.
Italian school meals are successfully ingrained in a food culture
that is intimately related to local identity. Through inspired
instruction the cultural values of food are reaching future generations and the Italian government is creating knowledgeable
consumers willing and able to sustain the “local.” Under this
approach, the meal consumed at school becomes first and
foremost an educational tool, providing a structure to actively
advance and enrich students with the values and implications
attached to food and its culture.
Three years ago an organization representing Italy’s farmers
became involved in the movement further launching the
healthy eating campaign in schools in a bid to boost consumption of fruit and vegetables. The campaign continues
to reach over 300,000 Italian children, teaching them about
GUEST FEATURE
I VINI
BIOLOGICI
D’ ITALIA
Recente evoluzione nella coltivazione
biologica della vite e delle tecniche enologiche
Di Francesco Pellegrino | La consistenza della
coltivazione biologica della vite in Italia ha
seguito, nelle linee fondamentali, l’andamento
produttivo generale dell’agricoltura biologica.
Dopo un decennio di crescita a ritmi molto
elevati, a partire dall’approvazione della
normativa europea nel 1991, negli ultimi
anni si sta registrando una diminuzione delle
superfici coltivate e delle aziende anche per
quanto riguarda la viticoltura.
Le superfici dei vigneti biologici hanno avuto
una crescita costante dal 1994 fino al 2001,
anno in cui si sono evidenziati i primi segnali
di inversione di tendenza. Dai 3.759 ettari
del 1994, infatti, si è arrivati nel 2001 a oltre
44.000 ettari complessivi, comprendendo
anche le superfici in corso di conversione.
Questo è stato il massimo storico toccato
dalla coltivazione biologica della vite. Negli
anni successivi c’è stato prima un brusco
ridimensionamento (37.380 ettari nel 2002
e 31.709 nel 2003) e poi una sostanziale
stasi. Gli ultimi dati resi noti dal Ministero
delle Politiche Agricole, aggiornati al 31-122005 (elaborazioni del Sinab sui dati forniti
dagli Organismi di controllo), parlano di
31.170 ettari di vigneto biologico, con una
piccola diminuzione della superficie totale
(certificata ed in conversione) rispetto al
2003 (-539 ettari) e addirittura un piccolo
aumento della superficie già certificata come
biologica (+596 ettari).
L’andamento delle superfici dei vigneti
biologici in Italia va inquadrato all’interno
dell’andamento generale della superficie
biologica totale. Infatti, non è un caso che
nel 2001 - anno di massimo storico della
superficie vitata biologica - si sia toccato
anche il massimo della superficie agricola
biologica: 1,2 milioni di ettari, tutti di
superficie biologica certificata, con un
aumento di quasi 200.000 ettari rispetto
ITALY’S
ORGANIC
WINES
The recent EVOlUTION of organic grape
growing and winemAking techniques
By Francesco Pellegrino | The organic cultivation of
grapes in Italy has followed, fundamentally,
the overall course of organic farming. After
a decade of accelerated growth, starting with
the approval in 1991 of the laws regulating
the sector in Europe, over recent years there
has been a reduction in the land areas being
cultivated and in the number of companies.
31st, 2005 (elaborated by Sinab with figures
provided by the control institutes) refer to
31,170 hectares of organic vineyards, with a
slight reduction of the total area (certified
and in process of conversion) with respect
to 2003 (-539 hectares) and even a small
increase in the area already certified as
organic (+597 hectares).
The areas dedicated to organic grape growing
steadily increased between 1994 and 2001, the
year in which the first signs of a trend reversal
were noticed. From the 3,759 hectares in
1994, a total of 44,000 hectares was reached
in 2001, including also areas in the process of
conversion. This represented the historical
peak of organic grape cultivation. After
2001, there was an abrupt restructuring
(37,380 hectares in 2002 and 31,709 in 2003)
followed by an essential standstill. The most
recent statistics published by the Ministry
of Agricultural Policy, dating to December
The trend regarding the land area dedicated
to organic vineyards in Italy needs to be
put into the context of the general trend
regarding organic farming as a whole. In fact,
it is not by chance that in 2001—the historical
peak of the extension of land used for organic
vineyards—the peak for organic farming
was also reached : 1,200,000 hectares of
certified organic production with an increase
of 200,000 hectares over 2000. With 2001
began a slow decline of the sector that in
2004 dipped below one million hectares
overall: 954,361 hectares.
GUEST FEATURE
Aerial view of the San Martino Organic Farm, capable of producing, processing and marketing its own products, all grown under non-polluting and environmentally
friendly conditions. With a strong emphasis on the preservation of the land, and respect for nature and its biological cycles, San Martino produces two organic wines
with registered designation of origin—Tito and Rugiada—made from the local grape varieties, the Trebbiano and the Sangiovese.
al 2000. Dal 2001 è iniziato il lento ridimensionamento del
settore, che nel 2004 è ritornato al di sotto del milione di ettari
complessivo: 954.361 ettari.
I motivi alla base dell’andamento negativo della superficie
biologica, a partire dal 2001, sono stati in particolare tre: la
cessazione dei contributi erogati per l’agricoltura biologica,
previsti dai Psr (Piani di sviluppo rurale); la crisi dei consumi
legata alla crisi economica generale dell’Italia; la mancata valorizzazione delle produzioni biologiche, in termini di prezzo
all’origine, che ha indotto molte aziende ad abbandonare il
biologico. Produrre un vino che possa definirsi in tutti i sensi
biologico significa anzitutto rispettare un rigido protocollo di
produzione. Una vinificazione naturale, o biologica investe una
nutrita serie di aspetti.
Il primo aspetto riguarda infatti la vigna e la sua coltivazione.
Obiettivo primario è l’ottenimento di uve sane, la cui vendemmia va effettuata al giusto punto di maturazione—relativamente al vino che si vuole ottenere—con tecniche di raccolta
che evitino le alte temperature e con un ammostamento dei
grappoli il più veloce possibile; la fase della pigiatura deve
avvenire in modo particolarmente delicato per evitare di
estrarre sostanze che risultino nocive alla futura qualità del
vino; bisogna seguire costantemente la fermentazione, che
deve avvenire in modo regolare, con temperatura controllata ed uniforme, preferibilmente in tini di legno, soprattutto per i rossi. La dotazione di cantina deve essere curata
per assicurare la massima igienicità, evitando i contenitori in
vetroresina o cemento non vetrificato e utilizzando solo legno
o acciaio inox perfettamente puliti.
There are three causes of the negative trend that began in 2001
regarding land used for organic farming: the end of the subsidies for organic farming created by the Rural Development
Programmes; the consumer crisis linked to the general economic crisis in Italy; and the lack of value of organic products in
terms of prices of origin which drove many companies to abandon organic farming. To produce a wine which can properly be
defined organic means to respect a rigid production protocol
that involves a whole series of aspects.
The first aspect involves the vine and its cultivation. The
primary objective is to obtain healthy grapes whose harvest
takes place at the correct state of maturity—in relation to the
kind of wine desired—with harvesting techniques that avoid
high temperatures and with as rapid pressing of the grape
clusters as possible; the extremely crucial phase of wine
pressing must happen in the most delicate fashion possible
to avoid extracting elements that would negatively affect the
future quality of the wine; it is necessary to follow constantly
the fermentation process which must occur at controlled and
uniform temperatures preferably in wooden tubs, especially
for reds. The cellar equipment should be treated with particular care to ensure the highest standards of hygiene, avoiding
fibreglass or cement containers, using instead scrupulously
clean wood or stainless steel.
After fermentation, obtained with a “pie de cuve” far preferable to starters, selected yeasts and related additives, the best
method to clarify the wine is with cold static techniques rather
than by employing gelatin, bentonite and silicon dioxide and
for stabilization it is better to avoid sorbates and metatartaric
Dopo la fermentazione, ottenuta con una “pie de cuve” che è
di gran lunga meglio degli starter, (lieviti selezionati e relative
sostanze nutrienti), si preferirà illimpidire il vino con pratiche statiche a freddo piuttosto che gelatina, bentonite e sol
di silice e tenendo conto che per la stabilizzazione è il caso
di evitare sorbati e acido metatartarico, permettendo solo
al tempo ed ai travasi di fare il loro lavoro con una naturale
fermentazione malolattica. L’attenzione si sofferma spesso
sull’anidride solforosa, una sostanza antiossidante che ha una
funzione antisettica, utile a limitare lo sviluppo di batteri che
“...secondo questa tesi, non esiste
il vino biologico o, per meglio
dire, tutto il vino e’ biologico.
possano influenzare negativamente la qualità del vino ed a
prevenirne ossidazione e deperimento: va usata con la massima parsimonia e senza causare eccessivi depositi di sostanza
fissa, ritenuta nociva.
Resta comunque il fatto che l’anidiride solforosa ha notevole
importanza nella vinificazione, non fosse altro per i tanti
effetti benefici benefici che produce a fronte del solo pericolo derivante da un suo cattivo ed eccessivo uso. In effetti
si tratta dell’unica sostanza di sintesi che i disciplinari delle
associazioni biologiche autorizzano (con un dosaggio ammesso
mediamente da un terzo a un quarto di quello previsto dalla
legislazione generale in materia di vino) e della quale, finora,
se ne poteva tacere la presenza in etichetta (anzi, i produttori
che intendevano vantarne l’assenza incontravano una serie di
ostacoli da parte delle pubbliche autorità).
