L’Aiaccia has its own olive grove and produces its own extra virgin oil. The olive harvest in Tuscany takes place in November. The olives are harvested by hand and promptly transported to the local “frantoio” (olive mill). On arrival, the harvest is weighed and then put into the hopper to separate the leaves and branches from the fruit before being washed. Next, the olives are ground into a fine paste which is spread in thin layers onto round pads called “fiscoli.” The fiscoli are stacked, then moved to a large hydraulic press to extract the oil. No heat is ever used in the process.
The end result is a remarkably vibrant oil. The color and taste varies each year – from a glorious brilliant green to a bright yellow-green and from very spicy to smooth and buttery – as determined by that year’s weather and the ripeness of the fruit at the time of the harvest. The end result, however, is always the same – a rich, flavorful oil.
