For four generations we have produced olive oil.
With love we answer the call the olive trees ask of us.

During cold winter mornings, hand picking the olives, one feels the unexpected presence of generations before us working silently by our side.
The fragrances of the land and the passing of time while paying attention to the voices of those in the past, to whom this land belonged to.
Reminiscing, about the tiny figure of our ancestor Ciccio returning to his village with his old donkey, walking by his side, home to his wife Vincenza and to refurbish his supplies.
Listening to our grandfather Gaetano’s stories, of immigrating to Philadelphia and returning home. Buying “Vernera” was the outcome of the money earned building roads In America.
To taste the black olives our grandmother Grazia would roast in the ash and we would eat with warm bread.
To listen to the laughter, of the tales and the family anecdotes told to us by Aunt Giovanna and Uncle Pippo while, traveling in their Fiat 600, taking us
to the countryside, for long walks amongst the trees.
To see our mother’s fascinated face once more, when, at “The Tallarita”, the highest peak of the property oversaw the immense valley below her.
With her children years before, and with her faithful dog Nick beside her, spent many hours searching for chicory, wild fennel and borragine, in Vernera’s fields.
And then our father Vito, captivated by the olive groves, would inspect each and every tree like a good physician that he was. At the kitchen table, after dinner, he hand selected the problem olives to search for a resolution.
He passed on his love and respect for the land to us.
Now, the fifth generation is ready: Giuseppe, Vito 1 and Vito 2 will be our future.

The land.
It’s origins.
Our home.

Producing olive oil means not breaking tradition.
No end to a story.
Just a beginning.
Now, the fifth generation is ready:
Giuseppe, Vito 1 and Vito 2 will be our future.

So, if we wanna talk about oil, let's start from that.
Cause all the rest, really, is a consequence.

Where we are

We are situated on the Iblei Mountains, in Buccheri, on Monte Lauro, an ancient Vulcan. Our lands are in the magical archaeological site of St. Andrew, between a necropolis and a Templars’ Gothic Church, where, for thousands of years, olive trees reign uncontested, finding both fertile soil and ideal climate for their holy fruits. Our century-old organic olive groves are located on hills, on 70 hectares grounds and in several lands: Vernèra, Sant’Andrea, Tallarita, Zocco, Mazzarino, Mascarone, Maddalena, Frassino, Travana. They produce Tonda Iblea olives, our typical cultivar.

How we work

Since 5 generations, we pick olives in the first day of October and we continue throughout November. We pick olives only by hand and we press them that same day after two hours in an olive oil mill which works on 2 phases continuous process, cold pressing and with very short pressing times, in order to obtain only first pressure organic extra-virgin olive oil. The oil is then put in steel containers, saturated with nitrogen and put in a controlled temperature room in order to maintain unchanged the chemical, organoleptic and sensory characteristics of the oils.

It is important to know that…

Dear Customer,
the product you have chosen is an high quality and organic extra virgin olive oil. It is a DOP oil (protected denomination of origin) protected by the Consortium DOP Monti Iblei. It is obtained by 100% Sicilian Tonda Iblea olives. It is produced following traditional techniques: the olives are handpicked and immediately cold pressed in a two phases continuous cycle mill in order to preserve the chemical, organoleptic and sensory characteristics of the extra virgin olive oil which is immediately stored in steel containers and saturated with nitrogen. The containers are placed in a controlled temperature room until bottling. Since it is completely natural, our extra virgin olive oil is influenced by climatic factors such as temperature range, rain, humidity. This is the reason why the balance between bitter and spicy, the intensity of flavor, the fragrance, are subjected to variations from one year to another.

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Depending on the weather variables the oil can be part of Intense or Medium Fruity category, but it will maintain the characteristic scents of Tonda Iblea olives: tomato, artichoke, green grass, and sometimes almonds. So these differences mean High Quality, and absence of any sophistication. This is the reason why since 1984 our extra virgin olive oils win every year both national and international prizes, they are present in the most important olive oil guides and is part of Slow Food olive oil selections. So, please, take care of it keeping it away from light, heat and temperature changes.
Thank you for choosing us and enjoy it!

News

• Le Terre di Vito Bio 2022 di Vernéra

• Dubai Olive Oil Competiton winners 2021

• Fourth Generation of Sicilian Farmers Celebrate Local Cultivars

• Mariagrazia, the Lady of Oil, pioneer in Italy with the record of awards for extra virgin olive oil DOP