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Going up the private road that leads from the SP 130 Castagnoli to Gagliole, we feel as though we are also rising metaphorically. The location of the winery, along the ridge of Castellina in Chianti which dominates the Val d’Elsa, exudes the harmony of a well-anthropized rural landscape, like a paradigm of all of Chianti.

A special atmosphere is created in this little “paradiso limitrofo” according to the assignation given by the anthropologist, Alessandro Falassi, to the Chianti territory: idyllic place, hidden by some aspects and therefore protected, but with easy access.

This naturale treasure, for landscape and agriculture, has been followed in detail for 30 years by its farseeing Swiss owners, Thomas and Monika Baer, who, with sensitivity to the environment, have based the management of their business on sustainability in agricultural processes and the transformation of the product, completely organic.

The absence of pesticides and the use of “fitosei” against insect damage, the constant search for an equilibrated rapport among the organic substance ot the soil, the biodiversity of the agro-ecosystem and the efficient valorization of the historic landscape (lide terraces and dry walls), are only some of the visible manifestations of a complex operation which aims at the quality of the product, not only for commercial ends, but also in terms of health (from their workers to the consumer), and the identification with the territory.

For all of this, with coherence and conviction, the winery recently paricipated in the regional bann, “Progetti integrati territoriali”, through coordination with the Biodistretto del Chianti.

The idea is to reiterate and relaunch additional actions meant to reduce emissions and tutor the impact on the environment as well as phenomena or hydro-geologic erosion and instability, through the recuperation and restoration of terracing and dry walls, and the creation of new hydraulicagrarian systems, alongside those existing, according to methods of naturalistic engineering.

These are actions which would be implemented in Gagliole even without the edict. So tells us the young and competent agronomist, Giulio Carmassi.

They are practices which are routinely done in Gagliole. As far as the dry walls, works of art, are concerned, every year the winery conducts a census of the 30 hectares of the property, including the adjoining farm of Castagnoli

. The priorities of the 6 or 7 interventions a year are entrusted to a local building company who uses young and qualified workers, adding to the image of the winery.

As inhabitants of the Chianti territory, we should thank those who produce and manage our natural heritage while respecting the habitat. For this it is important to know the tecniques and methodologies of agriculture and transformation which are adopted by local farms, also for their effect on our health.

We should award virtuous experiences like those of Gagliole, especially when we are dealing with excellent products.

Cosimo Ciampoli

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