Autumn in Tuscany means new Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Autumn in Tuscany also means new oil, freshly squeezed. Between late September and early October, the olive harvest turns the landscape green to gold, and Tenuta Torciano picks every olive by hand.

The harvest

How the olives are picked

The olive tree is one of the symbols of the Tuscan landscape, along with cypress trees and hills. Between the end of September and the beginning of October, the olive harvest takes place in Tuscany, an ancient ritual repeated for thousands of years: this is when the olive reaches the right maturation, or veraison, changing color from green to black. At Tenuta Torciano, the harvest is done exclusively by hand, a process longer than the mechanical method, but one that does not stress the olive tree or damage the olives.

To collect the olives we use the comb, a tool that recalls a hair comb, which slides along the branches taking away the olives without damaging the leaves or the tree. The olives are gathered at the base of the tree with large green nets, then taken immediately to the mill every evening after the harvest: here the pressing begins, to get the Extra Virgin Olive Oil the same day. The harvest lasts about a month and must be finished before the arrival of the cold, around the end of November, or the olives risk being damaged.

Quality

What makes this oil special

Tenuta Torciano's extra virgin olive oil is an oil of great quality, thanks above all to the soil where our plants grow. Its very alkaline pH, combined with cold extraction performed exclusively by mechanical means, gives a final product with very low acidity and a unique flavor. Extra-virgin also means "first pressing": producing one liter of our oil takes about 5 kg of olives. The oil also contains antioxidant compounds that protect it from rancidity, and if stored correctly, away from light and heat, it stays unchanged for 12 to 18 months.

New extra virgin olive oil, freshly pressed, is one of the most sought-after products among experts, and this year the Torciano Extra Virgin Olive Oil will stand out for its quality and flavor, given the excellence of the olives harvested.

In the kitchen

How to use it

This oil suits every culinary use: a simple dressing, scalding, or frying. Try it on a slice of cooked bread, what we call bruschetta, or on pasta in white; you get the same delicious result on your salads or on quality meat, and Fiorentina is the best of all. It also pairs perfectly with white meats or fish, and with a delicious carpaccio. This blond nectar is, in fact, the perfect condiment for every kind of food.