Bisogna premettere che senza uve perfettamente sane non è
possibile pensare di arrivare ad un vino biologico, poiché la vinificazione di uve imperfette obbliga chiunque alla disinfezione e
all’impiego di altre pratiche ben note; pressatura, macerazione
del pigiato, illimpidimento dei mosti, correzione dell’acidità,
fermentazione alcolica e malo-lattica, solfitazione, conservazione, chiarificazione, filtrazione e confezionamento. Fasi che
di solito non possiedono nulla di biologico. Questa premessa
riconduce direttamente a quelle vecchie, sane, tradizionali
regole di impianto che fino a circa 100 anni fa prescrivevano
la vocazione di un territorio, non solo per la vinificazione ma
anche per ogni altro tipo di coltura (in pianura foraggio—in
collina vite e olivo—in montagna pascolo brado). E’ quindi
indispensabile impiantare in territori vocati, quali ci vengono
segnalati dalla esperienza e dalla nostra storia vitivinicola. Se
qualcuno di essi è diventato famoso dopo centinaia di anni di
vinificazione, evidentemente significa che le basi pedologiche
erano buone. Inoltre da sempre si è valutato il vino sulla media
di vari anni di produzione perché è utopia pretendere ogni
anno l’identico, industriale, anonimo vino omologato quando
entrano in gioco fattori variabili quali il diverso andamento
climatico, il microclima, i trattamenti.
L’igiene delle cantine è requisito fondamentale per ottenere
prodotti di qualità e pertanto la perfetta sanitizzazione di locali
e delle attrezzature è alla base di ogni buona vinificazione. E’
spesso consigliato l’utilizzo di una cantina con possibilità di
acid, leaving time and decanting to do their work to achieve
natural malolactic fermentation. There is quite a debate on the
use of sulfitess, an antioxidant that functions as an antiseptic
which is useful for limiting the development of bacteria that
could harm the quality of the wine and for preventing its oxidation and deterioration. However, it should be used with great
parsimony to avoid leaving excessive harmful deposits.
Moreover, it is undeniable that sulfites have a significant
importance in the winemaking process with many advantages against the only danger being excessive use. They are,
in effect, the only synthesis producing compound the use of
which is authorized by the regulators of the organic associations (allowing an amount which averages between a third and
a quarter of that permitted by law for the production of wine)
“...according to this theory, there
is no such thing as organic wine,
or, on the other hand, one could
say that all wine is organic.
and until now it was not obligatory to disclose the presence of
sulfites on the labels (although producers wishing to promote
the absence of sulfites found all kinds of obstacles created by
the public authorities).
A basic premise is that without a perfectly healthy grape it
is impossible to achieve an organic wine since making wine
with imperfect grapes forces the winemaker to disinfect and
to employ many well known practices: pressing, mashing of
the pressed grapes, clarification of the must, correction of the
acidity, the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, sulphitation,
preservation, filtration and bottling and packaging. These are
all practices which usually have nothing organic about them.
This premise leads back directly to those ancient, healthy,
traditional precepts for winemaking that until a century ago
dictated the vocation of a territory, not only for winemaking
but also for every other kind of farming (on the plains, grasses
for fodder—on the hills, vines and olives—on the mountains,
pasture in the wild). It is therefore indispensable to plant in
the lands with the right vocation, those that are known to be
the best ground through years of experience and history of
grape growing. If one of these terrains has become famous after
hundreds of years of winemaking, obviously the soil conditions were good. Moreover, given the constant differentials of
climate, microclimate, farming systems and treatments, wine
has always been evaluated using an average of several years of
production since it is unrealistic to expect that each year will
always produce an identical, industrial, anonymous, regulated wine. The hygiene standards of the cellar is a fundamental
requirement for making quality products and therefore the
perfect sanitization of the space and equipment is at the heart
of all good winemaking. In addition, it is advisable to have a cellar with temperature control and to use containers made of ASI
316 stainless steel. For the fermentation and aging processes,
the barrels, either chestnut or oak, must be absolutely spotless
without any tartaric incrustation.
GUEST FEATURE
condizionamento termico e l’impiego di contenitori di acciaio
inox ASI 316. Per la fermentazione e l’invecchiamento i fusti, di
rovere o castagno, devono essere assolutamente puliti e senza
incrostazioni tartariche.
Per riassumere, un vino assume le caratteristiche di prodotto
biologico se: le uve sono vendemmiate a mano e selezionate in
vigna; le stesse vengono raccolte in cassette di piccole dimensioni, non pressate per evitare l’avvio di fermentazioni indesiderate e vinificate nel più breve tempo possibile; pigiatura
e diraspatura vengono effettuate in modo soffice per mezzo di
presse orizzontali pneumatiche; l’avvio della fermentazione
si effettua con una “piè de cuveè” e con controllo termico
per evitare arresti e sviluppi microbiotici indesiderati, senza
uso di additivi e coadiuvanti tecnologici; l’ossigenazione dei
mosti si verifica per mezzo di follature per favorire l’attività
microbica, l’estrazione e la stabilizzazione del colore; si
fa un uso molto attento dell’SO2 in fase fermentativa e
limitatamente alle dosi MAX di 20 mg/l in abbinamento con
l’uso di gas inerti quale anidride carbonica o azoto, cercando
di tenere basso il valore di SO2 totale e alto il valore della
sostanza libera con l’adozione di corrette pratiche enologiche;
l’illimpidimento e la stabilizzazione si ottengono esclusivamente con la fermentazione malolattica indotta e tramite i
travasi; infine l’affinamento si ottiene solamente attraverso il
trascorrere del tempo, concedendo al vino i tempi naturali di
evoluzione, prima in botte e poi in bottiglia.
In short, a wine assumes the characteristics of an organic product when the grapes are selected on the vine and harvested by
hand; they are then gathered in small crates and left unpressed
to avoid the start of undesirable fermentation; the grapes
are speedily transferred to the cellars in order to begin the
winemaking process as soon as possible; the grape pressing
and mashing take place gently using pneumatic horizontal
presses; fermentation is started with a “piè de cuveè” with
temperature control to avoid stoppages or interruptions and
the development of undesirable microbes, and without the
use of additives and technological adjuvants; the oxygenization
of the must to facilitate microbic activity, the extraction and
stabilization of the colour. It is necessary to be very careful with
the use of sulfites in the fermentation phase with a maximum
dose of 20mg/litre together with the use of inert gases such as
carbon dioxide or argon, trying to keep the total level of sulfites
low, and high the level of free sulphur dioxide through the
application of correct winemaking procedures. The clarification and stabilization of the wines are achieved exclusively with
induced malolactic fermentation and with decantering. Finally
the refining of the wine is achieved through the passage of time,
allowing it its own natural pace to evolve, first in the casks and
then in the bottle.
Besides the dynamics concerning the production and marketing of organic wine, the Italian wine industry has been involved
recently in an intense and highly pitched debate, the two
opposing sides of which are extremely confrontational.
Oltre alle dinamiche relative alla produzione e alla commercializzazione del vino biologico, il settore italiano è stato interessato negli ultimi tempi da un acceso ed intenso dibattito, le
cui principali tesi a sfavore appaiono non prive di un evidente
intento provocatorio.
Una prima tesi sostiene che sull’onda emotiva del “biologico a
tutti i costi”, un paio d’anni fa qualcuno abbia tentato di mettere
in commercio il “vino biologico”. Secondo questa tesi, in realtà,
il vino biologico non esiste. Esiste semmai, con tutte le riserve
del caso, l’uva biologica. La legge non ha mai autorizzato la dicitura “vino biologico”. E infatti durante la fermentazione, nei vini
normali e in quelli biologici si sviluppano in ugual misura circa
duecento milioni di fermenti per ogni millilitro, più un’altra
pletora di batteri, enzimi e quant’altro, senza distinzione alcuna
tra i due vini. Se il vino non biologico fosse inquinato da “pesticidi” non fermenterebbe, resterebbe mosto da buttare. Coloro
che si riconoscono in questi assunti sostengono che senza trattamenti non si fa uva. Senza concimazioni si producono pochi
grappoli. Le concimazioni chimiche si fanno con sali minerali
e sono pratica assai diffusa. Le concimazioni organiche (letame)
sono adottate da pochi produttori. Qui l’intralcio arriva spesso
dalla legge che stabilisce l’intervento dell’azienda sanitaria per
analizzare il terreno e controllare se in quel terreno sia possibile
spargere lo stallatico. Poi, per trasportare lo stallatico da un
comune all’altro, e’ necessaria l’autorizzazione del sindaco. Per
i concimi chimici non serve nulla.
One side affirms that, on the emotional wave created by those
supporting organic products at any cost, several years ago
attempts were made to introduce on the market “organic wine”.
According to this theory, in reality organic wine does not exist.
If anything and with all the necessary reservations, there exist
organic grapes. There is no legal authorization to use the words
“organic wine”. Indeed, the fermentation of both normal and
organic wines both produce approximately 200 million effervescences for each millilitre, made up of a plethora of bacteria,
enzymes etc, without any distinction between the two types of
wine. If non-organic wine were polluted with “pesticides”, it
would not ferment and the must would have to be discarded.
Those supporting this premise believe that there would be no
grapes without treatments of some kind. Without fertilizers there
are less grapes. Chemical fertilizers are made with mineral salts
and are produced everywhere. Organic fertilizers (manure) are
produced only by a few since there are so many legal obstacles
requiring the intervention of the health authorities to analyze the
soil and to determine whether manure can be spread in that area,
after which a mayoral authorization is necessary for the transportation of manure from one municipality to another. In the case of
chemical fertilizers, no such authorization is required.
