A crisp December morning in the first family grove in the hills above Viterbo. After each year’s harvest there is still much to do; organisation, administration, certification, purchasing and sales, but the groves themselves settle down for winter. The grass is left to grow long and return to its natural state which encourages biodiversity and enriches the soil.

Herbs and flowers bloom in the spring, and when we do cut the grass we leave it on the the ground, which infuses the earth with natrium which promotes the natural health and strength of the trees. Because we don’t use any pesticides or fertilizers in our groves, our oil is certified 100% biological according to stringent rules, just as we use only natural composts and microbes in the vegetable gardens which grow the raw produce for our preserves and tapenades.