A wine, like the elixir of eternal youth

The wine that captivated Madonna is called Vitae, not only for its flavor but above all for its properties.
Beyond scalpels, botox and silicone, there are other, less invasive ways to stay young!
There were those who bathed in blood, those who relied on spirulina algae and royal jelly, and finally those who drink a glass of red wine a day!

Supporting this last solution is the presence of polyphenols, a heterogeneous group of natural substances particularly known for their positive effects on human health, also known as vitamin P.
Based on their structure they can be schematically divided into three different classes: simple phenols (contained for example in coffee), flavonoids and tannins, contained precisely in wines.

Polyphenols are the most represented antioxidant molecules in the plant kingdom (they abound especially in fresh fruit and vegetables, especially when consumed raw, but also in tea and cocoa)
Besides being sworn enemies of wrinkles, polyphenols perform an action:

• ANTIOXIDANT: protect cells from damage caused by free radicals
• ANTICANCER
• ANTIATHEROGENIC
• ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
• ANTIBACTERIAL and ANTIVIRAL

Returning to our VITAE, its large quantity of polyphenols has driven Madonna wild, now 55 and obsessed with the myth of eternal youth.
Mirco Battistella together with his cousin Andrea, both from Treviso, produce this wine with its sought-after anti-aging properties, presented at the 47th edition of Vinitaly.
"Officially, a glass of this wine contains the same quantity of antioxidants as seven glasses of ordinary wine," says Andrea Battistella, the company's chemist, who explains: "Polyphenols are like antibodies for the plant. So we subjected the plant to such stress that it produces a higher quantity of polyphenols than those present in red wine currently on the market."
The Elixir is produced on 20 hectares of vineyard in Pianzano di Godega.

At the heart of Vitae lies a concept: wine (in the right quantities) is good for you; and in particular Vitae is better than the rest!
The first "antiaging" wine is a red IGP resulting from a blend that is 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Corbina (a native Treviso variety now almost extinct); the composition of the blend matters only to the palate, since as already mentioned it is the special production process – only partially revealed – that gives the wine its extraordinary properties!
"We ensure that each vine plant has a maximum of two and a half kilos of grapes" – in practice three or four bunches per vine – "which means focusing on quality rather than quantity. Then we stimulate the bunches with an induced and controlled attack of cinerea, a noble mold that causes no harm. But the plant feels attacked and to protect itself it produces antioxidant polyphenols."
The real revolution, however, occurs in the two months preceding the harvest: "Five weeks before, we remove all the leaves from the vines. This way, in mid-August, the sun beats hard on the bunches, which in turn produce antioxidants to defend and survive." Another operation, which usually takes place after the harvest is complete, is brought forward by Battistella to produce his Vitae: "We cut the fruiting cane before the harvest. This way, the plant feels it is about to wither, and secretes the polyphenols that we will then find in our wine." There is one last secret, but for commercial reasons Battistella will not reveal it: "We are the first in Italy – we can't let anyone copy us." Mirco and his colleagues have worked with cardiologists and biochemists; among them Dr. Roberto Suozzi, a pioneer of phytomedicine. Before claiming that their wine slows cellular aging, they awaited the results of in vitro studies and collaborated with nutritionists.
"We know that Madonna is a fan of Italian wines. She tasted the Prosecco we sent to Obama." If she also takes a liking to Vitae, great export numbers can be expected. And looking ahead, Battistella raises the stakes: "We are in a phase of conversion to organic farming; in six years we will have a biodynamic estate."
Another made-in-Italy pride waiting only to be recognized – imagination, research, chemistry and innovative processes: the elixir could only have been born in the beautiful country.