And now we arrive at the biggest problem: treatments against
late blight and iodine. In the case of iodine there are no organic
problems and every producer uses sulphur in powder or dissolved in water as a treatment. But for late blight the situation
becomes more complicated in that there are two ways to combat
Vintage International Ltd.
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Each day of the Wine Tour, you will travel to one of the wine regions to visit a
winery, indulge in wine tastings of the rich Brunello Wines and you may purchase
any wines that are particularly appealing. Accommodation is in an agritourism
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Wines
Spirits
Foods
~ Organic Wines ~
Azienda Gino Fasoli
Cantina Cesena Reggio Emilia
Douglas Laing & Co. Ltd.
Old and Rare Single Malts
Scotch Whisky
Grappa di Amarone
Gagliano Marcati
Liquori e Distillati
Bosco e Figlio Distilleria
Val Paradiso Extra
Virgin Olive Oil
(Organic and Traditional)
Sicily
~ Other Fine Wines ~
Cantine Eugenio Tinazzi
e Figli, Veneto
Feudo Montoni, Sicily
Azienda Martorana, Sicily
Vintage International is an importer and distributor
of fine wines, spirits and specialty foods.
Phone: 403 243-9952 ~ Fax: 403 668-7472 ~ Cell: 403 605-8055
e-mail: [email protected]
www.vintageinternational.ca
GUEST FEATURE
Arriviamo ora al problema più grosso. I trattamenti contro la
peronospora e l’oidio. Per l’oidio non ci sono problemi biologici. Tutti i produttori trattano con zolfo, in polvere o sciolto
in acqua. Resta la peronospora. Qui la cosa si fa complicata.
Esistono due sistemi per combattere questa malattia. O con solfato di rame, o con principi chimici, di diverso grado venefico.
Il solfato di rame, o poltiglia bordolese, viene usato da quando
è comparsa la malattia, ossia dalla seconda metà del 1800. Il
solfato di rame viene mescolato con la calce e sciolto in acqua.
Attraverso appositi atomizzatori le sostanze vengono sparse
sulle foglie delle viti e sui grappoli, che restano imbrattati del
prodotto. Ci sono sostanze ad elevata tossicità ed altre a bassa
tossicità. Le leggi favoriscono quelle a bassa tossicità, a basso
impatto ambientale, erogando anche contributi finanziari a chi
ne fa uso. Sono meno efficaci, necessitano di trattamenti più
frequenti, non danno una sicurezza assoluta. Si degradano in
breve tempo e quasi scompaiono. Quelle più tossiche curano
meglio, ma lasciano maggiori residui sull’uva.
Qual è, allora, l’uva biologica? Quella prodotta con trattamenti
di zolfo e di solfato di rame! La poltiglia bordolese è vecchia
di circa 130 anni. Sperimentatissima, efficace. In fondo è
un sale fatto con acido solforico e con rame, neutralizzati
attraverso l’utilizzo della calce. Anche i recipienti di peltro,
fatti con il piombo, sono tradizionali, non di 130 anni, ma di
oltre 1300 anni. Ma questi recipienti, che servivano anche a
conservare il vino, hanno avvelenato mezzo mondo. Si dice
che la pazzia degli imperatori romani sia dovuta al vino bevuto
conservato in peltro.
Dunque non è vero che tutto ciò che è tradizionale è igienico e
da imitare. Anche il solfato di rame è un metallo pesante come
il piombo, si accumula nei tessuti e non viene eliminato. Ergo,
l’eccesso è un gran veleno. Per sintetizzare, secondo questa
tesi, non esiste il vino biologico o, per meglio dire, tutto il
vino e’ biologico.
Chi si oppone con passione a questi argomenti riconosce che a
livello normativo il vino sia l’unico prodotto trasformato non
regolamentato a livello europeo dal decreto 2092/91 (quello
che definisce l’algricoltura bio) e di conseguenza, basandosi
sulle sole norme europee, si può parlare di “vino ottenuto da
uve biologiche” e non di “vino da agricoltura biologica”.”Vino
biologico” così come “mela biologica” o “formaggio biologico”
sono comunque diciture non regolamentari perché quello che
viene controllato e certificato è il metodo e non il prodotto. In
pratica la Comunità Europea stabilisce che cosa si può fare nel
vigneto ma non quello che si può fare in cantina.
Però esistono in Italia, come nel resto d’Europa, disciplinari
privati che regolamentano anche la fase di trasformazione
dell’uva in vino ed a quel punto, controllando sia il vigneto che
la cantina, si può parlare di “vino da agricoltura biologica”.
Merita però una riflessione il fatto che proprio il vino non
sia stato contemplato all’interno del regolamento comunitario. Come mai il vino non e’ specificatamente regolamentato
mentre l’olio extravergine d’oliva piuttosto che i biscotti o il
formaggio oppure ancora il succo di mela o la pasta lo sono?
Ebbene, pare proprio che la potente lobby del vino non voglia
accettare l’idea di vedere sugli scaffali delle enoteche e dei
supermercati qualcosa che possa suggerire che l’ “altro” vino,
this disease: either with copper sulphate or with chemical
principles, with differing degrees of toxicity. Copper sulphate,
or “bordeaux mush” as it is known, has been used from the
time this disease appeared, in the second half of the nineteenth
century and is mixed with lime. The vine leaves and grape
clusters are covered with the product. The chemical treatments
are dissolved in water and sprayed on the plant and can contain
substances of both high and low toxicity. Current laws favour
the use of low toxic products with less environmental impact
and provide for subsidies for farmers who use them. However,
these products are less efficient and require more frequent
applications and are not absolutely safe though they break
down relatively quickly and almost disappear. The more toxic
products are more effective in treating the disease but leave
greater residues in the grape.
Which, therefore, is the organic grape? That produced with
sulphur and copper sulphate treatments! The “bordeaux
mash” has a history of about 130 years and is efficient, tried
and true. Basically it is a salt made with sulphuric acid and
with copper, neutralized with lime. Even pewter containers,
made with lead, have a long tradition not of 130 but over 1,300
years. However these containers used for preserving the wine
have poisoned half the globe. It is rumoured that the madness
endemic among Roman emperors was due to the wine they
drank from pewter containers.
So we cannot say that everything traditional is hygienic and to
be imitated. Copper sulphate is a heavy metal like lead which
accumulates in the body’s tissues and is not eliminated and the
excess becomes significantly poisonous. To sum up, according
to this theory, there is no such thing as organic wine, or, on the
other hand, one could say that all wine is organic.
Those vehemently against this reasoning recognize that wine
is the only transformed product which is not covered under
European Union’s law 2092/91 which defines organic farming,
and therefore, from the point of view of EU legislation one can
talk of “wine made from organic grapes” but not of “organically farmed wine”. “Organic wine”, like “organic apples” or
“organic cheese” are in any case non-regulatory labelling in that
it is the farming method and not the product that is monitored
and certified. In practice, the European Community decides
what is permissible in the vineyard but not in the wine cellar.
However, in Italy, just as in the rest of Europe, there are
private control agencies that regulate the transformation
process from grape to wine and in this case, in which both
GUEST FEATURE
quello convenzionale, non sia proprio così naturale e genuino. Dal punto di vista scientifico affermare che i fitofarmaci
impediscono la fermentazione alcolica e che quindi se il vino
fosse inquinato con pesticidi non fermenterebbe è una bella
acrobazia: i lieviti e funghi, come la peronospora o la botrite,
sono sistematicamente talmente lontani che quello che agisce
su uno difficilmente ha effetto anche sugli altri.
Questo equivale a sperare che l’aspirina possa fare qualcosa
per il mal di schiena o che lo sciroppo per la tosse sia ideale
per curare le verruche. Non a caso le schede tecniche degli
anticrittogamici citano sempre il fatto che “il prodotto non
ha effetto sui lieviti” oppure che “non interferisce con la
fermentazione”.
Ciò non è poi così strano visto che le “malattie” della vite
sono causate da funghi mentre quelli che trasformano lo
zucchero in alcol nel vino sono dei lieviti. Il pyrimethanil,
tanto per citare uno degli anticrittogamici piu’ diffusi, non
infastidisce minimamente i lieviti nemmeno se aggiunto in
fermentazione. Solo qualche prodotto piu’ datato interferisce
con il lavoro dei lieviti.
Che dire invece dei più recenti antibotritici (anilinopirimidine,
dicarbossimidi, benzimidazoli) che vengono utilizzati fino a 10
giorni dalla vendemmia e, garantito dalla casa produttrice,
non hanno effetti sui lieviti? Significa che possono tranquillamente lasciare residui che tanto ai lieviti fastidio non danno,
a chi poi il vino lo beve…non si sa! Diverse prove scientifiche
(ad esempio quelle condotte dal Catev dell’Emilia Romagna
ancora una decina di anni fa) dimostrano come diversi anticrittogamici residuino nel mosto e nel vino, cosa che invece
ad esempio con il rame non succede. Andrebbe precisato poi
che i viticoltori biologici sono sottoposti alle norme generali
in tema di fertilizzazione dei terreni e sono quindi controllati
dalle autorità sanitarie.
the vineyards and the cellar are controlled, one can refer to
“organically farmed wine”.
Yet the very fact that wine was not included as part of the EU
legislation gives pause for thought.
How come that wine is not specifically regulated but extra
virgin olive oil, biscuits, cheese and even apple juice and pasta
are? The answer would appear to lie with the powerful wine
lobbyists who cannot accept the idea of seeing a product on
the shelves in wine shops and supermarkets that could suggest
that the “other” wine, conventional wine, might not be all that
natural and genuine. From a scientific point of view, to affirm
that pharmaceuticals hinder alcoholic fermentation and that
therefore if the wine is polluted with pesticides it will not ferment, is a leap of logic. The yeasts and fungi such as late blight
or gray mould are so distant in the system that that which acts
on one rarely would have an effect on the others.
