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Black Tie
Health and Wellness
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Black Tie International Magazine:
Wellness -Dr. Francesco Bellini |
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DR. FRANCESCO BELLINI AND HIS WIFE |
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Domodimonti's Dr. Francesco Bellini: Renaissance Man!
By Jesse Nash
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Dr.
Francesco Bellini, passionate winemaker of Domodimonti
Natural Wine, married an Italian and relocated to French
Canada
but did not forget his Italian homeland. In 2003, while
Francesco and his wife Marisa were in Italy,
an opportunity came their way to purchase a despaired
“antique cantina” with over forty hectares of vineyards
along with eight hectares of olive groves. The idea of
producing their own
Natural
Wine
in the region where he grew up was the realization of a
dream! But that's just the beginning of a remarkable
story. You see, Dr. Bellini is not just a winemaker. He
is also the driving force behind the realization of one
the greatest discoveries of the 21st Century -- a
virtual cure for the dreaded Hepatitis C virus!
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It was the first
week of August when I, unexpectedly,
I received an email from my Sicilian colleague,
Marco Scapagnini, and the Italian Government
Tourist Board inviting me to Montefiore dell'Aso
for the Grand Opening of Domodimonti's
state-of-the-art facility and the Grand Opening
of Albergo Magnolia, their new hotel and spa
located on the vineyard. It was a quite a nice
surprise... (it's always a nice surprise when
someone invites you to
Italy!)
As a journalist,
I've met and interviewed all types of people in
my life -- Heads of State, Presidents, rock n
roll legends, movie icons, and to get close to
my passion -- wine -- some of the greatest names
in this hedonistic field (Hedonism is a school
which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic
good) from the great Mondavi to the powerful
Rothchilds.
On this trip, I
thought it would be about innovation in
winemaking -- Domodimonti makes a "natural
wine," using only minimal sulfites and taking a
"this is a living organism" approach to ensure
the very best product. It is the brainchild of
Dr. Francesco Bellini. Who is Dr. Bellini, you
might ask? Well, he is many things and... quite
complex.
Dr. Francesco
Bellini: Renaissance Man?
If you were to meet
Dr. Bellini at a local restaurant in
Marches
(the region where the winery is located), you
might assume him to be, simply, just one of many
Italian businessmen, maybe from Rome
or Milan.
Well, you know what happens when you
a-s-s-u-m-e? [We won't go there.] For this trip,
I would have the honor to spend a week getting
to know the man behind, what, could arguably be,
one of the great discoveries in the last hundred
years --
a highly effective cure to the dreaded Hepatitis
C virus.
And he's also a
great winemaker! Who knew?! [We'll get to that
later.]
Dr. Francesco
Bellini is a very unassuming man. From my
vantage point, I think deep in his heart, he's a
"passionata" lover of wine, a man who loves his
land and takes pride in where he comes from.
But, like I said, he's complex. He IS a
businessman. But unlike most businessmen --
Bellini has done good for the world. Incredible
good. Some people have called him a
philanthropist. I think he's a modern day
Renaissance Man.
Dr. Bellini's first
major success in the pharmaseutical world came
in the form of the drug Lamivudine (3TC),
commercially known as Epivir, an anti-AIDS drug,
and Zeffix for the treatment of Hepatitis B.
Although there had been other antiviral drugs on
the market, the game changer was when Epivir was
used to combat the AIDS virus, it forced the
virus to change into a less toxic form; thereby
making it more vulnerable to other antivirals
such as AZT.
Combination therapy
was born in the anti-AIDS field, eventually
making Epivir the cornerstone of any anti-AIDS
therapy. And, ironically, Epivir seems to attack
the AIDS virus in the same way the AIDS virus
attacks humans --
by weakening its immune system.
Biochem Pharma, the
company Dr. Bellini Founded that is behind the
discovery and making of the drugs, would grow to
be the largest Biotech company in
Canada.
Biochem Pharma is big business -- it eventually
merged with Shire PLC in a staggering $12
billion dollar deal in 2000.
In 2001, in
conjunction with Power Technologies of Canada,
Dr. Bellini created Picchio Pharma (PP): A 50/50
joint venture. Picchio Pharma would specialize
by investing in small companies within the
Biotech field, often taking control of the
company. One of those investments was in a
company called Virochem.
Virochem eventually
discovered VX-222. Virochem would play a pivatol
roll in progressing combination therapy. It also
became a takeover target by Vertex for their
V-222 drug, which they acquired in 2009 for
close to 1/2 billion dollars Canadian. Today,
VX-222, is undergoing clinical trials with
Teleprevir to try to demonstrate that the
Hepatitis C disease can be treated by a
combination of two drugs, effectively
eliminating treatment by Interferon, which has
serious side effects.
