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Ideally following the summer path of wild boars, the Gin.Ghiale project, starting from the woods of Maremma, reaches the coast, to give life to the new Distilled Gin Gin.Ghiale al Mare , created by Marco Tomberli and Matteo Guarnieri , respectively chef and owner of the Il Baracchino restaurant in Tirli, in the province of Grosseto, produced with the support of Priscilla Occhipinti , master distiller of the Nannoni Distillery in Paganico (GR).
Gin.Ghiale was born in September 2025 with the idea of telling the story of the Maremma through its wild botanicals. Marco Tomberli personally collects herbs, berries, leaves, roots, and flowers, which are then entrusted to the Nannoni distillery in Paganico. The first product, Gin.Ghiale “Spirit of Tirli ,” is a London Dry inspired by the woods and Mediterranean scrub of the Alta Maremma . It has now reached its fourth release, with over 4,000 bottles produced. In June 2026, it was awarded the Silver Medal at the World Gin Awards in London .
With Gin.Ghiale al Mare, the project changes landscape, but not philosophy. The idea was born from observing the behavior of wild boars: as summer progresses and the inland scrub becomes increasingly dry, the animals tend to descend into the valley in search of water and food, sometimes even reaching the beach. Hence the decision to ideally follow their path and shift the search for botanicals between the dunes, the pine forest, and the sea.
Work on the new gin began with a site visit and sample collection of plants growing between the pine forest and the beach of Castiglione della Pescaia and Punta Ala . Leaves and flowers were collected and brought fresh to Priscilla Occhipinti. From comparing the different aromas and flavors, and studying the botanicals, a first draft of the recipe was born, which was subsequently developed with the goal of creating a fresh, delicately scented gin that best represents the Maremma coast.
The protagonist is the maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) , alongside wild myrtle ( Myrtus communis ) , wild rosemary ( Salvia rosmarinus ) , Cretan rockrose ( Cistus creticus ) , sea fennel ( Crithmum maritimum ) and Fumaria parviflora , known locally as “sea fennel” .
The production method was also designed to preserve the characteristics of the freshly harvested plants. The most delicate flowers and inflorescences are cold-infused to preserve their aromas and flavors that could otherwise be lost during distillation. The pine forest botanicals destined for distillation are used fresh . Harvested in the morning, they are infused after just a few hours, preserving the vegetal water of the plants grown in close contact with the sea salt.
The decision to produce a limited number of bottles also stems from a careful focus on harvesting: dunes and pine forests are vulnerable environments, and Tomberli and Guarnieri's goal is to harvest the botanicals without harming the flora. For this reason, the quantity produced will be tied to the natural availability of the plants. The bottles will be numbered, and the year of harvest will also appear on the label ; a sort of "vintage" designed to allow for the observation of changes in the botanicals used year after year.
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