48HR Livorno and Gorgona: the most exciting press trip ever!

36 kilometres off the coast of Livorno (Tuscany) lies the only prison island within the EU: Gorgona. The Italian state partnered with winery Marchesi de' Frescobaldi to make super-sparkling wine here. Together with the inmatethe. A unique project and a wonderful story. - TEXT KARIN LEEUWENHOEK | IMAGE MARCHESI DE' FRESCOBALDI + KARIN LEEUWENHOEK

48HR Livorno and Gorgona: the most exciting press trip ever!

Photo above: Marquis Lamberto Frescobaldi and Karin Leeuwenhoek at Leonia bubbles in Livorno, on the eve of their visit to wine and prison island Gorgona.

The next day, 'the most exciting press trip ever' is scheduled: to prison island Gorgona! Here, winery Frescobaldi makes super exciting wine in collaboration with the prison and inmates...

It is no coincidence that this press visit coincides with harvest time. In fact, you can shoot beautiful pictures here, of golden yellow grapes in crates, with the sea in the background and very occasionally a tractor drowning out the silence and crickets. Frescobaldi employs three permanent inmates for its Gorgona wine, temporarily some more during picking. Grapes were grown here well before the winery entered the picture. In 1999, there was one hectare of Tuscan white varieties: half ansonica, half vermentino. Frescobaldi planted an additional 1.5 hectares of vermentino. There are also some rows of sangiovese and vermentino nero for the even more exclusive red wine. Only 800 bottles of these are made a year.

'A magical trip,' says Karin. Read her report '48 HOUR Livorno and Gorgona' now in the brand new edition of WINELIFE #75, fresh off the press!

Curious about this extraordinary travel story? You can read it in the new Winelife edition 75. Order this one here!

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