​Every year between October and December, olive oil season reaches its peak. In fact, these days, olive farmers are constantly visiting orchards to monitor so called veraison process (invaiatura in Italian).

Veraison literally means change of color which characterizes the ripening process. Olives are drupes: a fleshy fruit, with thin skin and central stone containing the seed. During the ripening process the olives’ color changes from green to black while going through several shades of purple/pink. 

An olive harvested too early, when still solid green, would produce an olive oil with a very strong and acerbic taste. On the other hand,  if olives are harvested at the very end or after veraison process, the oil tends to have a fatty taste. The colour of the oil is also affected, from dark-green to yellow-green.

Olive farmers will start harvesting the olives when they are in the middle of veraison, before full ripeness.  

We estimate that in four or five days at the latest,  we will start harvesting our orchards. The season is expected to be abundant and of good quality. However, this is not a guarantee of high quality extra virgin yet!

For excellent quality, it is indispensable to take the integral and fresh harvested olive fruit to the mill. A damaged fruit would cause excessive oxidation affecting the quality of the pressing output.    

As per tradition, our customers can start buying our new olive oil at a small discount on the full price. This year we are also offering new packaging. We introduced 500 ml and 750 ml bottles. 

For our new customers, that wish to try without committing to a larger order, we are offering 10 half-litre bottles at a very competitive price that includes shipping cost.

To learn more please visit www.oliogorrasi.com.

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On the market, there are hundreds of offers of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with prices ranging from less than €3 to more than €30 per liter. In most cases, these are products that are the result of refining or blends of oils of different origins. The standard, often mediocre, varies a lot.

Is it still possible for the final consumer to select and purchase a 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil of guaranteed quality? Yes, it is possible.

Few common sense rules can help:

1. Olive oil, unlike wine, does not improve over time. Always buy oil produced in the latest season of olive harvesting. In the Mediterranean area, the harvesting season runs approximately from October to January.
   
   
2. It is cheaper to buy the quantity needed until the next production season.
   
   
3. To be sure about origin and quality, always buy directly from the producer. The producer is the farm that cultivates, pick up and mills olives from the olive groves that they either own or manage.
   
   
4. A consumer price of less than €9 per liter is not a guarantee of quality for a 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The price increases as the distance from the place of production increases. Furthermore, the presence of intermediaries in the distribution process also augments price.

Azienda Agricola Gorrasi is a small farm that produces olive oil from olives grown and harvested from its own olive orchard.  New olive oil will be shipped in about six weeks.

For shipments within Italy shipping is free. For shipping within the European Union we apply a flat shipping cost of €28 which is about 50% lower than real cost.

Special terms apply for group orders. Please contact us for a quote.

Buy now on our online store. 
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You need a litre of extra virgin olive oil, a handful of basil inflorescence and ten basil leaves.
Pick the basil inflorescence in the morning, leave them to dry if they are dewy, then place them in a tightly sealed container. Add the oil, close and leave to macerate for three weeks in a dark, cool place. Add the basil leaves and leave to macerate for another week. Finally, filter and decant into small bottles: you will have an excellent seasoning to use with salads, pasta, minestrone, vegetables, soups…
You do not have a garden where to pick basil? It is the right opportunity to invest in a small basil plant to keep in your kitchen. With a little sunshine and water, your small plant will yield enough basil for each and every one of your recipes. If keeping a basil plant alive is a challenge you are not willing to undertake, don’t worry, you can always purchase basil leaves directly from the shop.

While visiting a gourmet store, you may have come across aromatic olive oil and probably never thought that you could actually make the best one at home. In fact, nothing could be easier than preparing good aromatic olive oil.

​There are a few, simple rules to follow in order to obtain excellent results. The ingredients are: fresh aromatic herbs and high-quality extra virgin olive oil. If you grow the herbs yourself, pick them early in the morning. Then marinate the herbs and olive oil in a glass container for a given period of time. You are then ready to dress salads, vegetables, fish, grains etc. A bottle of aromatic olive oil, with a handwritten label, is also a great gift idea!

So make sure to stay tuned on our blog for delicious aromatic olive-oil recipes and slow-food inspiration!

​In order to be classified as Extra Virgin, olive oil must possess specific qualities. These are defined by the European Union regulations 2568/91 and subsequent amendments.

Chemical parameters such as pH (acidity) and peroxide amount, differentiate Extra Virgin Olive Oil from lower quality products such as refined oils or lampante. Organoleptic properties like spiciness, rancidity, mouldiness and fruitiness also contribute to the classification of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. These properties are, in fact, assessed by a panel of tasters. If the olive oil is rancid or mouldy, it cannot be marketed as Extra Virgin.

This is the legal definition, which, unless you are a chemist, does not tell you much. Nonetheless, as a consumer, it is important to know that it is these particular chemical characteristics that certify a high-quality product. They indicate that the olives have been attentively cultivated, harvested and milled with care.

For example, did you know that olives must be harvested when they reach a specific level of ripeness? Moreover, damaging the olives must be avoided at all times and they should be pressed within 24 to 48 hours of picking. The use of natural fertilizers such us plant-based or animal manure also greatly contributes to quality.
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Shown below are the chemical parameters and organoleptic properties of the olive oil produced from our 2017 harvest. The test report certifies that our product can be classified Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Does the title of this post sound a bit pretentious? Well, sadly, it’s true. Genuine, healthy food cannot be low cost. Products manufactured by the large-scale food industry can be, but the quality ingredients needed for a wholesome diet cannot be delivered to the public with prices that replicate those of food industries.

All across Europe, local family businesses delivering tasty bread, fresh, savoury meat, flavour filled fruit, etc. have fallen into decline over the last decades. Think for a second, when was the last time you enjoyed a tasty plum? Or bought some pears that didn’t perish within a couple of days?

A growing number of people, if not all of us, has become accustomed to the food with non-existing flavour offered by the big distribution. Only an aging minority, witnesses of locally grown, authentic ingredients could tell you what a vegetable should taste like and when it’s in season. The quality of food in supermarkets is a disappointment, more harmful than it is nutritious.

So, dear reader, if you’re interested in the topic and have read thus far, one must pose you the question: which category do you belong to? Are you a mainstream food consumer or an aging, more demanding consumer?

If you are a mainstreamer, you most likely purchase your groceries from large chains, paying three for the price of one! Seems like a great deal no? Yet this is the precise moment economics kill quality. Why? Big scale producers, with unbeatable bargain power push down the prices of ingredients potentially at the expense of quality. Low-cost/low-quality ingredients increase margins.

The traditional, local family business model has no chance to survive in this scenario, unless, two conditions are met:
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1. The local producer, while delivering the highest quality, has the skills to fully exploit new digital technologies and reach consumers directly. In this manner, we cut off a number of intermediaries that do nothing but add cost and no value.
   
   
2. Buyers invest more time in becoming educated consumers, professionals of food, acting as shareholders of their own healthy nutrition and paying a fair price.
   
   

At Gorrasi Olive Farm, we strive to produce the highest quality Olive Oil. We are of the opinion that if both of the above conditions are met we achieve a system that is a win-win for all.
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Whether you follow the three-for-one sales or are more demanding when it comes to the provenance and quality of food please visit our Store and buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil directly from our olive farm.