Each variety of olive tree we grow gives our organic oil unique and different qualities that deserve to be bottled.
THE MADONIE'S GREEN GOLD
Santa Barbara olive grove
The Santa Barbara olive grove is located 500 meters above sea level, in the municipality of Geraci Siculo, adjacent to the Madonie Natural Park (UNESCO Geopark, with peaks that reach over 2000 meters), in the north-central area of Sicily, in the province of Palermo. The Santa Barbara olive grove has a unique microclimate, resulting from its natural geographic exposure to the South-East; its natural slope avoids the problems of water stagnation, to which the olive tree is very sensitive. The soil is characterized by a clayey soil, rich in minerals and the climate is typical of the Alte Madonie mountains: strong northern winds and snowfalls in winter, with significant temperature variations between day and night in summer.
The distinctive element of our olive grove is the variety of organically grown olives set within the pristine landscape of the Alte Madonie. Fifty years ago our plants were characterized only by centuries-old olive trees, today we grow four different types of cultivars: Biancolilla, Crastu, Frantoio and Santagatese. The modern olive grove is cultivated with organic farming methods with the aim of obtaining a premium quality extra virgin olive oil without the use of chemicals and pesticides.
Olive grove Monte Alburchia
The Monte Alburchia olive grove is located in contrada Casalgiordano, in an area that includes the municipalities of Gangi and Blufi, in the province of Palermo. The olive grove is located at the foot of Monte Alburchia, known as the “enchanted mountain”, in a mountainous area about 550 metres above sea level, which allows – with hot days and cold nights – the best expression of the Biancolilla oil cultivar. The plants are spread over an area of about 5 hectares that boasts a rare biological integrity: since 1970, the year of its planting, no chemical products have ever been used.
4 CULTIVARS FOR EVERY TASTE
Gentleness
The Biancolilla and Santagatese cultivars are typical and predominant in Sicily. Their plants produce an extra virgin olive oil characterized by a very low acidity and a delicate and very refined taste. Another characteristic notes, in addition to their gentle taste, is the high digestibility which makes them particularly suitable for the palate and stomach of children as well as the elderly. In fact, in the Sicilian countryside, olive oil - especially Biancolilla – was traditionally used as a natural remedy for stomach ache and as an intestinal regulator.
Equilibrium
Originally from central Italy, the Frantoio variety is now grown on a large part of the national territory due to its agricultural and organoleptic qualities. An extremely elegant plant that can look like a giant bonsai, it has an abundant and regular yield over the years. The resulting extra virgin olive oil is aromatic, fruity and - at the same time - never heavy and always pleasant on the palate, in other words, balanced: in equilibrium! In our production, the Frantoio cultivar is placed in perfect balance between the gentleness and delicacy of the Biancolilla and the Santagatese, and the strength of the Crastu.
Strength
An organic extra virgin olive oil like Crastu can make you cough if tasted professionally, with the stripping method (a series of short aspirations). Some experts evaluate the quality of the oil precisely on the amount of coughs it causes. Santa Barbara’s Crastu remains on the palate in a particularly persistent way with its unmistakable combination of bitter and extreme spiciness. This unmistakable and powerful taste is due precisely to the incredible number of polyphenols in our Crastu which, in 2020, achieved the Sicilian biophenolic record, never reached in the history of the island: 1356 mg / kg!
