If prisoners study for sommeliers: project by Ais Toscana and Siena Remand Prison

Offering prisoners the opportunity to study and train for future social and professional reintegration through wine: this is the goal of the “Vite Libera” project, promoted by Ais Toscana and the Remand Santo Spirito Prison in Siena. It is a professional training program in the field of sommellerie, structured into three levels, to be completed within a compact timeframe but compatible with the schedules and dynamics of the prison system, with the aim of obtaining the Sommelier Certificate from the Italian Sommelier Association. Classes will begin on January 19th and conclude on June 24th, with certificates awarded to the prisoners.
The project involves an intensive development of the three levels of the sommelier course according to Ais guidelines, with possible educational adaptations to the context.
During the course, which includes 25 lessons and both a written and oral exam, many topics will be covered, including restaurant cellar management, wine lists, serving temperatures, service practices, lessons on viticulture, wine production, tasting techniques for wines, sparkling wines, spirits, and beers, followed by an introduction to wine legislation and knowledge of wine production in Italy and worldwide. The final lessons will focus on food-wine sensory analysis and pairing techniques, culminating in the final oral exam. “Today - explains Graziano Puja, director of the Santo Spirito Prison in Siena -  we proudly present a project which completes, at the regional level, the experience launched over 15 years ago on the island of Gorgona, where the work of prisoners gave life to a unique wine. At Santo Spirito, the training program will allow prisoners to earn a professional sommelier certificate, offering them new job opportunities and contributing to the spread of wine culture”.
“The “Vite Libera” project represents a concrete example of how education and culture can become authentic tools for inclusion and social redemption - affirms Nicoletta Fabio, mayor of Siena -  prison should not only be a place of detention but also a space where new opportunities are built and dignity and future are restored to people. As a municipal administration, we strongly support initiatives that promote the social and professional reintegration of prisoners because a community is stronger when it leaves no one behind”.