How Olivestri's Oil is Made
From the grove to your table — every step done with intention
Great olive oil doesn't happen by accident. It is the result of the right land, the right olives, the right timing, and the discipline to never cut corners. At Frantoio Olivestri, every one of those elements has been refined across four generations of the Vestri family.
The Olives
Olivestri's oil is a carefully balanced blend of four olive varieties native to the Umbrian-Tuscan borderlands:
- Leccino — mild, fruity, and buttery; provides the oil's smooth, approachable base
- Frantoio — aromatic and complex; adds depth and a pleasant herbal quality
- Moraiolo — bold and peppery; contributes the signature finish and high polyphenol content
- Dolce Agogia — delicate and sweet; rounds out the blend with softness and balance
Together, these four varietals create an oil that is nuanced, layered, and unmistakably of this place.
The Land
The Vestri family's groves sit in the Colli del Trasimeno — the gentle hills surrounding Lake Trasimeno in Umbria, just across the border from Tuscany near the hilltop towns of Cortona and Montepulciano. The lake moderates the local climate, keeping temperatures mild and consistent through the growing season. The soil is a mix of clay and limestone that drains well and stresses the olive trees just enough to concentrate flavor and polyphenols in the fruit. This is not generic Italian olive oil — it is the product of a very specific and remarkable piece of land.
The Harvest
Harvest at Olivestri takes place in late October to early November, when the olives have reached their peak ripeness. Timing is everything — harvest too early and you lose yield; harvest too late and the oil loses its freshness and polyphenol content. The Vestri family has spent generations learning exactly when to pick.
Every olive is hand-harvested — selected and gathered with care to avoid bruising, which can negatively affect the oil's flavor and acidity. Bruised olives begin to ferment, and fermented olives make inferior oil. At Olivestri, that is simply not acceptable.
The Press
Once harvested, the olives are transported to the frantoio and pressed within hours — not days. This is one of the most critical steps in producing exceptional extra virgin olive oil. The longer the olives sit after picking, the more they oxidize and degrade. Speed matters enormously.
The pressing process at Olivestri uses modern stainless steel equipment with temperature-controlled extraction — a method known as cold pressing — which preserves the delicate aromatic compounds, polyphenols, and natural flavors that define great oil. No heat, no chemicals, no shortcuts.
The Result
What comes out of the press is Olio Nuovo in its purest form — golden green, intensely aromatic, and alive with flavor. It is immediately bottled or tinned and prepared for shipment.
At Olivestri USA, we airfreight the oil directly from Umbria so it reaches you within weeks of pressing — not months, not years. From the grove to your table, every step has been done with the same care and intention that the Vestri family has brought to this craft since 19
