OLIVE TREES  

The approximately 500 olive trees were planted after the abandonment of viticulture 50 to 70 years ago in steep terrain terraced with dry stone walls. The main olive varieties are Brandofino (Randazzese), Nocellara Etnea and San Benedetto, which are indigenous to Etna, and Coratina, Frantoia and Nostrale, which come from the mainland. The trees grow in six small groves that together cover an area of just over two hectares. The groves are spread over 11 hectares of land between 500 and 600 meters above sea level. The embedding in a natural landscape with oak forest and species-rich rough pastures promotes health and resilience. The olives ripen in a landscape of biblical beauty with a view of the majestic 3350 meter high Etna.

The olive trees are treated with the utmost respect and care. Not the yield and the convenient harvest are in the foreground, but the health and beauty of the proud trees. There is no fertilization or use of pesticides. My farm has been registered with Ecocert Italia for organic certification since 2018, and in May 2021 I received organic certification for my olive oil.

For the purpose of fire prevention and control of brambles, from the end of June the herb layer, which is already sparse at this time of year, is mowed at ground level with a string mower. This also mulches the soil, which is thus protected from the hot sun and from soil erosion during the first rains in autumn. The interaction of the six olive groves growing in different positions with the mentioned different olive varieties results in an inimitable olive oil that characterizes the Valle d'Oliva. It goes without saying that the olives are harvested by hand at the right degree of ripeness and are brought daily, cleaned of leaves and branches, to the modern olive oil press. Chemical analysis and sensory tests reveal an excellent olive oil, which reflects all the magic of the Valle d'Oliva with its view of Mount Etna.

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