In the Tuscan archipelago, a group of prisoners on the tiny island of Gorgona, to the north of Elba (where Napoleon was exiled), have partnered up with the iconic Italian wine producer Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi to produce a white wine.

Inmates on the remote penal colony of Gorgona have made 2,700 bottles of Frescobaldi per Gorgona DOC, made from a blend of the Vermentino and Ansonica grape varieties after planting vines on the island some years ago.

However, although a lot of hard work has gone into producing this wine, the prisoners themselves will not be allowed to drink any of it; instead it is to be sold to restaurants and bars around Italy.

Public access to Gorgona is forbidden without special permission and boats must keep 487 metres from the shore.

The 13th-generation family winemaking companies, one of Italy’s oldest and most respected wine dynasties, were hands-on throughout the project, offering the island’s 50 inmates advice on planting, picking and winemaking techniques.

Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi is the first company taking part in a scheme launched last year in which businesses invest in the island to give prisoners skills that will help them get a job after they are released.

The project was welcomed by Anna Maria Cancellieri, Italian Minister for Justice, who said the idea could be replicated at other prisons.

“Initiatives like this have a constructive effect on inmates, allowing them to specialise in an area of work that will be useful to them once they leave prison” she said.