Recently, WSET had the privilege of interviewing Mirko Pastorelli. Mirko is an internationally published wheelchair sommelier with various experiences in the hospitality industry and events world. We asked him about his story thus far, what motivates him to overcome adversity and much more.
Firstly, would you tell us a little about yourself and your career to date?
My name is Mirko Pastorelli, I am 28 years old and I live in Cesena, Italy. I was born prematurely at six months and I have a disability from birth called spastic paraplegia which does not allow me to walk well. From the age of 14, I started using a wheelchair.
After spending many years as a website developer, four years ago, I decided to change my life. The office life was no longer for me and I wanted to communicate with people, travel, and express myself differently. My friend advised me to enrol in a sommelier course with the ASPI association (Italian Sommellerie Professional Association), at first only as a general interest.
I also wrote to Yannick Benjamin, a disabled sommelier from New York and we became friends. A few months later, I decided to visit him and attend the Wine on Wheels event (a big tasting event with wines from all over the world and New York’s best sommeliers to help people with disabilities in the Americas).
I soon took my sommelier diploma in March 2019. Back in New York, I later received an award during Wine on Wheels for my determination in changing the perception of disability in Italy in the hospitality industry.
It was as if a light bulb had turned on in my brain. I thought to myself: if he [Yannick] did it, I can do it too.
But this was not enough, I wanted to find work as a sommelier, I started writing to the most famous sommeliers and international associations to be able to gain my experience as a Sommelier because initially, it seemed practically impossible.
I made many financial and personal sacrifices, I started travelling, I went to Spain in the Penedès area, then to Champagne in France, I returned to America and visited Chicago and Las Vegas.
Shortly before the pandemic hit, I received a call from Vue de Monde in Melbourne to work as a Sommelier. Despite the difficult situation, I decided to leave Italy immediately (a few days later, international flights would be suspended).
I worked in the restaurant for just one month and then coronavirus arrived in Australia and the restaurant had to close. I decided not to go back to Italy but to resist and I was locked in a room for seven months, it was not easy but this experience made me understand which direction to take in my life.
Now I am back in Italy, happy to have finally had my first experience in the field and I am ready to restart with new projects in Italy. I'm sure the situation will improve, and when the time comes I'll be ready to fight!
If you could pinpoint the moment when you realised you wanted to work in wine, when would that be?
I realised that I could work in the world of wine when I saw the photo of Yannick Benjamin on Google. In that singular moment, something changed inside of me. It was as if a light bulb had turned on in my brain. I thought to myself: if he did it, I can do it too.
I never thought about personal fame, but at that moment I realised that I could open a new path for people with disabilities and be an inspiration to others. In my life, I have always looked for a way where I can express my full potential and this industry has allowed me to do this despite my physical condition.
You have certainly had a challenging journey to get to where you are. What inspired you to stay motivated and overcome adversities?
In my case, determination, consistency and passion have helped me to reach goals. During my training, I was lucky enough to meet Giuseppe Vaccarini (the best sommelier in the world ASI in 1978 and the president of ASPI). He is not only an inspiration for his teaching, but he was one of the first people who believed in me and I consider him a mentor.
Having people like Giuseppe Vaccarini as a point of reference has encouraged me to improve myself more and more and to never give up, even in the most difficult moments. There are many people that I have met and that have helped me over the years, and each of them has taught me something different.
In this case, having diversity or a disability can be seen as a positive condition. There are no limits to what people can achieve.
It is thanks to the friends and teachers that I met during my journey if today I am the person I am. I take this opportunity to thank them all and I will never stop doing it.
If you could work anywhere or become anything in the wine world, what would your dream position be?
From a professional perspective, I don’t set any limits to what I could achieve. I like challenges and above all to get involved, although initially, I was stubborn to work on the floor in a restaurant. In the future, I’d like to move into other areas, such as the sale of wines and other beverages, organising tastings, import or export or even representing a winery as a brand ambassador.
There are not many restaurants in the world that are accessible for wheelchairs, especially if you are a sommelier. I believe this will change in the future. It is important to remember that the figure of the sommelier is multifaceted, he is not limited only to serving wine in a restaurant and the fields of application can be innumerable.
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In this case, having diversity or a disability can be seen as a positive condition. There are no limits to what people can achieve. Inclusiveness and diversity are themes that will be very important in our industry in the future.
It was an honour for me to attend the WSET Global Summit bringing my experience. In the future, people with disabilities should be able to approach a career because they want to. We must be ready to help these people by sharing experiences and success stories.
Only if we remain united, we can then help others, and I am happy that international associations such as ASPI and WSET give attention to these issues. Yannick Benjamin, for example, has undertaken some astonishing work with Wine on Wheels over the last 11 years. I would love to do something similar in Europe.
What advice would you give to others wanting to follow your path?
Passion, humility, determination and perseverance. There are no self-made people, there is always someone who has helped us to achieve our goals. It is important to never forget who helped us, our past, our history and when the time comes, try to give to those who will come after us what we have received.
Having said this, I want to advise people with a disability that would like to pursue a career in the world of wine. I say that this is possible: there are no limits!
My story and Yannick's story are an example to follow, it's not easy, you have to face everything and everyone and continue to follow your dreams. I think that in our industry there is enough space for everyone, we must not be afraid to express ourselves, to dare, to try new things.
It was an honour for me to attend the WSET Global Summit bringing my experience. In the future, people with disabilities should be able to approach a career because they want to. We must be ready to help these people by sharing experiences and success stories.
Diversity should not be seen as a limitation but as an opportunity to improve ourselves and others. I am always available to share my experience and if anyone wants to ask me questions and I’ll be happy to answer.
Who are you most looking forward to sharing a glass of wine with post-pandemic and what would it be?
There is one person in particular with whom I would like to have a glass of wine after the pandemic and that is Jancis Robinson.
Jancis is a formidable person, not only professionally but also humanly, very helpful and humble. I owe a lot to Jancis, thanks to her I met fantastic people during my permanence in Australia like Max Allen and Sarah Andrew. Due to the pandemic, I have not been able to meet her but I hope to do so as soon as possible and share a good glass of Riesling with her!
Written by Marcus Hill, Marketing Executive, WSET and answered by Mirko Pastorelli (Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter). Click here to go to the website.
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