Midwinter in the grove, cleaning up, checking on the trees, removing the odd branch, and watching the ripeness of the olives we leave for late picking at the end of January for our rich black biological olive tapenade . Our three new preserves have been a popular success, with everyone expressing preferences, and sales coming in from as far away as the US!

When ripe at the end of the month, the olives are black and incredibly smooth and rich in taste, which creates a soft full pulp perfect for tapenade. We pick by hand and only select the best, those fruits that are free of bruises, stains, and imperfections. Then they are washed and go into a barrel to marinate for a year and a half, so for 2025’s olive tapenade. It’s a long but incredibly rewarding process.