Christian Barnard Return Inspires Garda Wine for Charity Initiative
When Gianna sang to him, “I had a heart and now I don’t, Lake Garda, you stole it from me,” he burst into laughter. The singer was Gianna Malfer, the “Nightingale of Garda,” performing the song “Gioiello d’Italia,” with lyrics by Luciano Beretta and music by Jan Langosz; the venue was the legendary tavern in the port square of Garda, and the audience member was Christian Barnard, the famous cardiac surgeon.
It was the years of “La Dolce Vita” on the shores of Garda. Celebrities passing through the lake loved to spend their evenings at the tavern. Vivien Leigh, the Scarlett of “Gone with the Wind,” and Laurence Olivier had reserved stools, with their names engraved on them. Barnard was in the area for a medical conference.
He had become famous for his pioneering heart transplants. The first was performed on December 3, 1967, in South Africa, in Cape Town, opening a new era in medicine. Thirty years later, with his scalpel hung up, Professor Barnard, now ninety-seven and looking magnificent, returned to Lake Garda.
Barnard’s return and the charitable project
This time, he chose the opposite shore, the Brescia side. To present the work of his foundation, which cares for African children suffering from AIDS. He maintains relationships with other similar institutions around the world, particularly with that of the former Russian Prime Minister Gorbachev.
He has already achieved significant results, such as the construction of a hospital in Zimbabwe. In Moniga del Garda, he found a partner in the Costaripa wineries, which have the world specifically to raise funds for the Christian Barnard Foundation. The wine is called Garda Classico Prof. Christian Barnard Foundation.
It is a red made from groppello and marzemino grapes of the western Riviera of Benaco, as well as from sangiovese and barbera from nearby Franciacorta. From sales, donations will be allocated to the foundation equal to twenty-five percent of the bottle’s price.
“They didn’t want a wine that people buy just because it’s for charity. We searched for a wine that would also be good to drink,” says Mattia Vezzola, owner of the winery. The idea is his. Inspiration came from Barnard’s book, “50 Tips for a Healthy Heart,” which states: “A person who drinks two glasses of red wine a day helps their heart stay healthier.”
This led to the decision to invite the cardiac surgeon to Garda, so that the wine-medicine could also support the humanitarian efforts of the foundation. On the Riviera, Barnard emphasized the importance of prevention, including through proper nutrition.
“Had I focused on prevention earlier, instead of saving 150 lives, I could have saved 150 million,” said the surgeon. “Good wine makes good blood,” as the popular saying goes.
