Dispatch
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Mirko Pastorelli is a sommelier from Cesena, Italy, who was born with spastic paraplegia and is largely confined to a wheelchair. After leaving his job as a web developer in 2016, he turned to wine, a field in which he’s found hope, community, and passion. Pastorelli, 26, is now certified as a sommelier by the Association of Professional Italian Sommeliers and plans on following the path of his mentor, Yannick Benjamin, and becoming a wheelchair sommelier. He’s currently continuing his wine education while seeking employment opportunities in the industry—and is ready to move anywhere the wine world takes him.
Mirko Pastorelli aspires to work a restaurant floor and create more awareness around disabilities in the hospitality industry—here’s his story
