Gorgona, a Jail Island in Tuscany, Produces Unbelievable Wines

Within the early 2010s, Maria Grazia Giampiccolo, then the jail director of the Gorgona Agricultural Penal Colony on the northernmost island of the Tuscan Archipelago, emailed greater than 200 Italian wineries in search of to develop a winemaking program utilizing vines planted by the College of Pisa’s Division of Agriculture in 1999.

That clarion name was answered by only one individual: Lamberto Frescobaldi.

“I’m certain you’ve heard of the Frescobaldi household, an aristocratic Italian household that’s been making wine for 700 years. They could make some wines you’ve heard of: Ornellaia, Masseto — all very high-end costly wines,” stated Wanda Mann, a board member of the Society of Wine Educators and a previous president of Les Dames d’Escoffier New York, in her 2024 Meals & Wine Basic seminar on coastal wines. “They’ve all the time had somewhat vineyard in Gorgona — it’s type of a challenge to maintain the inmates busy. However the wines had been horrible and the vineyards had been in dangerous form. So, the warden put out a name to among the largest wineries in Italy and stated, ‘Are you able to come and assist us?’ And Lamberto Frescobaldi was the one one who stated sure. Once I requested why he agreed, he stated, ‘I went there. The wine was horrible. The vineyards had been horrible. However I noticed one thing within the human spirit. There’s the concept wine might be part of one thing larger — part of the rehabilitation of those males.’”

“For a lot of of those males, it’s the primary time they’re getting an actual paycheck. Once they go away, they’ve the choice to work for any of the Frescobaldi estates. They’re paid whereas they’re in jail they usually’re paid whereas they work for Frescobaldi — then they go off and unfold their wings,” Mann continued. “Research have truly proven that this program has decreased the recidivism price in comparison with the inmates that don’t take part. So now different nations need to do the identical factor.’”

As we speak, greater than a decade after Frescobaldi developed the viticulture program, the maximum-security jail crafts two extremely restricted wines: Gorgona Bianco Costa Toscana IGT, made with Vermentino and Ansonica, and Gorgona Rosso Costa Toscana IGT, produced with Vermentino Nero and Sangiovese. The island, which spans little greater than 200 hectares, produces solely 9,000 bottles of every classic — making it a real rarity within the wine world.

“On Gorgona, there may be the ‘uniqueness’ of this island and a challenge that, regardless of producing a really restricted variety of bottles, by no means ceases to evoke feelings,” stated Lamberto Frescobaldi, the president of Marchesi Frescobaldi, in an announcement supplied to Meals & Wine. “We’ve the chance to expertise this extraordinary land that conveys every thing by means of its scents and flavors: the love for the island, the care and fervour of individuals, the hope for a greater life, the affect of the ocean, and an exquisite atmosphere. These little greater than two hectares of vineyards give life to an inimitable and unique wine, a logo of hope and freedom that continues to amplify world wide. We’re thrilled to have been a part of this challenge since 2012.”

In actual fact, this system has been so profitable that the Italian authorities plans to enlarge Gorgona’s vineyards by 50%.

At present, there are 62 inmates engaged on this particular challenge, and over the course of this system, 25 have chosen to work for Frescobaldi after their sentence. Essentially the most spectacular quantity, although, is the truth that 90% of the incarcerated individuals who labored the vineyards by no means return to the penitentiary.

And that, in and of itself, is priceless.