Twenty years ago, Don Eigler became the first person to manipulate and position individual atoms, making the breakthrough that many consider a pivotal moment in modern nanotechnology.  Unknown to Don and the rest of IBM team though (I assume), they were pipped to the “nano” post a full ten years earlier… by an Italian sparkling wine…

Yes, “Nano Ghiacciato” – a Prosecco sparkling wine from San Pellegrino – was launched on the Italian market in 1979, a full decade before Eigler’s atom-moving experiments – and it’s still available!

The first "nano" product? Kees Brekelmans holding a bottle of "Nano Ghiacciato"

Having received an extensively researched account of “Nano Ghiacciato” from Cornelis  (Kees) Brekelmans this week, I couldn’t resist posting his account of the earliest “nano” product he’s come across – especially given the dual anniversary with Don Eigler’s work.

As Brekelmans notes,

San Pellegrino “Nano” is a white, sparkling wine, “Prosecco,” to be drunk “Ghiaciatto,” i.e. ice cold

It was launched in Italy in 1979, with an advertising campaign featuring the singer Amanda Lear. (scroll to the end of this post to see her in all her “nano” glory!)

In the presentation Kees emailed to me (“Nano – what’s in the name?”), he writes:

As Amanda explains, « nano è l’aperitivo ghiacciato per te » and « nano è il mio aperitivo con te »

“Nano is the iced drink for you” and “nano is the drink I’ll have with you” (a rather loose translation I’m afraid!)

And as she further elaborates,

« Il tuo nuovo aperitivo … grande come te,fresco con tefrizzante naturale, come te »

or “your new appetizer … big as you, naturally sparkling fresh with you, like you” (okay, so it’s a Google translation – my Italian’s a little rusty!).

To cap things off, Kees notes

“Nano Ghiacciato” does not figure in the Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory of the Woodrow Wilson Institute.  And neither does Amanda.

Guess we have some work to do – Italy and Amanda Lear, here we come!

Sadly, unlike Don’s work, “Nano Ghiacciato” isn’t nanotechnology – it’s just a small bottle of wine.

But it did spawn what is quite possibly the first “nano” song.  Amanda, play us out please…

(The video can also be viewed here)

Update 10/13/09:  At Cornelis’ request, I’ve revised his details in the post, and added the name of the presentation he sent through to me (“Nano – what’s in the name?”)