Why this Italian wine family started teaching winemaking to convicts

Thanks to Frescobaldi

As visitors, we saw a buzzing, thriving winery, staffed by convicts who earned a fair wage, were knowledgeable, confident, and took pride in showcasing the land and their upcoming vintage. In many ways it felt and functioned just like any other thriving vineyard. And like many other vineyards, geography also plays a factor in the quality of the wine. The island’s unique location, about 30 kilometers off the coast of Italy, gives it what its current director, Giuseppe Renna, calls:an exceptional microclimate”, as he further notes “the weather is temperate and the temperature remains consistently stable. These conditions guarantee the production of exceptional agricultural products.”

But it is certainly not just the characteristic climate that makes Gorgona wine special. Renna is the first to credit Lamberto for the way he stepped into the prison ecosystem and built the place’s infrastructure. “Against the advice of all research experts, Lamberto chose to challenge the negative voices and the risk of economic non-return, and he completely succeeded in this challenge, giving purpose and meaning to this already special island.”, Renna said. “I call it a magical island: the island of second chances, where opportunities are offered that are not achievable anywhere else.”

Building on that second-chance ethos, in another unique and incredibly rare twist, prisoners in Gorgona who work with Frescobaldi on the wine initiatives are also offered a job at the winery upon their release. Not only is it extremely difficult for most ex-convicts to find a job after their sentence is served, but the opportunity to work in a field as attractive and respected as the wine industry can last a lifetime. turning former inmate around. And even before they left the island, the winemaker intended that everyone who worked for his company would not only be paid decently, but also be treated with respect as a human being.

“To better connect with them for the project, the previous director suggested that I interact with these people by thinking about when they would be free again, and teach them a job that could change their future, and respect their role in the process.” said Frescobaldi. “I had to learn not to judge them because they have already been judged by the prison system. That’s why it was important to treat them with the respect they deserve.”