It would be like hoping that aspirin will cure a backache or using
cough syrup to heal warts. It is no coincidence that the technical
profiles of fungicides all state that “the product has no effect
on the yeast cells” or that it does not “affect the fermentation
process”. This is not so strange given that the diseases affecting
grape vines are caused by fungi while it is the yeast cells that
transform sugars into alcohol in the wine. Pyrimethanil, as just
one example, has no effect at all on the yeast cells even when it
is added during fermentation.
La risposta risiede probabilmente nel fatto che entro un paio di
anni la Comunità Europea normerà anche la vinificazione con
il metodo biologico. A quel punto l’etichetta ed il logo europeo,
e non soltanto quelli delle associazioni del settore, daranno ai
consumatori la garanzia di bere un affidabile buon bicchiere di
vino biologico.
What can we say of the most recent treatments against gray
mould (anilinopirimidine, dicarbossimidi, benzimidazoli) that
are used up to 10 days after harvest and are guaranteed by the
producer to have no effect on the yeast? That they can perfectly
well leave residues that give no trouble to the yeast cells, but for
the wine drinker…who knows? Various scientific studies (for
example one carried out by Catev in Emilia Romagna about a
decade ago) show that several fungicides remain in the must and
in the wine, which never happens when copper is used. It should
be clarified that organic winemakers are subject to the general
regulations on fertilization and to routine health checks. The
difference lies in the fact that they use exclusively products of
vegetable and animal origin (manure—not only that transported
by truck but also that in pellets and sold in sacks—compost,
borlande etc), or mineral (such as potassic-magnesium
sulphate). In conventional winemaking a huge range of products made from petrochemicals can be employed which are very
efficient but have the downside of polluting ground water. Given
this, can we still say that all wine is organic? The answer lies in
the fact that within a couple of years the European Community
will regulate the organic method of winemaking and when that
happens the EU logo and label, and not just that of the industry
association, will be the guarantee that you are drinking a glass of
good, reliable, organic wine.
About the author...
About the author...
Francesco Pellegrino, 39 anni, è senior manager di un’agenzia che si
occupa di comunicazione ed eventi. Laureato in economia, è autore
di vari saggi di natura socio-politica. Da febbraio dello scorso anno
è direttore responsabile di Wine Magazine (www.wine-zine.com),
periodico di cultura enologica.
Franceso Pellegrino, 39, is the senior manager of a public relations
agency. He has a degree in economics and is the author of several
essays on socio-political themes. In February 2007 he became the
managing editor of Wine Magazine (www.wine-zine.com), a periodic magazine devoted to wine and winemaking.
Semplicemente essi utilizzano, rispettando le leggi e sotto
il controllo di tutte le autorità, comprese quelle sanitarie,
solo ed esclusivamente prodotti di origine vegetale e animale
(letame—non solo quello che si trasporta col carro ma anche
quello pellettato e venduto in sacchi—compost, borlande ecc.) o
minerale (come il solfato potassico-magnesiaco). In viticoltura
convenzionale si può utilizzare una vasta gamma di prodotti di
derivazione petrolchimica, molto efficienti ma che però hanno
il brutto vizio di inquinare le acque di falda. A questo punto si
può ancora dire che tutto il vino è biologico?
ADVERTISING FEATURE
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Cutting your pesticide exposure
The average North American today eats 26 more
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than just 10 years ago. Meanwhile, the choice
of produce in a typical grocery store has grown
fivefold over the same period.
Council, expenditures on pesticides have doubled between
1980 and 1990 and have increased eightfold since 1970.
Much of the credit for the increased availability and variety of
fresh fruits and vegetables is due, in part, to the extensive use
of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
The use of pesticides is now so widespread that we often forget
that these products are actually designed to destroy and control
organisms deemed to be undesirable or offensive, including
plants, insects and rodents. When pesticides are applied, the
substances can contaminate the environment whether it is
water, air or soil. Every Canadian carries pesticide residues in
his or her body and the residues of these agricultural chemicals
often remain in our food as invisible hazards to our health.
Over 34 million kilograms of pesticides are used annually
across Canada. According to the Canadian National Research
There is growing consensus in the scientific community that
small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely
affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal
development and childhood when exposures can have long
lasting effects. The health concerns associated with chronic
exposure to pesticides include increased risk of cancer, organ
damage, birth defects, and neurological impairments such as
Alzheimer’s disease. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are
worrisome and in some cases completely unstudied, it may be
wise to minimize exposure to pesticides when possible.
If we look at our food as sustaining health as well as the environment, the price of organically grown food seems well worth
it. Recent studies have shown organic fruits and vegetables
contain more vitamins and more antioxidants. This is because,
in the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their
production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants)
that strengthen their resistance to bugs and weeds.
According to a recent four-year British scientific study, natural
foods including vegetables, fruits and milk are more nutritious
and healthful than non-organic foods. The findings confirm that
organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40% more antioxidants
(substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow
the oxidative damage to our body) than non-organic varieties.
Participants in the study also rated the taste, texture and firmness
of the organic fruits and vegetables were also rated much higher
in the study than the produce that was grown conventionally.
Canadians are turning to organic food in growing numbers.
BEST PRACTICE
A recent Nielsen study showed that 38 percent of Canadians
purchase organic foods to avoid pesticides and artificial fertilizers. In addition, recent surveys of consumers have indicated
that more than 80 percent view pesticide residues as a “serious
hazard,” actually outranking concerns over drugs and hormones in meat, nitrates in foods, irradiated foods, additives or
artificial colours. While the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) reported chemical residues in over 22 percent of both
domestic and imported fresh produce in 2004 to 2005, these
residues were well within the safety limits set by Health Canada.
“To say that our food is laced with pesticides is alarmist,” says
Henri Bietlot, national manager for the chemical evaluation
section in the CFIA’s food safety division.
“Pesticides are one of the most intensely regulated chemicals
in society,” adds Leonard Ritter, a professor of environmental
biology at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Along with
Bietlot, Ritter maintains that Canada’s conventional food supply
is among the safest in the world.
Environmentalists and health advocates aren’t as convinced.
According to the results of a recent year-long study of children
in Seattle, eating a variety of conventional foods from local
groceries contained biological markers of organophosphates,
the family of pesticides spawned by the creation of nerve gas
agents in World War II. When the children ate organic foods,
the signs of pesticides were not found.
Once the children in the study switched from conventional food
to organic, the pesticides (malathion and chlorpyrifos) that
were measured in the urine disappeared. “The level returned
immediately when they went back to the conventional diets,”
said Chensheng Lu, the principal author of the study published
in the January 2008 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
Unlike previous studies, Lu’s team focused on children living in
a suburban area and tested them for multiple days during each
of the four seasons with urine and saliva sampled twice a day.
Chlorpyrifos, made by Dow Chemical Company, is one of the
most widely used organophosphate insecticides in the world.
Lu says more research must be done into the harm these
pesticides may do to children and adults alike, even at the low
levels found in food.
“In animals and a few human studies, we know chlorpyrifos
inhibits an enzyme that transmits a signal in the brain so the
body can function properly. Unfortunately, that’s all we know.
But it is appropriate to assume that if exposed to pesticides,
even though it’s a low-level exposure on a daily basis, there are
going to be some health concerns down the road.”
Lu claims an all-organic diet is not necessary, but just understanding how fruits and vegetables grow can help guide the
consumer. For example, he states that pesticide levels in urine
samples were higher in the winter months, when the children
were more likely to consume fruits and vegetables that were
imported. Lu encourages consumers to buy produce direct
from the farmers if possible. These do not necessarily need to
be organic farmers, but can also be conventional growers who
simply work to minimize their use of pesticides.
Produce shipped from distant sites is frequently picked green
and sealed in wax or gassed with preservatives, which boosts
toxin levels. Some pesticides are drawn in internally by the
plants and find their way into the parts of the plant you eat,
meaning the pesticides cannot be washed off. Other pesticides are designed to bind tightly to the surface of the fruit or
vegetable so that rain doesn’t wash them off, which means the
average consumer cannot easily wash them off either.
Locavores (people who commit to eating local food as much
as possible) claim that by supporting the whole local organic
farm system, we can solve many of agriculture’s most difficult
problems. Building up the health of the soil, the farmer can
eliminate, or at least reduce, the need for chemical inputs.
In addition to supporting the farm system, eating local and
organic improves the freshness, taste and boosts regional
economies all while avoiding chemical-ridden foods from
other countries where pesticide laws are frequently lax.
Organic food may not be perfect but to the millions that buy it,
it is well worth the cost.
What Can
You Do?
Individuals can protect their health and
the health of the environment by avoiding
pesticides. Consider trying the following:
• Eliminate Pesticides. Insects in the garden
are often a huge concern to gardeners. But
they need not be as big a deal as they are. If
your garden is in good health, then bugs are
less likely to be able to damage or kill your
plants. For insects that truly are insatiable,
consider an organic alternative to pesticides,
such as a soap and water spray or introducing
natural predators, such as ladybugs or preying
mantis, into your garden.
• Herbicides. The best way to get rid of weeds
without resorting to herbicides is obviously to
pull them by hand. But for those who would
rather enjoy a garden without so much work,
mulch is your best bet. Bark mulch spread six
to eight inches deep will keep 99% of weeds
from being able to grow. Those that do, can
be easily pulled in just a few seconds. Mulch
should be spread in the spring and fall whenever possible three to four inches in the spring,
and another three to four inches in the fall.
