In Canada the “Italian Wine Society” is also known as “Amici dell’Enotria” or Friends of Enotria, being Enotria (land of wines) the name given to Italy by the Greeks. More than thirty years ago, under the auspices of the Italian Ambassador in Canada, The Nova Scotia Chapter of the Amici dell’Enotria Society was established in Halifax by Rodolfo Meloni the Italian Honorary Consul for Atllantic Can
ada. After few years the association changed the name to Amici del vino or Italian Wine Society
Under the guidance of President Meloni and his executive, over the years The Italian Wine Society continued to foster and to promote in Canada the appreciation for Italian culture. Many are the events organized by this association i.e dinners tastings in established city restaurants or in private halls, prepared by the best regional chefs. Due to the continued and friendly relations that this Association established with Italian Wineries, many of our dinners from time to time were and are attended by Italy’s wineries principals. Among them Marquis Leonardo Frescobaldi, Alessandro Boscaini, Dario Boscaini, Marquis Piero Antinori, Sandro Bottega, Nicola Fabiano, Guido Serio etc. In cooperation with the Italian Trade Commission (ICE) the Italian Wine Society organized Italian wine fairs generally attended by 600 to 700 Italian wine and food lovers. Over the past few years proceeds generated by the past two wine and food shows totaling $23,000.00 were donated to the Izak Walton Children Hospital and Pier 21 National Immigration Museum. In addition to the above, from 1999 the Italian Wine Society organized for the members annual 14 days cultural and eno-gastronomic trips to two different regions of Italy. Since then all regions of Italy were visited, Tuscany and Veneto being the most popular were visited four times. For the events and the trips to Italy guided by Rodolfo Meloni, this Association is recognized as one of the most active society in Canda to foster Italy’s wine, food and culture, in other words La Bella Vita.
