The olive harvest is a decisive stage for the quality of extra virgin olive oil: it is the moment when months of work in the field become raw material for the mill. In Vetralla, in the Viterbo Tuscia, it is repeated every year between October and December and involves mills and farms in careful, precise work.
How the olives are harvested
Techniques such as beating and mechanical shakers are used, gathering the olives efficiently without damaging the fruit. Timing matters greatly too: olives harvested at veraison, when they turn from green to purple, give an oil richer in aromas and polyphenols than olives left too long on the tree. The olives are then carried in ventilated crates or bins, never in sacks, to avoid bruising and fermentation that would compromise the final result. Harvesting well, and at the right moment, is the first step toward a good oil.
From harvest to mill
At Frantoio Cesare Battisti, active since 1919, we process the olives with a continuous cold-cycle system that preserves aromas and nutritional properties. The time between harvest and milling is kept to a minimum, because every hour of waiting raises the acidity and dulls the aromas. The cooperative has more than 500 members and also runs a shop with extra virgin olive oil and typical products of Tuscia.
Direct sale, a transparent relationship
Buying EVO oil in Vetralla directly from the mill rewards the short supply chain, guarantees freshness and strengthens the bond with the land. It means knowing where the oil comes from, in which season it was produced and by what method: information lost in an anonymous purchase. It is a simple act that supports local agriculture. You will find our oil in our shop or come and visit us at the mill.
A ritual that continues
The olive harvest in Vetralla is more than a production stage: it is a seasonal ritual that tells the relationship between land, people and product. It involves whole families and marks the agricultural calendar of the area, year after year. For over a hundred years we have helped to keep it alive, harvesting and processing the olives with the same care as always.