Don’t you love it when wine people do things other than promote themselves?  And when they do good other things, it’s for some reason other than to garner publicity to promote themselves?

An example? 

On Wednesday evening, October 19, 2011 at New York City’s Metropolitan Pavilion, Vinitaly, the Ambassador of Italian wines, will hold a  fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society.  This happens via a consumer wine tasting honoring Italian women wine producers.

Stevie Kim

Okay, so that’s a little self-promo, but Italian women wine producers are a pretty cool bunch, and in general, better looking than their American counterparts, so they get a pass. Anyway, last year’s event raised $40,000 for the American Cancer Society.

According to Stevie Kim, General Coordinator of Vinitaly International and Senior Advisor to Giovanni Mantovani, CEO of Veronafiere, gathering this elite group of women was easy:

“This commitment is based on friendship and a network of mutual support.”

Some other random quotes:

Marlilisa Allegrini

Marilisa Allegrini of Allegrini in the Veneto: “The American Cancer Society constitutes a perfect example of how, by working together in a well-organized team effort, the very best results can be achieved to make the lives of thousands of cancer sufferers and their helpers better via practical and moral support, as well as underpinning on-going research. Allegrini has its largest customer base in the USA and sees its support of the American Cancer Society as a way of giving back to a much-loved people in the name of an extremely well-deserving cause.”

Cristina Mariani-May

Cristina Mariani-May, family proprietor and co-CEO of Banfi Vintners, America’s leading wine importer, and the award-winning Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany:

“Having lost far too many colleagues and family members to cancer, we feel a deeply personal motivation to support the American Cancer Society in meaningful ways. Vinitaly In The World’s tribute to Italian Women in Wine provides an ideal forum for that.”

Because they’re such a righteous lot, let me do a bit of promotion on their behalf:

Vinitaly is the largest wine fair in the world with over 4,000 participating producers. Vinitaly also includes education in its mission. A component of the Vinitaly World Tour is to help Italian wine producers learn about the markets they visit. During the 2011 tour, Vinitaly will educate producers about the US market while sharing the latest developments in the world of Italian wine with press, importers, distributors, retailers, restaurateurs and sommeliers in the United States.

And further, about the American Cancer Society:

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, the society fights for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. They save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, the society turns what they know about cancer into what they do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year.

To learn more or to get help: 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Okay, so I am promotioned out.  If you are in New York on October 19, show up at the tasting, please, and if not, throw a couple bucks at the Cancer Society.

For Christ’s sake, the life you save may be mine.