• Fertilizer. Manure from a local farm is an
excellent replacement for petroleum-based
fertilizers. When properly spread it works
wonders for the sluggish garden.
• Eat a diverse diet. A varied diet helps to
minimize your exposure to pesticides that are
used exclusively on particular crops.
• Wash or peel fruits and vegetables. Use a
diluted mixture of dish detergent and water,
scrub gently and rinse completely.
• Buy organic foods. Organic farmers are
bound by contract to provide foods that have
had no pesticide exposure or they will lose
their organic designation. Organic meat and
dairy producers are not allowed to feed their
livestock food that has been exposed to pesticides or any other chemicals.
REGIONAL FOCUS
Food that travels well
The 100-Mile Diet is the brainchild of Vancouver writers
Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon. The green-minded couple
decided to make some lifestyle changes after learning that the
ingredients in the average North American meal travel between
1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to plate. (A lot of our food comes
from much farther away, or course, such as apples from New
Zealand, asparagus from Argentina, and shrimp from Thailand.
Even salmon from the Pacific may have first been sent to China
for filleting before being shipped back to Canada or the USA.)
For an entire year, Smith and MacKinnon ate and drank
products grown, raised and produced within a 100-mile radius.
They documented their progress on their web site along the way
and in 2007 published The 100 Mile Diet—A Year of Local Eating
(Random House Canada, ISBN 978-0-679-31482-0), detailing
their experiences.
The book has become wildly successful around the globe
and encourages worldwide followers to carefully consider
where their food comes from, to choose local products,
and when possible grow and produce their own food.
RISK
PE
International SA
Vancouver, Lausanne, Torino
Since its publication, the term “food miles” (how far food has
travelled before you buy it) has become the buzz word with many
environmental groups, particularly those in Europe who are
pushing for labels that show how far food has travelled to get to
the market and to contemplate the damage generated by trucking, shipping and flying food from distant parts of the globe.
Although Smith and MacKinnon religiously stick to 100 miles
(even if it meant using a credit card to separate the wheat
berries from mouse droppings in an effort to make their own
flour), they encourage readers to define their own radius.
“Local” can mean anything from your immediate region to your
province or any other set area.
While the diet is strict and requires research to find reliable
venues for staples and specialty items, supporters believe
it exposes followers to the bounty of local food and may
even encourage gardening. At its extreme, the 100-mile diet
means no coffee, no spices and no chocolate. Most don’t
go that far, but do embrace buying food grown and raised
locally where possible.
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Since there are no hard rules on how far regional foods can
travel and still be considered local, the 100-mile rule helps
Locavores (people who eat local food) to define their territory.
People eat local for different reasons. The principles associated
with buying locally and sustainably produced foods—meaning
you preserve the health of the land for future generations—mesh
well with the overall commitments many environmentalists
have of conserving fossil fuel, helping protect the environment
and supporting the regional economy. For others it’s about food
safety; reducing the number of steps from farm to table makes
it possible to see and talk to a local grower, a transparency not
available with a faceless distant agribusiness. Many eat local to
keep in touch with the seasons, believing it tastes better than
getting varieties of fruits and vegetables that don’t ship well.
The 100 Mile Diet has gone beyond the growing popularity
of organic or local produce. It has been born not only out of
people’s desire to know where their food comes from, but to be
able to shake hands with the farmer who grew it.
MEMBER FEATURE
Jerome De Luca
REAL ESTATE
INVESTING
Good News for Investors
Syndication offers small investors an opportunity
to own a piece of the real estate pie
Accolade Equities joined the Italian Chamber of Commerce
in Canada in March of this year, and has been active with the
Chamber since the fall of 2006. In addition to the business connections within the Chamber, and to better serve our investors
in the Tri-City, Burnaby and New Westminster area, I recently
opened a branch office of Accolade Equities in the Vancouver
suburb of Port Coquitlam. Prior to opening this office I contacted executives of the Italian Chamber, the Burnaby Board of
Trade, and the Tri Cities Chamber of Commerce with the idea
of holding a joint trade fair at the Italian Cultural Centre in
Vancouver. This should happen early in the spring of 2009.
For those of you who are not familiar with Accolade, or our
Parent Company, Platinum Equities, in Calgary, I would like to
talk to you about the opportunities and advantages available to
our investors.
Prospective real estate investors are currently being given a
myriad of opportunities to partake in today’s active real estate
market. Among such opportunities are so-called “syndications”,
which include limited partnerships, mortgages, mortgage investment corporations, and other types of investment.
Syndication provides investors who have limited capital with the
opportunity to participate in the ownership or development of
properties which would otherwise be too expensive for them to
acquire or develop on their own. Or in the words of Philip Pincus,
Managing Director of Vancouver based Accolade Equities, “small
investors can own a piece of the real estate pie.”
Further, with current stock market volatility and low interest
rates available on fixed income investments, many investors
are looking for the sort of secure, moderate yield investment
which is offered by a well-structured investment in a revenueproducing property.
By projecting a modest 4% per annum appreciation on the
properties and adding the cash flow after debt servicing, we
have projected a 20% per annum return on investment, so
that our investors should be able to double their money in
five years. In reality, some of our investments have seen even
more startling returns. In November of 2006 Limited Partners
in the First Street Plaza property in Calgary voted to accept an
unsolicited offer 0f $15 million within 19 months of buying the
building for $11.6 million. Each $50,000 investment returned
$90,000 including rental income. Three weeks later an unsolicited offer was accepted on two of our other properties, and
those investors walked away with a cheque for $75,000 on a
$50,000 investment in a period of 13 months
Accolade’s parent company, Calgary based Platinum Equities
first Limited Partnership was Plaza 14, a small office building
in Calgary. Purchased in 2004 this was a six million dollar
syndication with 120 partnership units, representing fewer
than 100 investors. Since that time we have grown to over $275
million in syndicated real estate, to include, commercial office
buildings, an 1,100 acre land assembly, a shopping mall, a 30
acre subdivision, and a core group of over 1,800 investors.
One of our acquisitions is the historic Pemberton Building at
Hastings & Howe in downtown Vancouver.
There are certain tax advantages to our limited partnership
investments, and some are even structured within registered
retirement savings plans. A limited partnership provides the
CEO Philip Pincus visits Lucaya, a ninty-four suite condominium project in Kelowna.
Fourty-four of the ninty-four suites including the $3.5 million penthouse have been
pre-sold. Lucaya is a $50,000 RSP eligible investment with a projected return on
investment of 25% per annum over a period of two years. This offering is closed.
benefits of general partnership, including the usual tax advantages and full voting rights for partners, but the partners are not
liable for partnership obligations. The LP concept has all the
usual tax advantages of a partnership. It effectively combines
the flow-through tax treatment of a partnership with the limited
liability of a shareholder. Here are some of the advantages:
The first advantage is Tax Deferral.
We can never completely avoid paying tax, but we can pay it at
a more opportune time. It is usually advantageous to pay taxes
in the future rather than today. Quoting Mr. Philip Pincus of
Accolade Equities “The cash on cash distributions (the difference between tenant rents and debt servicing) which are paid
to the investor on a quarterly basis, are characterized as return
of capital rather than revenue; and the tax liability is deferred
until the building is sold, or the investor cashes out. At that
time, tax is paid at the more favorable Capital gains rate, where
current legislation exempts 50% of the gain.”
The second advantage is Tax Savings
Taxes on capital gains are lower than on regular income,
(e.g., income from employment, business or property) and
dividends. Again, quoting Mr. Pincus: At the end of 3 years
the limited partners will vote on whether to refinance or to
sell the building. If they vote to sell the building they will
receive the appreciation on the building as well as the cash
on cash distributions that they have already been paid. At that
time the return on investment, will, except for a small portion
subject to depreciation recapture, be taxable as capital gains,
rather than ordinary income. In the case where the partners
agree to refinance, a new mortgage will be negotiated based
on the appreciated value of the building. The resulting equity
take out will be distributed to the investors, and no tax will be
paid, because this payment to the investor is characterized as
proceeds of a loan and not income.”
The third advantage is Tax Efficiency
This is a way to benefit from such items as capital loss carryforwards, and other advantageous tax planning opportunities.
In the hands of a competent tax accountant these items can spell
increased cash flow and diminished tax liabilities.
In short, Limited Partnerships/Syndications do not allow us
to avoid paying taxes, but in many cases they do let us choose a
strategy that allows us to keep more of what we earn.
In closing, be sure that this type of investment meets your needs.
Do your own due diligence. Take time to thoroughly understand
the terms and the nature of the investment. Remember, emotional investing could be hazardous to your wealth.
Jerome De Luca is an associate with Accolade Equities Inc.
of Vancouver, a company specializing in arranging limited
partnerships on commercial real estate.
Contact: Jerome De Luca
Tel: 604-552-4386
E-mail: [email protected]
GUEST FEATURE
DRINK IT!
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN SUPPORT OF
the Health Benefits of Wine
By Dr. Giuseppe (Joe) Mazza*
Studies of wine and its effects on health
have a long history, ranging from anecdotal
accounts in ancient times to more recent
rigorous studies of populations with hundreds
of thousands of participants.
