Paolo Granchi is not simply an agronomist. He is a man who chose to remain in his homeland, Castagneto Carducci, to live it, study it, and protect it with competence and passion. His personal story has been intertwined with that of the land since childhood. The son and grandson of farmers, he grew up among olive trees and vineyards, working alongside his father and grandparents.
His education began early: at just 14, he would take the train every morning to Grosseto to attend the Agricultural Technical Institute. He later pursued university studies and obtained his professional qualification as an agronomist. For over 25 years, he has been supporting farms, contributing to both the renewal and preservation of the rural landscape.
“I’ve lived my whole life among the land. That’s where my passion was born, and still today, whenever I can, I return to work on the family farm.”
In recent years, his focus has increasingly shifted toward environmental sustainability, driven also by personal and spiritual motivations. Respect for the land and for future generations has become the guiding principle of his daily work.
The Bolgheri area and the Etruscan Coast represent an extraordinary agricultural landscape, with a rich diversity of soils, exposures, biodiversity, and microclimates. Paolo emphasizes how this landscape, unlike many others dominated by monoculture, still preserves a rare ecological and scenic richness.
“Here, you don’t just find rows of vineyards or olive groves. There are still woods, hedgerows, centuries-old olive trees, and flowering meadows. Biodiversity is visible, tangible. That’s what makes this place special.”
A key aspect of the region’s agricultural history was, in the past, sharecropping, a system of land management that encouraged diverse and widespread cultivation of both plant and animal species: olives, vines, vegetables, and livestock. This approach shaped a Labelling a bottle of Tuscan oil with PGI., which is more important today than ever.
In the 1990s, a pioneering land zoning study scientifically confirmed the quality and variety of Bolgheri’s soils. That research marked a turning point, laying the foundation for a more conscious and high-quality approach to viticulture and olive cultivation.
Adapting to climate change
One of the key issues Paolo addresses is climate change. The seasons have shifted. Plants bud earlier, and heatwaves are more frequent and prolonged. All of this requires continuous adaptation.
“In the last four years, we’ve gone from 24 to 64 days above 35°C during the spring-summer period. That changes everything, from vegetative cycles to disease management.”
Today, an agronomist’s work relies on constant monitoring, smart agronomic choices, and new mitigation techniques. Delaying pruning can help slow down bud break. Selecting drought-resistant varieties becomes essential. The use of biostimulants and natural products, precision irrigation technologies, and biodiversity preservation all contribute to protecting the soil. A concrete example is the use of sexual confusion in vineyards and mass trapping in olive groves to drastically reduce insecticide use, or the use of kaolin, a natural clay, to protect olive trees from the olive fruit fly.
Agricultural experiences for visitors
Our wish is that those who visit Bolgheri and the Etruscan Coast do so with a curious, attentive, and conscious eye. Not only to admire its beauty, but to understand its soul. This is why we believe in a kind of tourism that goes beyond the surface, one that values authentic experiences of the land, also through direct contact with the agricultural world.
Paolo Granchi explains it clearly:
“Taking part in the grape or olive harvest allows people to experience the seasons and the rhythm of agricultural work firsthand. There’s a tangible beauty in watching hands select the grape clusters, in smelling the scent of freshly pressed olive oil.”
And yet, even the less celebrated moments, like winter pruning, can become deeply meaningful experiences: “A bud left or removed reflects a conscious choice. Behind every gesture lies respect for the plant and for time itself. Helping visitors understand this means truly bringing them closer to our agricultural culture.”
The stages of transformation, from the olive mill to the wine cellar, complete this journey. Observing the process from fruit to finished product, and then tasting it on-site, is not just a pleasure, but a way to gain awareness, to rediscover the value of work and the deep connection between land and table.
Opening the doors of our farms, showing even what usually remains unseen, is for us an act of transparency and trust. An invitation to experience the land not as spectators, but as active participants.
Traceability and the future
For Paolo Granchi, traceability is not just a technical matter. It is an ethical choice, a gesture of respect toward the consumer and toward agricultural work itself. In a world where information is everywhere but trust is rare, telling the story of where a product comes from, how it was cultivated, and when it was processed becomes a fundamental added value, especially for younger generations.
Today, thanks to certifications and digital tools like QR codes, geolocation, and operational logs, every bottle of oil or wine can tell its own story. A story made of mindful agronomic decisions, days spent in the field, and artisanal care. And if, as Paolo notes, the “Made in Italy” label is often used improperly, then tools like traceability become a cultural safeguard even before being a commercial one.
This transparency not only protects the consumer, but also helps preserve the territory and support the businesses that operate within it with conscience. It is a way to stand out, to promote authenticity over standardization, to give voice to those who work with honesty and skill. And in a landscape like Bolgheri, where every detail reflects balance and dedication, each traceable piece of information is another step toward building an agriculture that looks to the future, with roots firmly planted in the earth.
“With traceability, we can tell the consumer where, when, and how that product was made. This builds trust, creates distinction, and adds value.”
Paolo Granchi has given us an honest glimpse into agricultural work, its challenges, its daily decisions, and how these shape the landscape and the quality of the territory.
His is an approach that is deep, practical, and poetic all at once. He is the voice of someone who knows the land and wants to leave it better than he found it. He also perfectly represents how Bolgheri today is not just a postcard image, but a living place, shaped every day by people who care for it with skilled hands and hearts open to the future.
