In the heart of the Viterbo Tuscia, in Vetralla, the Antico Frantoio Cesare Battisti has produced extra virgin olive oil since 1919, with particular attention to the native Caninese variety. It is the olive that best tells the story of our land, and for four generations we have worked it with the same care.
The Caninese, the olive of the Viterbo Tuscia
The Caninese is a cultivar grown in this area since very ancient times, prized for its resistance and its organoleptic characteristics. It has adapted over the centuries to the volcanic soils and the climate of the Viterbo area, becoming the reference variety of PDO Tuscia. The olives are harvested between October and December, choosing the right moment to balance yield and quality, and they give an oil of intense green colour with golden highlights, a fruity aroma and a balanced flavour, with notes of bitterness and pungency that signal the presence of polyphenols.
Why it is born this way
The credit goes first of all to the land: the soils of volcanic origin, free-draining and rich in minerals, and the climate of Vetralla, with good temperature swings, offer ideal conditions for this cultivation. To this we add a craft approach combined with modern methods: olives harvested at the right point, cold-milled within a few hours, clean equipment. This is how you obtain an oil that respects the origin and the value of the raw material, with no shortcuts.
How to use it in the kitchen
The Caninese is at its best raw, on simple, genuine dishes that let its character emerge:
- pulse soups and broths;
- grilled meats;
- seasonal salads and bruschetta.
A drizzle raw at the end of cooking is the best way to enjoy its aromas, which prolonged heat would disperse.
An award-winning oil tied to the land
Over the years our extra virgin oil has received recognitions that reflect work done with care, by those who know their land well. Choosing the Caninese oil of Frantoio Cesare Battisti means bringing to the table a product tied to the agricultural history of Vetralla, made with local olives and traceable from tree to bottle.
Would you like to taste it? You will find our Caninese oil in our shop, or get in touch to visit the mill. Find out more about our story.