Costaripa Launches Heart-Healthy Wine to Support Prof. Barnard Foundation
It has been 34 years since, in early December 1967, Prof. Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant, opening a new chapter in surgery and, most importantly, providing hope to many suffering individuals.
34 years later, with his scalpel hung up, Prof. Barnard’s commitment continues, always on the path of hope: in 1998, he founded the Prof. Christiaan Barnard Foundation with the aim of helping children worldwide who are less fortunate. The foundation primarily focuses its efforts in Africa, where 12 million children are orphaned due to AIDS, many of whom are also HIV-positive.
He also maintains relationships with other foundations around the globe, particularly with that of the former Soviet Premier Gorbachev, which pursues similar goals in the former USSR. However, to carry out these projects, funds are necessary—funds that sometimes follow unusual channels and arrive through unexpected means.
An Innovative Fundraising Strategy
The idea came from Matia Vezzola, owner of the Costaripa winery in Moniga del Garda, Brescia province, which fits well within this context. Several years ago, he was struck by a phrase later published in Prof. Barnard’s book: “50 Tips for a Healthy Heart,” which stated: “A person who drinks two glasses of red wine a day helps their heart stay healthier.”
The result is that last Weekend, Prof. Barnard was hosted by the Costaripa Winery for the presentation of the wine “Garda Classico Prof. Christiaan Barnard Foundation,” from the sale of which 25% of the bottle’s price will be donated to the foundation.
The wine is not one of the winery’s existing commercial products but a brand-new type created specifically for the Foundation, designed, in its composition, to maximize the health benefits of wine for the heart. The two most prized grapes produced along the shores of Garda—Groppello and Marzemino—as well as two of the best from Franciacorta—Sangiovese and Barbera—are harvested, pressed, and stored separately in barrels.
After a short aging period, they are blended to create the final product. The result is a balanced, full-bodied wine, not overly alcoholic, with a fruity aftertaste.
The producers emphasize that this is not just “charity”; it is a product that should not be purchased solely because it helps many people but because it is an excellent product in itself. The achievement of this goal was demonstrated last Saturday, when 300 oenologists gathered to taste this wine, consuming 120 bottles—a clear sign that, besides being attentive to their heart health, they truly appreciated this wine.