Most studies have shown that the consumption of wine, particularly of red wine, helps to prevent coronary heart disease
and some cancers. Evidence from a recently published review
of 13 studies (involving 209,418 subjects) on the relationship
between wine consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease
has revealed an average significant reduction of 32% of overall
vascular risk associated with moderate (1-2 drinks or 150-300
mL/day) versus no wine consumption. These studies also
suggest that men and women who drink 1 to 2 drinks per day
(not more) have lower total mortality rates, reflected in lower
incidence of coronary heart disease, diabetes, ischemic stroke
and in some populations prostate cancer and dementia.
A second type of evidence that continues to emerge includes
in vitro studies, studies in animal models of human disease,
and measures of surrogate markers of disease in humans.
Thus, a series of in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that the
polyphenolic compounds in wine, in addition to ethanol, may
play an active role in limiting the initiation and progression
of atherosclerosis. Polyphenols in red wine are usually subdi-
vided into two groups, the flavonoids (flavonols, anthocyanins,
catechins and pro-anthocyanidins) and nonflavonoids. The
most common flavonoids in red wine are anthocyanins, flavonols such as quercetin, and flavan-3-ols such as tannins
and catechin. The nonflavonoids include hydroxybenzoates,
hydroxycinnamates and stilbenes, and the most significant
compounds in this group in terms of possible positive health
benefits are the stilbene resveratrol and the related compounds
piceid and astringin.
Many studies have shown that flavonoids have protective
effects against the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Flavonoids from red wine and purple grape juice inhibit
in vivo platelet-mediated experimental coronary thrombosis.
They also inhibit ex vivo platelet aggregation in humans. Grape
flavonoids increase the release of nitric oxide and decrease the
production of super oxide in aggregating platelets, which limits
the size of a developing platelet aggregate.
In in vitro studies with phenolics in red wine and normal
human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) have shown that red wine
inhibits the copper-catalysed oxidation of LDL cholesterol,
which is the bad cholesterol. Therefore, it has been concluded
that with regular ingestion of these antioxidant polyphenols
via red wine consumption, a collective reduction in the oxidation of lipoproteins may occur and thus contribute to reduced
atherosclerosis and mortality from cardiovascular diseases.
GUEST FEATURE
Wine and grape flavonoids also protect and increase serum
HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol by reducing oxidative
stress through inhibition of cellular enzymes such as NADPH
oxidase and myeloperoxidase.
From a comparison of in vitro effects of red wine, white wine
and ethanol on cell mediated oxidation of LDL and HDL
cholesterols it has been reported that red wine inhibits the cell
mediated oxidation of lipoproteins, that white wine is not as
effective as red wine and that the effect of the red wine is not
due to its ethanol content.
In addition, numerous studies with dogs, monkeys, rabbits and
hamsters have shown that red wine may inhibit the initiation of
atherosclerosis by one or more of the following mechanisms:
platelet activation, oxidative modification of LDL, endothelial
dysfunction, and inflammation.
A recent clinical study with 20 free-living healthy people in
which subjects in the red wine group consumed 2 glasses (375
mL) red wine daily for 2 weeks, showed that the concentration
of polyphenols in the blood increased significantly after 2 weeks
of daily red wine consumption and trace levels of metabolites,
mainly glucuronides and methyl glucuronides of catechin and
epicatechin, were detected in the plasma of the red wine group.
These flavan-3-ol metabolites were not detected in plasma
from the control group. The maximum concentrations of conjugated dienes and TBARS in Cu-oxidised LDL were reduced
and HDL cholesterol concentrations increased following red
wine consumption. These findings provide some evidence for
potential protective effects of moderate consumption of red
wine in healthy volunteers.
A 2004 randomized, crossover, single-blind clinical trial evaluated the effects of wine and gin on inflammatory biomarkers of
atherosclerosis. In this study, 40 healthy men consumed 30
grams of ethanol either in the form of two glasses of red wine
(Merlot) or 100 mL (3.3 ounces) of gin with dinner each day for
28 days. All of the participants also followed relatively the same
diet and exercise program during the study. Researchers analyzed blood samples before and after the study, and found both
wine and gin had anti-inflammatory effects. Both groups had
lower levels of fibrinogen, which clots blood and is a risk factor
for heart attack. They also had lower levels of the inflammatory
marker IL-1. But those who drunk red wine also had lower levels of C-reactive protein and two other inflammatory markers,
vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular
adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). C-reactive protein or CRP
is an important marker of inflammation, directly involved in
the process of forming plaques in the inner lining of arteries,
and elevated CRP levels are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Thus, a reduction of CRP with moderate
consumption of red wine is indeed a positive outcome.
In addition to the beneficial association between wine/alcohol
consumption and coronary heart disease that has now been
observed in many studies, some epidemiological studies
have associated alcohol or wine consumption with reduced
rates of incidence of several other diseases. These include
prostate cancer, diabetes, ischemic stroke, and dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease.
In conclusions, epidemiological studies and recent in vitro
and in vivo data indicate that moderate daily intake of wine
(1-2 drinks a day) may reduce the risk of developing heart
disease and stroke. Other positive effects of wine on health
such as decreasing the risk of certain cancers and Alzheimer’s
disease remain to be established. Red wine, which has a higher
content of polyphenols appears to be superior to white wine
and other alcoholic beverages protecting against coronary heart
diseases and stroke. However, in this era of evidence-based
medicine, a large-scale randomized control trial, assessing
the effects of red wine intake versus a non-alcoholic placebo,
would be required to ensure that there is legitimacy to both
the epidemiological and biological data. Only based on the
favourable results of such a study may health professionals be
fully justified in recommending the consumption of red wine
for cardiovascular protection. In the mean time, my advice is
to drink wine moderately to health, and perhaps for health!
* About the author...
Dr. Giuseppe (Joe) Mazza is Principal Food and Bioscience Research
Scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food
Research Centre, Summerland, British Columbia. Adjunct Professor
in the Food, Nutrition and Health Program at the University of
British Columbia, Vancouver; Food Science Department, University
of Manitoba, Winnipeg, and Department of Human Biology and
Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph.

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Studies indicate that moderate daily intake of wine (1-2 drinks a day)
may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and stroke.
N EWS & EV E N T S
Messaggio
Message
Chairman del Consiglio di
Amministrazione
from the Executive Director
Celso Boscariol
Elizabeth Iachelli
Chairman of the Board,
Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada −
Vancouver Edmonton Calgary
[email protected]
Executive Director,
Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada −
Vancouver Edmonton Calgary
[email protected]
This is my first editorial appointment with Conexus readers
as the recently elected Chairman of the Board of the Italian
Chamber of Commerce in Canada and I look forward to developing a dialogue with our readers and members over forthcoming issues. I am honoured to occupy the position of Chairman,
acting as the representative of the Chamber’s members and
as its principal officer, and I would welcome any of your comments or concerns on Chamber matters or on any of the larger
issues facing Western Canada today.
It is appropriate that this issue appears just after Thanksgiving,
that quintessentially New World holiday, now so overladen with
commercial overtones that its origins seem lost in the mists of
time. Yet, thankfully, this year a certain number of households
in Western Canada will in some measure return to those origins
by giving thanks for produce they have grown themselves as
the concept of urban farming has transformed from being the
monopoly of superannuated hippies to a grass roots movement sweeping the globe. A small but increasing number of
heritage turkeys will preside at the dinner table rather than the
Franken-birds on steroids that overflow supermarket freezers
at this time of year.
Conexus is, of course, a vehicle for addressing some of those
larger issues and in this edition we take a look at the business of
organic products and analyze some of the most recent developments in Italy and in Canada. We try to sift fact from fiction in an
arena where passions run high, where legislation can leave grey
areas and where claims are difficult to substantiate. However, it
is undoubtedly an area that is experiencing exponential growth
and, as such, is worthy of our attention in this issue.
Questo e’ il mio primo appuntamento editoriale con i lettori di Conexus come neo-eletto Chairman del Consiglio
di Amministrazione della Camera di Commercio Italiana in
Canada. La mia priorita’ consistera’ nell’avviare, fin dalla corrente pubblicazione, un dialogo continuo con i nostri lettori e
soci. Sono lieto di rivestire la posizione di Chairman, operando
come rappresentante dei membri della Camera e come suo delegato principale, e sono pronto ad accogliere i vostri commenti
e appunti riguardo l’andamento camerale nonche’ le dinamiche
che interessano il Canada occidentale.
Conexus costituisce un valido strumento per discutere di questi
argomenti; in questa edizione ci focalizzeremo sul business dei
prodotti biologici analizzando i recenti sviluppi in tale settore
sia in Italia che in Canada. L’obiettivo e’ quello di esplorare un
terreno caratterizzato da un coinvolgimento crescente, da una
legislazione lacunosa e da un’ evidente difficolta’ a comprovare
le dichiarazioni in materia. Il business dell’organico e’ senza
dubbio un settore che sta vivendo una crescita esponenziale e,
che pertanto, merita la nostra attenzione.
When did food become an industrial product with its source
a supermarket, its connections to the earth airbrushed out in
favour of uniform blandness and sanitized convenience? How
easily we became accustomed to having exotic fruits and vegetables accessible all year round and preferred perfectly formed
but perfectly tasteless tomatoes every day of the year over the
seasonal heirloom fruit in all its flavourful originality and
wonderful imperfections! When did we forget about eggs with
rich yellow yolks; about the mouth-watering taste of free-range
chickens; about delicious local tree and vine ripened fruit, all
the sweeter for the shortness of its season?
As North America, with its overfed and undernourished citizens, becomes more aware of its unhealthy eating habits; as we
begin to see the insane carbon footprint of the over-centralized
multinational agri-industry; as outbreaks of poisoning from
processed foods become more widespread and more deadly; as
collectively we begin to see the dysfunctional relationship our
society has with food, we can learn much from the reverence
and respect that Italians place on food. The Italian tradition
is steeped in simplicity, relying on authentic, local and fresh
ingredients and on a sense of place linked to seasonality.
