Fight To End Cancer Founder, Jennifer Huggins, and Antonio Raviele (FTEC Partner and son of late Pasquale Raviele), have become family through the partnership of Vieni Estates.
Photo Credit: Christopher Small
A Massive Thank-You to Vieni Estates! $9,397.20 Total Donated to Date
UPDATE – MAY 2023: We want to give a huge shout-out to Vieni Estates for their most recent donation of $3,000 to the Fight to End Cancer! This donation was from their inaugural event at the vineyard. Vieni Estates has now donated $9,397.20 total to date! $500 came from Michael DiMuccio in honour of Pasquale Ravielle.
Honouring A Legacy – A Fight To End Cancer Family Affair
Featuring Pasquale Raviele, Founder Of Vieni Estates
Pasquale Raviele, Founder of Vieni Estates
Pasquale Raviele wanted to find a way to bring a part of his native Italy to Ontario, since immigrating to Canada. Pasquale took his first step towards realizing this dream in 1997 when he purchased 175 acres of land on Fly Road in Beamsville. Since then, the vineyard has been replanted with a variety of grapes and in 2013 Vieni Estates Wine & Spirits marked its official grand opening and enjoyed a successful first season. The winery has since ballooned into a huge success with prizes abound and continues today as a family venture with Pasquale’s surviving wife Caroline and his two sons Antonio and Gian Paolo, taking active roles alongside the other founding partners, Alessandro Spassiani and Paul White.
Antonio together with Ivana Vaccaro and their law firm (RV Law LLP) became part of the Fight to End Cancer family in 2016, when they sponsored fighter, Natasa Jamnik-Sousa. Antonio attended the event that year and instantly became a fan and committed sponsor. He returned in 2017, bringing more supporters to the FTEC gala and driving awareness. Tragically, Pasquale, the Raviele patriarch, passed away in early October 2017, after battling cancer. Motivated by the passing of his father, Antonio and his family wanted to honour Pasquale’s legacy in a meaningful way.
That wish came to fruition on August 2nd, 2018, with the launch of Vieni’s latest vintage, Founder’s Blend. Vieni, complete with Master Wine Maker, Mauro Salvador on hand, presented the Founder’s Blend to an enthusiastic crowd of invited guests at Il Ponte Cucina Italiana, who sampled the incredible wine along with a seemingly never-ending supply of magnificent food. Mauro took great pride in explaining the appropriate selection of grapes comprising the Founder’s Blend, 60% of which is Cabernet Franc and the balance, Baco Noir.
(article continues below photos)
Mauro explained that Cab Franc is one of the most appreciated red varietals worldwide and one particularly adapted to harsh Canadian winters, especially in the cooler sub-appellation of the Vinemount Ridge, from which Vieni hails. Baco Noir, on the other hand, is the most popular red French hybrid, created at the beginning of the 1900s in France, following the devastating attack of phylloxera, responsible for the destruction of the vast majority of Europe’s vineyards by the end of 1800s. In addition to resisting phylloxera, Baco Noir is, similar to Cab Franc, well adapted to Canadian winter and also boasts one of the highest content of resveratrol. Antonio would later add that this wine has, accordingly, been so carefully created and, like the cause it so rigorously supports, vows to battle hard in the fight to end cancer.
What makes Founder’s Blend extra special is that 10% of each bottle sold will go directly to support the Fight to End Cancer. With this incredible gesture, Vieni Estates and the entire Raviele family have joined the Fight to End Cancer in our lifetime!
(use the link above to order your case directly from the winery, or pick up a bottle from the vintage section of the LCBO)
The Raviele Family have put so much heart, soul and dedication into the Fight To End Cancer, we’re honoured to call them family! We are always looking for more people and companies ready to take on the fight and if you’re interested please Contact Us or Join The Fight!
Together we can end cancer once and for all!!
JOIN THE FIGHT:
Become A Charity Fighter
Become A Sponsor
Become An Ambassador
About Vieni Estates
The founder of Vieni Estates brings his passion for wine from Italy and combines it with his love for this distinctly Canadian wine region, and particularly the unique attributes of the rolling hills of the Vinemount Ridge. Master winemaker Mauro Salvador takes the best of the many varietals grown on the estate to produce a broad and compelling range of still wines, ice wines and sparkling wines crafted in the Charmat method (Metodo Italiano). Each offering is crafted to reflect the best of the terroir, the varietal, and the winemaker’s skills.
In addition to the many fine wines produced here, Vieni Estates also offers traditional Italian-style grappas and spirits distilled from the many fruits of Ontario. More About Vieni Estates
About The Fight To End Cancer
The Fight To End Cancer (FTEC) is a year round initiative carried out by ambassadors, sponsors and volunteers worldwide. Over $1,000,000 has been donated to date since our inaugural year in 2012. Funds raised by FTEC are donated directly to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Each year we celebrate the incredible hard work and dedication of our FTEC family with a black-tie charity boxing gala. This gala showcases ten men and women who represent our Official Fight Team. Our goal is to raise funds for cancer research year-round with the support of the local community and business owners. Let’s make a difference now in the fight to end cancer for a long and successful future for everyone. This is an event like no other and has quickly become one of the most anticipated events in Toronto. www.fighttoendcancer.com
About The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation at University Health Network raises funds for breakthrough research, exemplary teaching and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute. More information about the Foundation can be found at http://www.thepmcf.ca
