L'Arte dell' Olivo literally means "The art of the olive tree". We chose this name because it depicts the very essence of what creates the extraordinary olive oil we hand select.
Much goes into producing olive oil and it all begins with the olive tree.
The olive tree is full of character and often times gnarly and bent with age. Many of the olive groves are located on old terraced hillsides and are a permanent part of the Italian landscape, as the oil is part of Italian life.
L'Arte dell' Olivo is made from olives that are carefully picked by hand and gently harvested to ensure a better quality olive oil. Olive harvesting normally starts in October and can go as late as January of the following year. It is very meticulous work. The average person normally picks only one crate a day. There are machines that can help the harvesting, but they damage the trees and bruise the olives. The best way to harvest the olives is the traditional way; by hand.
The olives are generally stored in small bins until the producer has enough to take them to the local frantoio (olive mill) for crushing. Olive oil producers visit the frantoio very regularly during the picking season until the harvest is finished, because the olives start to spoil quickly. Because olives bruise just like apples do, they are handled very carefully until they reach the olive mill.
The olive mill traditionally crushed olives using huge stone wheels to grind the olives into a mulch, which is then poured over straw mats and pressed together to extract the oil. Now, there are newer mills with centrifuge machines that quickly and efficiently extract the oil with less oxidation but not nearly as much ambience. Both methods are effective in producing good olive oil; it would be difficult to discern a difference in taste between the two.
The bottom line is the end result, and there simply is nothing as wonderfully green and flavorful as freshly crushed olive oil. There are MANY health benefits to using olive oil everyday and the fresher it is, the more vitamins and benefits you will find in it. In Italy the harvesting of olive oil always is a cause for celebration; it is served quite simply as bruschetta; on bread toasted over a fire, rubbed with fresh garlic and drizzled with the nuovo (new) olive oil. Buon appetito!
L'Arte dell' Olivo olive oil has been freshly harvested, in late November 2006, and imported to the United States within a few weeks of being pressed. This year our olive oil comes from a small farm near Montalcino, overlooking the beautiful Val d'Orcia where the contadini (farmers) harvest the olives from trees that are 200-300 years old. The oil is generally a vibrant green in coloring just after pressing and strong in flavor, although that will slowly fade in the first few months. We suggest using the nuovo oil in anything fresh to truly enjoy the "essence" of the olive. Olive oil only holds its health benefits and taste for about a year, so we encourage you to enjoy it in its prime.
About the Art
Making "divine" olive oil really is an art and what better to highlight our label but a beautiful Italian Renaissance painting by Luca Signorelli, a native of Cortona in southern Tuscany. Look closely to find the olive leaves that are a part of the detail in this captivating piece from The Elect, located in the Orvietto Cathedral.