Vitale Barberis Canonico

Vitale Barberis Canonico, one of the oldest wool mills in the world and run by the passion of one family, celebrated 10 years of the Vitale Barberis Canonico Wool Excellence Club on the occasion of the annual presentation of the Wool Excellence Award which was held in the wine cellars of Josef Chromy in Launceston, Tasmania.

Present at the evening were members of the Club, staff from Vitale Barberis Canonico Wool, the wool mill’s buying company in Australia, the main Australian institutions in the world of wool, Alessandro Barberis Canonico, Managing Director of Vitale Barberis Canonico, and Davide Fontaneto, Raw Materials Manager.

Messrs Barberis Canonico and Fontaneto awarded the prize for 2024 to Glenholme Farm, owned by the Linke family and today run by Matthew, a member of the 5th generation, alongside his father Everard. The property extends over the south west of Victoria State, and since the start of the 2000s, the family has concentrated on the production of superfine wool, achieving a fineness of under 17 microns, and winning various prizes, thanks to their flock of 2,400 Saxon Merino sheep.

Research for excellence in its raw materials prompted Vitale Barberis Canonico to create the Wool Excellence Club in 2014. The objective is to valorise the fibre obtained by means of environmentally friendly practices aimed at the protection of the Saxon breed of sheep, from which come both the exquisite wool and the Australian breeding system since its beginnings. Another objective is the virtuous consolidation of trust and cooperation with Australian breeders by means of direct, individual and long-lasting relationships consisting of dialogue and reciprocal exchanges. Breeders are also given financial support by means of particularly favourable purchasing policies. This is a long-term strategy also in order to direct breeding towards qualitative excellence of the wool which satisfies the sophisticated classing requested by Vitale Barberis Canonico standards.

The Club today counts 29 farms spread across eastern and southern Australia and Tasmania. The four pillars on which the club is based are: quality, training, loyalty and sustainability.

QUALITY: because it is necessary to recognise and identify the best raw material and guarantee a profitable price. This can only come about by means of equitable remuneration for excellent production. At a price based on the international markets, Vitale Barberis Canonico decides to add an equitable margin taking into consideration the production costs and rewarding the breeder for the greater effort needed to obtain high quality.

TRAINING: the Vitale Barberis Canonico experts organise annual workshops involving local members and wool classers. This means practical training in loco whose main focus is the analysis of the quality and correct classification of the wool in line with the Vitale Barberis Canonico standards.

LOYALTY: bringing together virtuous breeders in a club has the objective of building a shared culture of excellence and a community based on knowledge, exchange and growth, with the aim of consolidating this close relationship over time.

SUSTAINABILITY: for Vitale Barberis Canonico, the concept of sustainability is synonymous with responsibility, towards people, towards the land and towards the fruits it offers. This is the reason why, with the Wool Excellence Club, the wool mill wants to spread ethical practices and methods of shearing.

The Company has also instituted the Wool Excellence Award, which is presented every year to the farms that have produced the best quality wool while respecting the well-being of the animals. The award consists of AUD 50,000 and a trip to Italy to visit the Vitale Barberis Canonico company.
The award is directed towards the members of the Club and takes into consideration the supply of wool from the shearing of the year in question (from July to June). Qualitative parameters are evaluated (in particular the length, fineness and craquelure) as classified by professional classers, as well as the prerequisites for sustainability (adherence to at least one of the animal welfare protocols; animals held in paddocks).

The Wool Excellence Award has been presented regularly since 2014 with the only exception being during the years of the Covid pandemic.

In his speech at the evening of the Vitale Barberis Canonico Wool Award, Alessandro Barberis Canonico said: “This year, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Club, a significant stage which reflects the work we have done during these years, and which lays the foundations for future collaboration and continued synergy. Our commitment is to seek maximum quality and style in Saxon wool. The long- term strategy is to protect the Merino Saxon DNA with the support of the Club. We are very happy to see a new generation in some of the farms. This transition makes clear that the future of breeding is in the hands of younger farmers, an important sign that the Club is more alive than ever.”

Photo credits: Jason Cartwright @jasoncartwright