Olive oil tasting tour near Lecce

Learn how Apulian extra virgin olive oil is produced

Olive oil is undoubtedly one of the leading products of Apulian gastronomic tradition. By taking part in this guided tour, you can learn all the stages that make up the production chain: from harvesting the olives from the tree to bottling.
You will be given the main information on how to grow organically and which are the different varieties of olives used for production.
During a tour of the modern oil mill, you will learn about the technical stages of production: washing, pressing, malaxation and extraction.
This experience ends with a guided tasting that explains the main knowledge about the classification of oils and their most important organoleptic characteristics.

Location of the experience

The tour is hosted at a farm located a few kilometres away from Lecce, which extends over 270 hectares, 30,000 of which are cultivated with olive trees. Organic farming has been practised here since 1996, ensuring quality and respect for the environment.
The olive oil is produced in a short supply chain, i.e. all production steps take place within the company, processing the fresh olives the same day they are harvested.
This results in an oil with a pure, genuine flavour and fruity hints.
From the land to the table, pleasure to the heart: emotions that only Puglia can offer.

The stages of oil production

The harvest

Here, extra virgin olive oil is produced using the local varieties Ogliarola Salentina and Cellina di Nardò.
The olives are harvested when they reach the right degree of ripeness in order to obtain an oil with a fresh and fruity flavour, along with the highest possible concentration of polyphenols and tocopherols, natural antioxidants that make extra virgin olive oil one of the healthiest and most natural foods of the Mediterranean diet.
Olives are harvested by dividing each variety and then processed separately to be bottled as a single variety (or cultivar) oil.

The extraction

The modern oil mill is run by highly qualified staff. Here, the oil is produced everyday (during the harvest season) and stored in sealed stainless steel tanks kept at a controlled temperature.
Specific procedures are also carried out to protect the olives from the damaging effects of heat and air during the extraction and storage process.