The Journey of Our Olive Oil: From Grove to Bottle
The production of Sant' Angelica Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a labour of love for us. The journey from our olive trees to the bottle on your table is the result of a deep connection we have between the land and sea.
Nurturing The Grove
Sant' Angelica Extra Virgin Olive Oil begins in our single-estate olive grove in the Maremma, where our 900 olive trees grow on the hills of Garavicchio, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Throughout the year, we carefully tend and prune our trees, allowing light and air into the canopy and giving the olives the best conditions to thrive. Our grove is nurtured with great care, and everything we do is focused on the health of our trees and the quality of the fruit they produce.
The Art of Harvesting
The harvest at Sant' Angelica is a time of celebration, a ritual repeated throughout the Mediterranean which has now become a part of our lives.
Our harvest begins in September, while the olives are still green. We deliberately harvest early for quality rather than quantity - producing less oil, but with greater freshness, flavour and naturally occurring polyphenols.
The olives are gathered by hand and with gentle electric shaking poles and then carefully placed into small, shallow ventilated crates to minimise being crushed or bruised. They are also kept cool and shaded beneath a reflective cover. They are then taken straight from our grove to the local frantoio and milled within hours of harvesting.
Crafting the Oil
Within hours of harvesting, our olives arrive at the local frantoio, where they are carefully washed and crushed into a fresh olive paste.
The oil is then cold extracted at below 27°C, helping preserve the natural flavours, aromas and valuable polyphenols of the fruit. The result is our intensely fresh, vibrant Extra Virgin Olive Oil, with its distinctive green colour and peppery character.
Protecting the Freshness
Immediately after extraction, our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is crystal filtered, removing residual moisture and fine natural sediment while preserving the freshness and character of the newly produced oil.
It is then transferred to stainless-steel tanks protected with nitrogen, minimising its exposure to oxygen and helping preserve its vibrant colour, aromas, flavour and quality until bottling.
The Final Step: Bottling
Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is bottled with the same attention to detail that begins in the grove. Our dark glass bottles protect the oil from light, helping preserve its freshness, flavour and quality. Every bottle is then placed in its own individual box, ensuring that the oil you receive is as fresh and flavourful as the moment it was crafted.
Each bottle is sealed with care, ensuring that the oil you receive is as fresh and flavourful as the moment it was crafted.
A Taste of Tradition
Each bottle of Sant' Angelica Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the result of our journey from the city to the coast of Tuscany, one which is steeped in tradition and with a deep respect for the natural world. Our oil is vibrant, intense and fragrant – a burst of peppery greenness – which will transport you to the natural beauty of the Maremma. One taste and you will understand what we are talking about!
