Dai Communications invited a food and beverage journalist from Chosun Media, one of the most influential media outlets in South Korea, to visit Frescobaldi Winery and Gorgona island and secured a feature article in Chosun Ilbo.
 

Media coverage
< Chosun Ilbo >

This island in the sea west of Tuscany, Italy, is named Gorgona. It is one of the seven islands that make up the Tuscan archipelago, along with Elba, where Napoleon was exiled, and Montecristo, the treasure island featured in The Count of Monte Cristo. It is also the last remaining prison island in Europe. The entire island is a giant prison. The island, which is closed to the public, houses 81 convicted felons sentenced to 15 years or more. Only those who pass a rigorous screening process and have demonstrated exemplary behavior in other prisons are allowed to return to society after serving the remaining three to four years of their sentence on Gorgona.
 

In a vineyard overlooking the ocean, three inmates were pruning grapes. They do not wear prison uniforms and look like islanders as they work. The inmates are not allowed to leave their cells at night, but during the day they go outside to work on assigned tasks. They farm, bake bread, repair buildings, paint, and generally do whatever is necessary for self-sufficiency. “The idea is to give the inmates skills to earn a living when they return to society,” explained an official from the Italian Ministry of Justice and Corrections on the island.
 

They also make wine, a staple on Italian tables. In 1999, they planted 2.5 hectares of vineyards along the island’s hillsides to try their hand at wine production. The inexperienced inmates could not make wine properly at first. The Department of Corrections asked several wine companies for help. All refused, saying “the balance of profits is not right,” but Frescobaldi
in Florence responded.
 

Frescobaldi is one of the oldest wine companies in the world, having produced wine for over 700 years, since 1308. “Our family has been producing wine for 30 generations, and we were wondering if there was a way to contribute to society,” says Chairman Lamberto Frescobaldi. “All my employees were against it. Even my wife was against it, but we agreed because we thought that if prisoners could gain experience in winemaking, it would make sense for their rehabilitation, including working in the wine industry after they were released.”
 

This is wine made from grapes indigenous to Tuscany, including Vermentino, Ansonica, Sangiovese, and Vermentino Nero, fermented with indigenous yeasts. Annual production is 9,000 bottles. Since 2012, the quality of the wines has improved markedly with the help of viticulture and winemaking experts sent by Frescobaldi. “Many consumers buy the wine solely for its flavor, without knowing the story of how it was made by prison inmates,”
says Mr. Frescobaldi, with pride.
 

Last June 6 was the launch day of the 2023 vintage Gorgona wine. With special permission from the Italian Ministry of Justice, Frescobaldi invited media from all over the world to the island to reveal the wine production site and hold a tasting event.
 

The Gorgona wine was, surprisingly, a bit salty. The salinity supported the fresh, intense flavors that evolved from pineapple and pear to citrus notes like candied lemon. The wine was delicious on its own without any accompaniments. “The vineyards are right next to the sea, so the vines are exposed to the salty sea breeze all year round,” says Frescobaldi, “and when we analyze the composition, it is more than twice as salty as wines from the same varietal
in other parts of Tuscany.”
 

“My long-term goal after release is to work in the wine industry, and my short-term goal is to taste my own wine as soon as I leave the island,” laughs Daniel, an inmate who was pruning in a vineyard. That is because inmates are forbidden to consume alcohol. The average retail price of Gorgona wine is 110 euros (about 165,000 KRW) in Italy, and it is not currently
distributed in Korea.