Autumn in Puglia is a special season.
The olive groves, dormant throughout the year, come alive.
The olive trees are full of olives ready to be harvested and give life to the iconic and delicious Apulian oil.
The Harvest
You wake up early in the morning, load the vehicle with all the tools needed for the harvest. You head toward your piece of land, where the olive trees display their often centuries‑old beauty. Placed at the base of the tree, the nets cover the ground, ready to “catch” the olives that will fall from the branches full of the precious fruit.
Tasks are divided. Some are in charge of arranging the nets and moving them from tree to tree. Others take care of shaking the tree.
Rods or beaters?
Here opinions split between old and new school. Some use the old method with rods, long sticks used to strike the branches. Others rely on modern beaters, which have a sort of rake at the tip that mechanically “tickles” the branches, causing the olives to fall.
When the nets under the tree are sufficiently full, it’s time to unload the fruits into crates. At the end of the harvest, the containers will be taken to the trusted mill.
At the Mill, Apulian Oil Is Born
Once at the mill, after weighing, the precious harvest is taken inside where milling takes place.
Mills are special places, full of life.
Farmers, customers, workers, machines overflowing with crates of fruit, huge containers full of green and black olives depending on their ripeness.
Milling
The olives are washed and then, depending on the machinery in the mill, they are crushed.
This can happen using the old method with granite millstones, or through “crushing,” meaning the use of a hammer crusher.
The common goal of both methods is to obtain the “olive paste.”
Malaxing
This paste undergoes “malaxing.” The process lasts at most one hour. In the malaxer, the separation between water and oil occurs. The mixture is processed by a horizontal centrifuge which, with the help of a rotating drum, separates the paste into:
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“pomace oil,” which will go to the pomace factory,
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“vegetation water,”
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and the “oily must.”
The final step is the passage of the must into a vertical centrifuge that removes the remaining solid residues. Finally comes the most emotional moment: the fruit of so much work is rewarded by the poetic sight of one’s own oil, ready to be stored.
Apulian Oil: National Pride and King of Exports
Apulian oil represents more than half of the national product.
This means it is present on more than 50% of Italian tables.
A source of Italian pride — and not only.
Extra virgin olive oil is exported and appreciated by foreign consumers.
Tourists are fascinated by the goodness of Apulian oil and often return home with bottles of Puglia’s “gold” in their luggage.
Tasting
The importance of Apulian oil in the Mediterranean diet is well known. It has been used for centuries and is one of the protagonists of Italian cuisine. The Apulian territory is dotted with mills. In every province you can find mills and farmhouses offering tasting experiences, accompanied by explanations of all the steps needed to create excellent EVO oil.
Visits begin in the olive groves, true Mediterranean gardens where you can immerse yourself and be captivated by the beauty of centuries‑old olive trees. Trunks and branches take on the most varied shapes, trees sculpted by centuries of life. In Ginosa, in the province of Taranto, stands the now famous “Thinking Olive Tree,” a plant that resembles the face of a man deep in thought.
Oil tasting is paired with other Apulian gastronomic products such as taralli, bread, and friselle.
Five Places Where You Can Taste Apulian Oil
Here are five locations where it is possible to taste Apulian oil. Once you arrive in Puglia, we will be happy to act as your guide, accompanying you on food and wine tours where a stop at mills and farmhouses offering tastings is a must. Contact us with no obligation — experience Puglia in all its facets!
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Masseria Pezze d’Aglio — Fasano (BR)
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Frantoio Mimì — Modugno (BA)
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Tenuta Monacelle — Monopoli (BA)
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Masseria Vittoria — Acaya, hamlet of Vernole (LE)
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Frantoio Di Molfetta Fratoianni — Bisceglie (BT)