Our Team

Guido Bandinelli – Founder and Director

I was born and raised in Tuscany (Chianti Classico region) and I am still living here. Thanks to my parents, the high quality extra virgin olive oil (same as for wine) has always been part of my life since a very early age and it continues to be part of my everyday life now. I became a certified olive oil taster in February 2011 and I have been registered as “expert olive oil taster” by the Chamber of Commerce in Florence since July 2014.

Alessandro Parenti – University professor by the University of Florence UNIFI and collaborator and consultant for the Tuscany Olive Oil School Active Professor of Agrarian Engineering by the Agrarian Faculty of the University of Florence UNIFI, with a long time experience in the realization of “olive oil extraction systems”. He is author of many essays about “olive oil extraction systems and techniques of olive oil extraction” and presently still involved with many projects of research on behalf of the University of Florence for many famous Italian food industries. He is a professional olive oil taster and Panel Leader of the “Comitato Professionale di Assaggio (Committee of Professional Olive Oil Tasting) Nr. 3 A.NA.P.O.O. Firenze”.

Laura Lenzi PhD – Olive Oil Expert and Consultant, Educator and Researcher for the Tuscany Olive Oil School

I have graduated (PhD) in “Agrarian and Forestal Sciences” at the University of Florence and I have also achieved a specialization in “Garden architecture and planning of the landscape,” by the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Florence.  At the present moment I’m working as an agronomist at Villa Le Corti Spa, in accordance with the principle of organic and biodynamic agriculture. I am also responsible for the olive oil mill of Villa Le Corti and of the olive oil production. In 2007 I started to work not just as an agronomist, but also as an olive oil maker. My passion and love for  olive oil has kept increasing, leading me to specialize and  refine my know-how as an olive oil maker, and also to attend a course by the “Camera di Commercio di Firenze” to become a certified olive oil taster. At the present moment, I am starting a career as a freelance agronomist and as an olive oil expert and olive oil consultant.

Francesco Cacciatori – Owner of the Restaurant “L’Albergaccio di Castellina” in Castellina in Chianti, Collaborator and Consultant for the Tuscany Olive Oil School.

Thanks to my parents, good olive oil and good wine have always been part of my life since a very early age! At the very beginning of the 80’s, just when I was about to start my activity as a restaurateur, my father in law (an authentic “man of the countryside”) told me “…remember Francesco, the good olive oil is the foundation of the good cuisine!” Since then, those words have remained engraved in my mind and the high quality extra virgin olive oil has become the pillar of the cuisine of my restaurant. During the last months I have also started a steady collaboration with the Tuscany Olive Oil School, with contributions in relation to the practical and to the correct use of the olive oil in the kitchen and for promoting the culture of the high quality extra virgin olive oil.

Judyta Tyszkiewiczi – Chief Olive Oil Maker at “La Ranocchiaia – Frantoio Grandis,” Collaborator and Consultant for the Tuscany Olive Oil School.

I am responsible for the olive oil production and marketing of the well renowned olive oil brand “La Ranocchiaia” and am the ‘chief olive oil maker’ of the olive oil producing firm “La Ranocchiaia – Frantoio Grandis,” which I co-own with my husband, Gianluca. I have a vast experience as an olive oil maker and olive oil taster. Since January, 2022, I have collaborated with the Tuscany Olive Oil School to refine the learning materials and help select the olive oil samples for the olive oil tasting lessons. 

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