Libr_Logo
Libr_Logo
The story of Michele, before Pasquale.

But it all began at the end of the 19th century, with our great-great-grandfather Michele, of Arbëreshë (Italo-Albanian) origin, a lot fewer olive trees and the same land of Calabria. Now we have got to this point, 205 hectares and 26 estates over four municipalities of Arbëreshë origin, all carried out with organic farming, and always the same land of Calabria. A geographical triangle of 40sqkm a few kilometres from the Ionian Sea; hills covered in olive groves and citrus groves between 50 and 500 metres above sea level from which the olives are obtained, then pressed in our oil mill; and citrus fruits, which are also turned into organic marmalades. And together with olive and citrus trees, we have also fig trees which are all grown organically.
Pasquale, day after day

Pasquale, our forefather and the father of many olive trees which today we cultivate and care for. During his life he was a visionary entrepreneur, a man who wanted to invest in something which he believed in and loved with all his heart: his land. The same Arbëreshë land which saw his birth, and watched him grow up quickly with the ambition of being able to do great things not "one day", but "day after day". First a butcher, and then a merchant and miller, always an olive grower, he could talk to the plants, he considered them his daughters, he took care of them and he loved them. Starting from the few but hundred-year-old olive groves of the family, over the years he has built up the company which now bears his name, buying new plots and planting more than 50 hectares of new olive groves, using cultivars never seen before in the area. Since 2012 he has no longer been with us, but he is survived by his plants, now our sisters, his land, Arbëreshë just like us, and his example of life, indelible, which we try to follow, "day after day", together with our mother Maria Luisa.
Responsible for the company’s machinery, he also deals with purchases and is the problem-solver in the company. He and Michele direct all field operations.
The Problem-Solver
He has a great passion for technology and engines: especially Abarth and MV Agusta.
Business controller, deals with administration and sales. She is the historical memory of the company, since she has been treading the floor of the mill since she was 5: experience made her who she is today.
The memory
She has an undeniable eye for style, especially that which is timeless.
Responsible for public relations, she deals with promotion, administration and sales activities. She controls the Corporate Social profiles and has acquired the physiological suitability for the tasting of olive oils.
The thinker
Lover of lifestyle and good living.
Responsible for quality control, she personally directs the transformation activities in the mill: she is the "master olive-presser" of the family. Professional taster and panel leader, she is responsible for the definition of monocultivars and the composition of the other products put on the market.
The cook
She is passionate about good food, she never stops putting it into practice to delight the palates of the lucky diners.
Agronomist and CEO. He specialises in olive growing, personally supervises all the cultivation operations carried out and the care practised in the company: from organic fertilisation to biological defence, from pruning to harvesting.
The agronomist
He loves listening to U2, running, motorbiking and playing with his little Pasquale.
Area

Our Calabria is on the Joniche pre-silane hills, in the province of Cosenza, in the north-east of the region. The Sila National Park to the South, the Ionian Sea to the East, the Pollino National Park to the North and within this natural scenery there are four municipalities of Italo-Albanian or Arbereshë origin, of which Vaccarizzo Albanese is both the geographical centre and our home. Following the death of Prince Condottiere Scanderbeg, in the fifteenth century some of the Arbreshë people who didn't want to submit were granted lands in the Italian peninsula to escape to. In this way they could maintain their traditions, language and identity. It was in these lands, which back then were abandoned and not very fertile, that these ancient people began the cultivation of olive trees and other crops, which are still here today to bear their secular testimony.