This edition of Conexus seeks to explore some of the complex
issues around organic food in Italy and Canada and may just
change the way you undertake your next trip to the grocery.
NE W S & E V E N T S
Welcome
NEW M E M B E R S
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newest members who
joined us in the SPRING
AND SUMMER of 2008.
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Manufacturing
www.lipco.ca
BOW VALLEY
COLLEGE
SEAN L. MAILEY
PREMIUM
CALGARY AB
403-410-1400
Educational
www.bowvalleycollege.ca
CIN CIN
RICARDO FERREIRA
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-688-7338
Restaurant
www.cincin.net
DA VINCI
INTERNATIONAL
TRAVEL INC.
IN2CC CONTENT
CREATION INC.
MARINA DEMARINIS
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-254-9557
Travel
JEAN CLOUTIER
INDIVIDUAL
VANCOUVER BC
778-239-1780
Content Creation
www.in2cc.com
Dorothy Grant
LA PIAZZA DARIO
Corporate
Vancouver bc
604-681-0201
Studio/Gallery
www.dorothygrant.com
FAMOSO
NEAPOLITAN
PIZZERIA
JUSTIN LUSSIER
CORPORATE
EDMONTON AB
780-732-0700
Restaurant
www.famoso.ca
FEDERICO’S
SUPPER CLUB
BRUNELLA GAUDIO
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-251-3473
Restaurant
www.federicos
supperclub.com
GERARDO G DUTTO
INDIVIDUAL
VANCOUVER BC
604-327-9819
GUSTO DI QUATTRO
PATRICK CORSI
SUSTAINING
NORTH VANCOUVER BC
604-924-4444
Restaurant
www.quattrorestaurants.com
LIDIA RANALLO
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-430-2195
Dine Italia Restaurant
www.lapiazzadario.bc.ca
LA QUERCIA
LUCAIS SYME
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-676-1007
Restaurant
www.laquercia.ca
MAGIC-D HOLDINGS
MAURO CELOTTI
CORPORATE
WEST VANCOUVER BC
604-926-7002
Holding Company
www.maurocelotti.com
MERCEDES-BENZ
CANADA INC
DAMON DAMIANI
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-639-3292
Automobile
www.mbvancouver.ca
OSTERIA NAPOLI
RISTORANTE
JOSEPH BRIFFA
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-255-6441
Restaurant
www.osterianapoli.com
PAPI’S RISTORANTE
ITALIANO
KEN LACI
SUSTAINING
RICHMOND BC
604-275-8355
Restaurant
PMA CANADA
CARRIE HOPKINS
SUSTAINING
CALGARY AB
403-226-2065
Wine
www.pmacanada.com
QUALIFIRST GROUP
YVES FARGES
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-876-2241
Import
www.qualifirst.com
Rendez-Vous Art
Gallery Ltd
Guy Dagenais
Corporate
Vancouver bc
604-687-7466
Art Gallery
www.rendezvousart
gallery.com
RINASCITA
CORPORATION
IMPORT-EXPORT LTD.
FRANCESCO TUDDA
SUSTAINING
CALGARY AB
403-473-2080
Import
Rocky
Mountaineer
Vacations
Randy Powell
Corporate
Vancouver bc
604-606-7200
Travel
www.rockymountaineer.com
RON SOMBILON
GALLERY
RON SOMBILON
INDIVIDUAL
VANCOUVER BC
604-916-0257
Art
www.ronsombilongallery.com
SIAD MACCHINE
IMPIANTI
GIUSEPPE PRINA
PREMIUM
BERGAMO ITALY
Compressors
www.siadmi.com
TRATTORIA
ITALIAN KITCHEN
DAVID KIPS
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-732-1441
Restaurant
www.trattoriakitchen.ca
TRG - THE
RESIDENTIAL GROUP
REALTY
ANDREW KURAS
CORPORATE
VANCOUVER BC
604-629-6100
Real Estate
www.vancouver
relocation.com
WESTROAST COFFEE
CO LTD
WALTER CATTONI
CORPORATE
CALGARY AB
403-230-8636
Agent
www.mrcappuccino.com
N EWS & EV E N T S
BC
Excellence
Italian Business
AWARDS
2008
Uberto Vanni d’Archirafi, Lucio Sacchetti, Mario Moretti Polegato, Anita Boscariol,
Celso Boscariol, Elizabeth Iachelli, Roberta D’Agostino, Mike Killeen.
The inaugural BC Italian Business Excellence Awards were
held on Thursday, May 29, 2008 at the Italian Cultural Centre,
hosted by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada under
the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy.
The Italian Business Excellence Awards recognized and promoted business excellence among B.C. companies and ItalianCanadian business operators and showcased the contribution
Italian-Canadian business brings to the B.C. economy.
The award ceremony recognized five areas of distinction:
Business Excellence, Young Entrepreneur, Global Success,
Innovation, and Italian Hospitality. The event was supported
in part by RBC, The Peterson Group, KPMG, Select Wines,
Vino Allegro, and the Italian Cultural Centre and was emceed
by CTV’s 2010 Olympic Reporter, Mike Killeen.
Keynote speaker was Mario Moretti Polegato, founder and
president of Geox and the inventor of the shoe that breathes,
who made a special trip to Vancouver to be part of the event.
During his address Polegato noted that, “Since Geox arrived
on the Canadian footwear scene five years ago, it has experienced 100% growth season after season. Large numbers
of Canadians have truly understood the uniqueness of this
Italian product and they contributed to make Geox one of the
country’s leading shoe brands and the second most popular
brand on the planet.”
Participants enjoyed a wonderful evening of fine wines, a
five-star dinner and the excitement of the awards ceremony
presented in the lovely setting of the Italian Cultural Centre in
hub of the Italian community.
LEFT: Evening Sponsor Vicky Ainley from Vino
Allegro and guests toasting with her popular
Vespaiolo bubbly from Cantina Breganze
FAR LEFT: Victor Benedet from A. Bosa Foods
and Martino Ciambrelli from Brelli Marketing.
TOP: Adriana Vescovi from Bella Catering, nominated for the Innovation Award enjoying her
evening surrounded by supporters and friends.
Photos by Ron Sombilon
Logo design by Jerome De Luca,
Accolade Equities Inc.
Award Winners
BUSINESS
EXCELLENCE
A. Bosa & Co. Ltd.
(Bosa Foods)
This award honours a business which has demonstrated
outstanding achievement in
all categories—leadership,
entrepreneurialism, innovation,
philanthropy, and community
involvement, as well as contributing to the arts.
YOUNG
ENTREPRENEUR
Stile Wines,
Carmine
D’Onofrio Jr.
This award honours a business
whose management is under 40
and demonstrates outstanding
achievement in their business or
professional career.
GLOBAL
SUCCESS
Newway
Forming Ltd.
whose achievements are accomplished in the international
arena, supporting the success of
Canadian business competing in
the global marketplace.
INNOVATION
Marble Art
Canada Ltd.
whose achievements are accomplished in the international
arena, supporting the success of
Canadian business competing in
the global marketplace.
ITALIAN
HOSPITALITY
Il Giardino
di Umberto
This award recognizes a business in the travel, tourism or
hospitality industry which exemplifies the highest traditions of
Italian hospitality excellence
N EWS & EV E N T S
Happy Hour, Italian Style
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Peter
Mielzynsky Agency (PMA) launched the Italian Happy Hour
event on July 22nd, 2008 at Boulevard Lounge in Calgary.
The purpose of the Italian Happy Hour is to raise awareness
about the culture of Italian cocktails among the members of the
Italian Chamber of Commerce and local Business Community
in Calgary. The event also promotes local lounges and restaurants that sell Italian
beverages and their
suppliers.
The Boulevard’s patio
and lounge provided
an excellent setting
for guests to network
while enjoying cocktails and appetizers.
The Invited guests also had an opportunity to try a selection
of appetizers, pasta, salads, cold cuts, cheeses and fruits while
sipping on delicious martinis and the Spritz. Events like this
one help raise awareness about the role of the Italian Chamber
of Commerce in promotion of Italian trade, culture and lifestyle
in Alberta. At the same time the Italian Happy Hour provides an
excellent opportunity for local business to gain exposure through
sponsorship and donation to the event.
The goal of the Italian Chamber of Commerce is to organize
the Italian Happy Hour at least once a month while involving
more local venues and suppliers in Calgary and Edmonton, thus
creating more colourful image of Italy in Alberta.
Flavours of Italy in Calgary
The Chamber’s 6th annual Flavours of Italy was once again one
of Calgary’s most talked about events. The sold out soiree was
held on September 17th at Hotel Arts and it featured tasting of
over 180 some of the best Italian wines currently available in
Alberta. Barolos, Amarones, Valpolicellas, Chiantis and many
other Italian wines were flowing freely at the Flavours of Italy
wine tasting.
“Flavours of Italy 2008” was organized in collaboration with 20
Western Canadian wine agents and it included an exclusive afternoon wine tasting for hospitality professionals as well as an even-
CANADIAN COLLEGE
of English Language
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ricerca di un lavoro retribuito part-time o full-time in Canada.
Si tratta di un servizio ideale per studenti che sono già in possesso del Visto
per il loro soggiorno.
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mondo! Questo avevo letto sui giornali e
questo l'ho potuto vedere dal vivo nei sei
mesi trascorsi in questa splendida città. In
più i mesi trascorsi al CCEL grazie a un
fantastico staff di insegnanti mi hanno
permesso di imparare l'inglese come mai
avrei immaginato.”
