The culture of extra virgin olive oil, on the Brescia Riviera del Garda, is a tradition that has become part of everyday life: many smallholders who produce mainly for their own consumption, fewer structured realities that have focused their activity primarily on olive growing. For Frantoio Manestrini, based in Soiano del Lago, oil is a vocation which has its roots in the history of the area: the current estate, on which stood a former Franciscan monastery in 1330, was acquired by the family in 1880 to start a farm. “At that time there was already an olive grove and the olives were pressed in other areas – says Nicoletta Manestrini, currently head of the company -. Then my father Egidio, in 1960, decided to build the first oil mill to work directly the strong production that came from our property, considering also that at the time there were few similar structures. Since then the production of virgin has become a family tradition. ” In 2006, the last step with the move to the present location, and the construction of a new, modern structure of continuous production, with steel machinery for extraction centrifuge and no more pressure, with three direct outputs (oil, water and pomace) that does not require no more any procedure for separating water from the final product, this step chosen to contain the risks of oxidation.
“The peculiarity of my father, who still is on my side in the company, is that he always wanted to be at the forefront – explains Nicoletta -. Both in terms of techniques and equipment, he has always wanted to follow very closely the evolution of technology. Now we have reached a method which we are particularly satisfied and convinced of, as it allows you to maintain a higher content of polyphenols with an end result which emphasizes in particular the fruity aromas. And in our production cycle, apart from water, we do not throw away anything: the pit is used for combustion, the pulp for biogas installations “.
Currently the mill can count on an olive grove of more than 2,000 plants, but at the same time the family buys olives from local producers, also working for third parties squeezing and bottling for other companies and wineries. The production amounts to 3000 tons of olives for a total of 350 tons of oil divided into four labels: the DOP Garda Bresciano, two monocultivar, Casaliva and Leccino, certified by Agroqualità through Aipol to ensure traceability, and then the traditional extra virgin. The bulk of sales are made in the company shop, where customers are mostly foreigners. “Our exports do not exceed 10% of the total, but in fact the percentage of our production that goes abroad is roughly equivalent to 80% thanks to the many tourists who buy in the store and then take the product home – explains Nicoletta – . Our oil can also be found in some stores and delis, but the main channel is direct sales. ”
From here came the idea to expand the shop (where you can always taste the oils for sale before buying), widening the range to a series of other references always based on innovative products such as flavored oils , a range of cosmetic products based on extravirgin (face or body cream, shampoos, soaps) or a line of “sottoli”. Even Manestrini, as everyone in the area, is emerging from a very difficult 2014 campaign, marked by a loss of 50% of production. “We already started with the pruning – said Nicoletta – we are ready for fertilization and now hope in a positive year in terms of weather conditions to regain our usual productive dimensions”.
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