Risorsa 5
• Flos Olei Guide 2018: Inclusion in the guide with a score of 98/100
• Oli d'Italia Guide 2018 Gambero Rosso: Three Leaves Monocultivar Nocellara del Belice / Two red leaves Monocultivar Carolea / Two red leaves Dradista
• Bibenda Guide 2018: 5 drops Nocellara del Belice / 5 drops Carolea
• Biol 2018 Award: Extra Gold Medal
• Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition 2018: Gold Medal Nocellara del Belice
• Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition 2018: Gold Medal Packaging Design
• New York International Olive Oil Competition 2018: Silver Medal Nocellara del Belice
• Rassegna Nazionale Oli Monovarietali 2018: Recognition of Oil Excellence - Nocellara del Belice
• L'Orciolo d'Oro 2018 - Distinction Dradista
• L'Oro d'Italia 2018 - Organic oils: Five gold drops + Honour of Excellence Dradista
• Flos Olei Guide 2017: Inclusion with maximum total score (98/100)
• Oli d'Italia Guide 2017 Gambero Rosso: Best Average Yield in Italy and Three Leaves Monocultivar Nocellara del Belice / Two red leaves Monocultivar Carolea / Two red leaves Dradista
• Amphora Olearia Award 2017 for the best label finalist in the 2017 Ercole Olivario Prize
• Biol 2017 Award: Extra Gold Medal
• First Place Biol Calabria 2017
• International Sol d'Oro Competition 2017: Special Mention for the Best Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Il Magnifico 2017: Silver Medal and "Alfa Laval" Special Prize
• Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition 2017: Best of Class - Gold Medal
• Fedrigoni Top Award 2017: Second place overall in the "Labels" category
• New York International Olive Oil Competition 2017: Gold Medal Nocellara del Belice
• Flos Olei Guide 2016: Inclusion with maximum total score (98/100)
• Oli d'Italia Guide 2016 Gambero Rosso: Three Leaves Monocultivar Nocellara del Belice / Two red leaves Monocultivar Carolea / Two red leaves Monocultivar Frantoio
• Ercole Olivario Prize Finalist 2016
• International Sol d'Oro Competition 2016: Special Mention for the Best Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Biol 2016 Award: Extra Gold Medal
• First Place Biol Calabria 2016
• L'Orciolo d'Oro 2016 Competition: Distinction - Organic extra virgin olive oils
• Rassegna Nazionale Oli Monovarietali 2016: Recognition of Oil Excellence - Best Nocellara del Belice in Italy
• Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition 2016: Gold Medal
• New York International Olive Oil Competition 2016: Silver Medal
• Flos Olei Guide 2015: Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Organic Agriculture in the World - Inclusion with maximum total score (98/100)
• Oli d'Italia 2015 Guide Gambero Rosso: Special Award for Best Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil + Three Leaves
• Biol Novello Award 2015: 3rd place + Extragold Medal for Monocultivar Nocellara del Belice + Gold Medal for Monocultivar Frantoio
• Premio Nazionale L'Oro d'Italia 2015: 2nd Place Cat. Intense Fruity - Monovarietals + Special Nocellara del Belice Award - Honour of Excellence
• Ercole Olivario Prize Finalist 2015: Selection of Ercole Olivario Premium List EXPO 2015
• International Sol d'Oro Competition 2015: Special Mention for the Best Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• L’Oro del Mediterraneo International Prize: 1st Prize Cat. Intense fruity - Monovarietal
• First Place Biol Calabria 2015
• Biol 2015 Award: Extra Gold Medal
• L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2015: 3rd Prize Medium Fruity - Organic extra virgin olive oils
• Rassegna Nazionale Oli Monovarietali: Recognition of Oil Excellence - Nocellara del Belice
• Flos Olei Guide 2014: Inclusion with maximum total score (98/100)
• Guide for Italian Olive Oils 2014 Gambero Rosso: Three leaves
• Premio Nazionale L'Oro d'Italia 2014: 1st Place Special Award for Organic Oils; 2nd Place Monovarietal Category
• Ercole Olivario Prize Finalist 2014
• First Place Biol Calabria 2014
• Biol 2014 Award: Extra Gold Medal
• Montiferru Award 2014: Honorable Mention
• L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2014: Special Mention International Olive Oil Award - Zurich 2014: Award;
• Biol Novello Prize 2014: 3rd place
