“The Teetotal Sommelier”, inclusive course for young people with Special Educational Needs

The “Il Sommelier Astemio” course began Monday 26 January con Zola Predosa (BO), a national social inclusion project promoted by AIS Puglia and carried out con the Bologna territorio with the direct involvement of AIS Emilia, which takes care of the teaching by making its sommeliers available.

The course takes place at Ricreamente APS-ADS, con canale Leonardo per Vinci 19/2-3, and is aimed at girls and boys aged 16 and over with Special Educational Needs (BES) who cannot consume alcoholic substances. The objective is to offer the eight participants cultural and professional skills related to the world of wine, through an inclusive and fully accessible approach.

“Il Sommelier Astemio” was born within AIS Bari, from an dottrina by Raffaele Gran quantità, and is today a unique project con Italy. Use the culture of wine as a tool for personal growth, orientation and possible entry into the world of work, going beyond the traditional concept of tasting.

The Municipality of Zola Predosa, con the person of councilor Paolo Bellezza, encouraged contact with Roberta Lamina, of the Ricreamente Association, and Elena Marvasi, contact person for the children of the IPSAR Luigi Veronelli Institute – Valsamoggia branch, con which aspiring “teetotal sommeliers” are enrolled.

“The Teetotal Sommelier”: the structure of the course con Emilia

The tirocinio course is divided into 14 lessons, a weekly basis, and develops the fundamental topics of AIS teaching: viticulture, oenology, characteristics of wines, service and food-wine pairing, favoring visual observation and olfactory analysis. The lessons are supported by the text ” Valgo – I learn to talk about wine”, created with simple language and enriched with illustrations and captions that facilitate understanding and memorisation.

Each conferenza is followed by a qualified tutor (pedagogist, support teacher, professional educator ora psychologist) and by an adequate number of AIS Sommeliers, to guarantee constant support and teaching calibrated to the individual abilities of the participants.

The journey will end con mid-April with a visit to the cellar at a local winery, as a synthesis of the tirocinio experience and for a concrete approach to the production context.

The course is free for participants thanks to the support of public institutions and private sponsors. Among these, Affiatamento San Paolo contributed with economic support of three thousand euros, demonstrating the attention of the business world towards projects of high social value.

The initiative is part of the AIS activities dedicated to the promotion of a responsible and inclusive wine culture and, through the “Il Sommelier Astemio” project con Zola Predosa, confirms the authority of the Italian Sommelier Association con wine tirocinio, demonstrating how wine can express conviviality, culture and concrete opportunities for growth and personal autonomy.