Olive oil production is no small task. In fact, in the 19th century, farmers in Olevano sul Tusciano had to enlist donkeys to help them make olive oil. The animals helped transport the harvested olives, as well as turn the heavy, granite olive press. It wasn't until after World War I that the first mechanical press was installed in Olevano sul Tusciano. Enter Michele Fierro, who realized that mechanization was the key to production. His frantoio, or olive mill, became the talk of the land. Thus, the beginning of Olevano sul Tusciano's first cold-press extra-virgin olive oil

While mechanization got rid of the donkeys, olives still need a lot of human love and attention. At Olevano, olives are hand-picked from the trees, and several times over - an expensive but essential undertaking in order to ensure that the olives are not bruised and that they are perfectly ripe (olives mature at different times). The harvest takes place in October and November, when the color of the fruit is reddish-purple but the dark pigmentation has not yet penetrated the olive pulp, which would make the oil taste acidic.

The hills of Olevano sul Tusciano nurture mostly Rotondella and Carpellese olives, with the Frantoio and Leccino cultivars being introduced within the last century. The Rotondella olive (so called for its particularly round shape) has been flourishing in this area of Campania since 540 BC, infusing these oils with tradition and history. The olive species date back some 2000 years, and, in fact, some of our trees are centuries old! Within 12 hours of harvest, the olives are pressed - no heat or chemical treatments applied at all - hence the label "first cold-press." The resulting oil must have an acidity level less than 1 percent in order to be called "extra-virgin." Olevano's harvests have produced oil with an acidity level as low as 0.22%.