• Oli d'Italia 2013 Guide Gambero Rosso - Three leaves and Special Award Best medium fruity
• Flos Olei Guide 2013: Inclusion with maximum total score (98/100)
• Sol d'Oro 2013 - Special Mention Best Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ercole Olivario Prize Finalist 2013
• First Place Biol Calabria 2013
• Biol 2013 Award: Extra Gold Medal; Los Angeles County Fair Olive Oils of the World 2013: Silver Medal
• L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2013: Distinction - Organic Oils category
• New York International Olive Oil Competition 2013: Gold Medal Award - Monocultivar Carolea
• Flos Olei 2012 - Guide to the Best Extra Virgin Products in the World - Best extraction method award;
• "Olio Capitale" Competition 2012 - Honourable Mention
• 11th International Olive Oil Award - Zurich 2012 - Special Prize "Best Organic"
• 11th International Olive Oil Award -
• Zurich 2012: Award - Medium Intensity;
• Sol d'Oro - Special Mention - medium fruity category - 2012
• Ercole Olivario Prize Finalist 2012
• 2012 Biol Prize: Gold Medal
• 2nd place Deep Fruity Organic Oils - L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2012
• 3rd Place Biological Monovarietals - National Award "L'Oro D'Italia®" 2012
• Terraolivo 2012: Grand Prize Gold
• Flos Olei 2011 - Guide to the Best
• Extra Virgins in the World: 2011 Olive-Press of the Year Award
• Sol d'Argento 2011 - Intense Fruity Category
• 3rd Place Oro d'Italia 2011 - Special Organic Oil Award
• Honours of Excellence Oro d'Italia 2011 - Monovarietal Type, Intense Fruity Category
• 1st place Biol Calabria 2011
• Ercole Olivario Prize Finalist 2011
• Special Mention L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2011
• Top 50 Der Feinschmecker
• Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil Award from Organic Agriculture 2010 Guide to the Best Extra Virgin Products of the World
• Special Mention Sol d'Oro Vinitaly 2010
• Special Mention Orciolo d'Oro 2010
• Mention of Honour Montiferru 2010
• 1st place Biol Calabria 2010
• Silver Medal Los Angeles County Fair Olive Oils of the World 2010
• 2nd place extra-organic oil category - first Shanghai Expo 2010 world championship.
• Best Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Award of the year L'Extravergine 2009 Guide to the Best Quality Oils of the World of Certified Quality
• 2nd place intense fruity category Ercole Olivario 2009 Sol di Bronzo intense fruity category 2009
• 3rd place Premio Montiferru 2009 - organic oil category
• Special Mention L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2009
• 1st place Biol Calabria 2009
• Gold Medal Los Angeles County Fair Olive Oils of the World 2009
• Special Award Los Angeles County Fair Olive Oils 2008
• 1st place medium fruity category National Competition Legambiente 2008
• Slow Food Tre Olive Award 2008
• Special Mention Sol d'Oro Competition - Vinitaly & Sol 2008
• Special Mention L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2008
• 3rd place 2008 Biol International Award
• 1st place Intense Fruity Category - Excellens Oleum 2008
• Recognition - Bio BIOL 2007 Quality Oil 1st place Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Agriculture
• Biologica Excellens Oleum 2007
• Special Mention Intense Fruity Oleario Internazionale Armonia Competition 2007
• 1st place intense fruity category Ercole Olivario 2006
• Special Mention Sol d'Oro Competition - Vinitaly & Sol 2006
• Recognition - Bio BIOL 2006 Quality Oil
• Diploma of recognition L'Orciolo d'Oro 2006
• Gold Medal Los Angeles County Fair Olive Oils of the World 2006
• Best Intense Fruity Extra Virgin Excellens Oleum 2006
• Distinction L'Orciolo d'Oro Competition 2006
• Best Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Award of the Year L'Extravergine Guide 2005
• Biol finalist 2005
• Ercole Olivario finalist 2005
• Festambiente 2005 selection
• Oro Giallo Bologna Finalist 2005
• 1st place intense fruity category Ercole Olivario 2004
• Gold Medal Los Angeles County Fair Olive Oils of the World 2004
• Selection Top 10 Guide to Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2004
• 3rd place intense fruity category - Legambiente National Competition 2004 Biol Price Finalist 2004