SECRETS AND LIVES

— AND THE 7 SINS

with CARMEN D’ONOFRIO

WORDS ANGELA COWAN, PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE

As managing partner of Stile Brands, president of the Commercial Drive Business Society, and member of the Board of Directors for the Vancouver International Wine Festival, Carmen D’Onofrio Jr. wears a lot of hats in his professional life, and he does so with a level of passion and drive that’s infectious within moments of talking to him.

Carmen, who was born and raised in Vancouver, came to the wine and import business in 2002, after his career as a professional soccer player was cut short by a knee injury.

“From the ages of 17 to 27, I was always away. I went to Europe to play for a year, then I went to Stanford University in California, and I played professional soccer for five years,” he says. “Then I got injured, and my father became sick with cancer (non-Hodgkins lymphoma), and it was just time for me to come home.”

He took the reins of Stile Brands, a company started by his father in 1991 as a hobby, to bring in Italian wines and other alcohols not readily available in the Canadian market at the time. But what began as a sideline quickly grew into one of Western Canada’s biggest premium importers of beverage alcohols. “It’s a passion for us,” says Carmen of the family business. “If you’re doing what you love and you relish the challenge, you’ll fall in love with the business—and we did, and it just continued to grow.”

He’s been running the company since 2002, right when Stile Brands made one of its first big marks on the industry.

“One of our first big successes was Prosecco. We started importing it in 1992, and at that time nobody knew what it was.”

“One of our first big successes was Prosecco. We started importing it in 1992, and at that time nobody knew what it was. Even most of the Italian immigrants that came from Italy didn’t know what it was either because they were from a different region, or it became popular after they’d left,” he says. “We always believed in it. It has great value, it’s fashionable. In 1992, nobody wanted Prosecco. In 2002, everybody wanted Prosecco.”

Stile has been focusing on Lambrusco for the last five years or so, also with growing popularity. “It’s trendy, it’s cool, it’s fun. People are understanding how good and how versatile it is,” says Carmen. “What I see coming up next is Prosecco Rosé.”

The Prosecco Consortium in Italy finally recognized it as a DOC wine, so now it’s available for export, he explains, excited about its prospects. “Coming this winter, you’re going to start seeing it in the market.”

The 7 Sins

ENVY:

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

Bruce Springsteen. I always wanted to be a rockstar. When I was a kid, I’d pretend to be him in my basement, put on the bandana and everything. He’s iconic and timeless, and he’s still producing and writing music!

GLUTTONY:

What is the food you could eat over and over again?

Pasta for sure. I absolutely love Italian food and experiencing the different specialities of each region. Thank God there are 20 regions in Italy! GREED:

You’re given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?

I would buy a European Football team and develop an academy of young players that one day could hopefully win a Champions League title.

WRATH:

Pet peeves?

Indifference, apathy, laziness and entitlement. And people that are disrespectful and always negative and don’t enjoy the beautiful moments of life.

SLOTH:

Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?

I’d love to be in a villa in central Italy. A place where I can see my vineyards, I can taste wine, I can see the ocean and there’s a nice little hamlet town nearby where I can go to the market and visit the square, have a great espresso and visit the museum. That would be my little piece of heaven. Absolute tranquility.

PRIDE:

What is the one thing you’re secretly proud of ?

Finding the next best thing. Our company was the first agency to market and promote Prosecco in the early 1990s throughout Western Canada. We are now on a mission to do the same with Lambrusco, which is having great success and a renaissance in the wine world.

LUST:

What makes your heart beat faster?

Competition. I love competing and being challenged. When I played soccer with the Canadian Olympic team and professionally, the adrenaline and rush you get from playing in front of large crowds in important games is an incredible feeling. I’m not a daredevil—I don’t need to drive a fast car or jump out of a plane— but I’m all about rising to a challenge. It’s pure excitement for me.