Tuscany has always had a special appeal for me ever since my student days in Florence, so I was thrilled when I managed to buy Boggioli in 1975. The farm dates back to at least the 12th century and already had several hundred olive trees ( and a few vines, soon pulled out), so I became an olive oil producer more or less by default!

We made our first oil in 1976 and have made great strides since then both by increasing the number of trees (we have about 900 now) and by concentrating on improving the quality of the oil.

It took time (and patience!) to make the house more habitable and to...

Tuscany has always had a special appeal for me ever since my student days in Florence, so I was thrilled when I managed to buy Boggioli in 1975. The farm dates back to at least the 12th century and already had several hundred olive trees ( and a few vines, soon pulled out), so I became an olive oil producer more or less by default!

We made our first oil in 1976 and have made great strides since then both by increasing the number of trees (we have about 900 now) and by concentrating on improving the quality of the oil.

It took time (and patience!) to make the house more habitable and to clear the fields of the invading woods, but the results have exceeded our expectations. In 1997 my wife Helen and I were able to move permanently to Boggioli from Rome and to dedicate the time and effort to increasing the quantity and quality of our product. We now produce prize-winning extra virgin olive oil certified IGP Toscano and cultivate the olives organically.

We are also conscious of the importance of respecting the environment and are in the process of installing a photovoltaic system for generating our own electricity. Future plans include using biomass for hot water and central heating, using the renewable resource represented by our 38 ha of woods.

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Our farm, called Podere Boggioli, is situated at 460 m on the northern flanks of the Chianti Hills overlooking the valley of the Arno. The area around our local village, Montegonzi (in the municipality of Cavriglia), has long been renowned for the quality of the oil produced there.

We are fortunate in having soil that is well drained and easy to work. We follow the strict dictates of organic agriculture and are certified by one of the official bodies. Our olives are thus cultivated without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

In addition to the care we put into fertilizing and...

Our farm, called Podere Boggioli, is situated at 460 m on the northern flanks of the Chianti Hills overlooking the valley of the Arno. The area around our local village, Montegonzi (in the municipality of Cavriglia), has long been renowned for the quality of the oil produced there.

We are fortunate in having soil that is well drained and easy to work. We follow the strict dictates of organic agriculture and are certified by one of the official bodies. Our olives are thus cultivated without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

In addition to the care we put into fertilizing and pruning, we pay particular attention to what happens right after the harvest. Once picked, our olives are taken to the mill ('frantoio') every 2 days to ensure that they are as fresh and intact as possible. This, plus the fact that we tend to pick early (which helps to preserve the oil longer), is a very important aspect of the quest for quality.

Also important is the role of the 'frantoio' in producing oil of the quality that we aim for. We go to a modern, well-run mill that uses the latest technology to give us the collaboration that we were looking for.

The results show us that we have been making the right choices along the line: seven prizes and various citations at local, provincial, national and international level in just seven years.

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