• Il programma include il tirocinio ESL e la ricerca assistita di un lavoro
attraverso tre colloqui.
• Gli ambiti in cui verrai impegnato potranno essere vari: retail, turismo,
ristorazione e caffetteria, accoglienza e tanti altri.
Come richiesto dall' Ufficio Immigrazione canadese, lo studente dovrà
essere in possesso del Visto e del giusto permesso di soggiorno.
email: [email protected] web: www.canada-english.com phone: 1.604.688.9366
ing consumer tasting for the general public. One of this year’s
highlights was a VIP room hosted by Rinascita Liquor Agency,
which offered samples of 72 new Italian wines never before tasted
in Canada. These wines come from six Italian regions, which
include Piedmont, Toscana, Umbria, Lazio, Campania and Sicily.
Judging by the guests’ reaction theses wines will very soon find
their place on numerous wine shelves across Alberta’s liquor
stores, restaurants and homes.
But the night was not only about the wines. The foyer of the Hotel
Arts featured displays by various Chamber’s members. Ciao
Tours and Rainbow Travel Group were providing information
on the latest tourists destinations in Italy, while World Wide
Specialty Food offered a great selection of some of the best Italian
cheeses. A Touch of Italy made sure that the guests’ palates were
fully complete by serving espresso shots and Italian biscotti.
However, the event would not have been complete without Italian
fashion. Rinascita Coorporation Import-Export Ltd. put on a
fascinating display that featured latest men’s fashion from Italy’s
most famous brands.
The Italian Chamber would like to thank again all the agents
who participated in this year’s show and is looking forward collaborating with you all on other Italian food and wine promotions
in Alberta in the future.
Clockwise from left: Italian wines were
flowing freely at the Flavours of Italy
trade tasting; Susan Giacomin, WineQuest and Dusan Rnjak, ICCC Alberta
Regional Director; Fashion display by
Rinascita Coorporation Import-Export Ltd.
Specialized in organizing personal tours
in Western Canada for singles and groups
in English, Italian and German.
STRATHINK
SOLUTIONS CORP.
• Personal assistance from arrival
to departure at the airport
• Arranging hotel reservations
and visits to attractions
• Limo and charter service from
singles to groups
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Planning to visit Italy?
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to experience and enjoy your personal
passione italiana. For more info contact
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Strathink Solutions Corp. provides corporate development and finance services for clients looking to take
their company to the next level. We work in partnership with our clients to develop a strategy that is
congruent with the client's vision, mission, and goals,
and facilitate the procurement of financing that is
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provided as part of a broader business expansion plan
that includes a financing component, or as a standalone service. Our aim is to find the right solution that
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STRATHINK
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[email protected] | www.nwct.ca
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Tel: 403-472-5871
Web: www.strathinksolutions.com
Email: [email protected]
N EWS & EV E N T S
Institutional Delegation from the Chamber of Commerce of Udine
The President of the Chamber of Commerce of
Udine, Giovanni Da Pozzo, and the Director of
International Relations, Maria Lucia Pilutti, visited
Vancouver in June to meet with business and political leaders to explore opportunities for collaboration between Western Canada and the Region of
Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The meetings proved very productive and plans are
already underway for a business mission from BC
and Alberta to visit Udine in November and a significant economic mission comprising several key
sectors scheduled to arrive in Calgary and Vancouver
in the spring of 2009.
The highlight of the visit was a cocktail party on June
9th organized in the enchanting setting of the Dr.
Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden which enabled
our Italian guests to meet our members and to get a
feel for Vancouver’s multicultural context.
TOP: Celso Boscariol, Anita Boscariol and Giovanni Da Pozzo
RIGHT: Friends and Members of the Italian Chamber of Commerce
toasting another successful networking cocktail party.
Photos by Ron Sombilon
Corporate banking sectors
in Canada and Italy
On July 24th, on the occasion of the visit of a delegation of
students and professors from the Bocconi University in Milan,
the Chamber organized a seminar on the corporate banking
sector in Italy and Canada at Hill’s Native Art Gallery. The
Bocconi University, the leading business school in Italy and one
of the top ranked schools worldwide, organizes a yearly summer
exchange programme with SFU University in Vancouver.
Professor Brunella Bruno gave an overview of the history of
banking in Italy followed by a presentation by Robert Napoli,
Investment Manager with Vancity Capital Corporation, which
highlighted present trends in the Corporate Banking practices
with an analysis of several case studies in green building, renewable energy, environmental technology, ICT and real estate.
The 60 or so guests found both talks extremely interesting and
enjoyed meeting the students during the networking session
which followed the presentations.
CORRECTION NOTICE:
In the Spring 2008 issue of Conexus we unintentionally ran an
incorrect and out-of-date advertisement for Lexus of Edmonton.
This ad should not have been included in the Spring issue and we
sincerely regret any inconvenience or confusion that this has caused
to Lexus, their dealerships, and most importantly, Lexus guests. We
apologize unreservedly to Lexus and to readers for this inaccuracy.
N EWS & EV E N T S
PHOTOS (clockwise from top left): Guests enjoying a six course dinner;
wine lovers tasting from the selection of 140 Italian wines available
that evening; Bosa Foods display; Consul General of Italy in Vancouver,
Uberto Vanni d’Archirafi, Angela MacPherson (Scotiabank) and
Elizabeth Iachelli (ICCC); Vancouver Fashion Week sneak preview.
Photos by Natalia Becla and Rino Vultaggio.
Vancouver and Calgary savour another edition of Flavours of Italy
The sixth edition of Flavours of Italy, the Chamber’s
annual celebration of Italian wines and food, was held
almost simultaneously in Vancouver and Calgary in
prestigious venues and were both sold-out events.
Italy has 20 wine-producing regions and well over
300 officially classified appellations. Italy produces
wonderful wines all over the country; the Northwest
and Central West are the most popular, dominated by
Piedmont and Tuscany. However, the southern regions
have recently challenged the north, in both popularity and
quality. Italy is one of the oldest wine regions in the world.
Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in the country
long before the Romans started developing their own vineyards
in the second century BC. Roman wine-growing was prolific and
well-organized, pioneering large-scale production and storage
techniques like barrel-making and bottling. Two thousand years
later, Italy remains one of the world’s foremost producers, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production.
In British Columbia, the Italian Chamber of Commerce partnered with the BC Liquor Distribution Board on the Flavours of
Italy thematic promotion in 20 BC Liquor Stores throughout the
month of September showcasing the exciting wines of Italy. A
special winetasting was held in the Cambie St Liquor Store and a
tradetasting was held during the afternoon of September 24th.
In addition, our restaurant promotion, Dine Italia,
involving 22 city restaurants, was held in the first
half of September to capitalize on the buzz around all
things Italian.
Now recognized as a must-attend event for wine lovers, this year’s Flavours of Italy in Vancouver was held
on September 24th at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown
Vancouver Hotel. Over 300 guests participated in a
reception featuring 140 different wines, a gourmet six
course dinner, an exciting runway fashion show and
sneak preview of Vancouver Fashion Week, and both live
and silent auctions with trips, fashion, artwork up for bid.
Flavours of Italy gratefully acknowledges its corporate sponsors:
Bosa Foods, The Vancouver Sun and The Province, Global BC,
Seacove Group, Vancouver Fashion Week, Industria Alimentari
Sanmichele S.p.A., Mum’s Gelati & Coffee Bar, Rayacom and
Premium Member Royal Bank of Canada. Our thanks go also
to auction donors: Hume Travel, Saatchi & Saatchi, Rocky
Mountaineer Vacations, Mauro Celotti, Rendezvous Art Gallery,
Dorothy Grant, Cheri Milaney.
Once again, our signature event “Flavours of Italy” has proved
that events at the Italian Chamber of Commerce truly combine
business and pleasure in an inimitable Italian fashion.
ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CANADA
vancouver edmonton calgary
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada – Vancouver Edmonton Calgary is a non-profit, membership based
organization with a mandate of facilitating trade and investment between Italy and Canada with a special focus on
British Columbia and Alberta.
Chairman of
the Board
Celso Boscariol
Watson Goepel
Maledy
PRESIDENT
Lucio Sacchetti
CMC Engineering Ltd.
VICEPRESIDENT (AB)
Rome Verna
Hazco Environmental
Services
VICEPRESIDENT (BC)
Rita Bellano
Bellano Ceramic Tiles
TREASURER
Al Botteselle
Galloway Botteselle
and Co.
DIRECTORS
Franco Anglesio
FJA & Associates
Teresa Centanni
Century 21 Bamber
Realty Ltd.
Vincenza Eppich
Ebco Industries
Rob De Lazzari
Deltec Electric Limited
DIRECTORS
Franco
Mammarella
TRIUMF
Oberto Oberti
Oberto Oberti Inc.
Paolo Pela
Novam Ventures Ltd
Paolo Quattrocchi
NCTM Studio Legale
(Rome)
Paul Stocco
Brownlee LLP
STAFF
Elizabeth Iachelli
Executive Director
Alex Martyniak
Business Development
Director
Giorgio Puppin
Project Manager
Elena Ontiveros
Conexus Coordinator
Sophie De Marigny
Office Administrator
Gaia De Donato
Trade Analyst
Claudia Santopaolo
Trade Analyst
Augusta Vanni
Trade Analyst
STAFF
Dusan Rnjak
Regional Director
Alberta
Giovanni Varano
Project Manager
Calgary
Manuela Paesano
Trade Analyst
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