Prison Wine Sells for $95 a Bottle on Store Shelves

50 inmates contributed to the making of Gorgona, a 2012 white blend named after the Italian prison in which it was fermented. Vermentino and Ansonica grapes planted on an island off the Tuscan coast were chosen to create the blend, while a total of 2,700 bottles were produced. 1,000 bottles have made their way to the US market where they’ll retail for $95 each.

The prison’s first vintage was crafted through the Frescobaldi per Gorgona project, which teaches inmates valuable wine-making skills under the supervision of Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi winery’s agronomists and winemakers.

“Inmates get job training, working and living in contact with nature,” explains Maria Grazia Giampiccolo, the prison director. “The capacity is 136 and there are currently about 50 inmates. For many of them it is still possible to imagine a future because they know they have the chance to reintegrate into their respective communities with job skills they can actually use.”

Find out here to see which US shops support the project.