Historic Results: A
Cure for Hepatitis C!
As of early
September 2010, results of VX-222 and Teleprevir
were released showing a remarkable 78 percent
cure rate of Hepatitis C, even with the most
severe cases! In the world of medicine, that's
considered practically a full blown cure! Merck
-- Vertex's main competitor -- also have their
own unique combination drug therapy in the
market but their tests revealed only a 66
percent success rate, but -- notably -- was NOT
tested with any severe Hepatitis C cases.
Now Let's Talk
Wine: Domodimonti Wine!
Okay. Enough pharma-speak.
Lets talk wine. Specifically Domodimonti! This
cutting edge, modern winery is located only two
and a half hours East of Rome in the Le Marche
region between
Umbria
and Tuscany.
With a spectacular landscape of narrow coastal
plains that rise sharply into the peaks of the
Sibillini
Mountains, Ancona and
the
Adriatic Sea
can be seen in the distance on a clear day. Yes,
Domodimonti is is harmony with nature.
As a youth, Dr.
Bellini grew up in
Ascoli Piceno.
Owning a vineyard was a dream of Dr. Bellini's,
and with Domodimonti, a boutique winery that has
a maximum production capacity of 400,000
bottles, purchasing 140 acres of land in his
home region would be the realization of that
dream. A return to his roots, so-to-speak, to
create a "natural wine vineyard," with the least
amount of additives. As a chemist and research
scientist, it's not surprising that Dr. Bellini,
who resides in both Montreal
and Le Marche, approaches
the science of winemaking from a scientific
point of view.
Now in every region in Italy
and the world, there are rules and regulations
to be followed when you make wine. Especially
when it comes to organic farming. Dr. Bellini
typically exceeds them, focusing on specific
aspects of sustainable wine growth including
water conservation, soil improvement, erosion
control and the latest in Integrated Pest
Management techniques.
The vines are sustainably grown, using primarily
organic matter. The grapes are hand-picked,
low-yielding with no sugar added. The wine has
no acid adjustments, strict selection of yeasts
and no other additives for mouth-feel or color.
Temperature controlled vats with external
jackets allow strict control of the very
important stage of fermentation. By cooling each
individual vat, Domodimonti is able to
substitute the use of sulfites during the
fermentation process.
With minimal
sulfites added, there is less of chance of
allergic reactions and other side effects. You
know how I know this? I drank a lot of
Domodimonti and never woke up the next morning
with a hangover. Trust me! With the copious
quantities of Domodimonti wine that I drank on
my visit -- I should have had a terrible
hangover. It never happened. [Grazie Dr.
Bellini!]
Domodimoti: Classic
Microclimate
The vineyard is
spread across the backdrop of Montefiore
dell'Aso. The vineyard occupies several parcels
of land made of clay soil with the vines facing
south. The soil was originally covered by the
Adriatic Sea.
The vicinity of the sea to the east and the
protection by the 'Sibillini
Mountains'
play a role in the 1200 foot high vineyards
ideal microclimate for healthy and natural
ripening of the grapes.
There is a lot of history in this winery.
Despite Domodimonti's first vintage in 2004, the
vineyard has actually been in existence since
the 1950's. It's taken quite a bit of time and
work to restructure the original vines and to
plant new ones. But the result has, obviously,
been more than worth it.
Throughout the
growing season the vines are monitored for
growth. During the summer months, the vines are
pruned, reducing the fruit by 50%. This
strengthens the remaining grapes. They receive
the maximum amount of nutrients and achieve
their full potential.
Carlo Ferrini, the internationally acclaimed
winemaker, adds his guidance and inspiration to
the wines he produces at Domodimonti. The entire
winemaking process is performed under nitrogen,
which is generated by ionic exchange, allowing
Domodimonti to handle and later bottle the wine
in the absence of oxygen. This is where Dr.
Bellini's talents as a biochemist are used most
effectively.
The wine is aged in
French oak barrels in the wine cellar. Depending
on the wine, the duration in the barrels may
range from 3-14 months. Afterwards, the wine is
bottled and stored for a minimum of three
months, before being shipped.
Domodimonti: The
Future of Winemaking
With the same
passion for research and entrepreneurship in
biotechnology, Dr. Bellini weaves tradition and
innovation in the wines of Domodimonti. It's
obvious that his love for the native soil and
special attention given to the land is rewarded
with fruit produced of quality and value which
creates exceptional wines. In the future, we can
only hope that other winemakers might follow
Dr. Bellini's lead.
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