Villa Di
Corsano has a restored orangerie available for storage of the
olives after harvesting.
The principle Tuscan varieties are Leccino, Frantoia/Corregiola,
Pendulina, Maurino and Moraiolo. These olives are Corrigeola and Pendulina.
Only oil varieties are grown in Tuscany. The region does not produce any
table olives.
Many of the traditional oil mills in Tuscany have been converted to
restaurants or other uses. We visited the local mill. This is not a
picturesque mill such as we had visited in France. Housed in a functional
cement block building, surrounded by plastic transport crates, the mill
uses a new and modern processor.
The
change to the new processot came only this year. The mill owner says many
of the locals are not happy, preferring traditional methods. The change
was made though to reduce labour costs, meet EEC requirements, and
increase efficiency. The oil production from local crops varies between 15
to 20%.
Although the surroundings are functional, the talk is filled with a
passion for the olive and also with a friendly ribaldry. The relationship
between producer and processor is strong and part of the fabric of the
local community. The local grower and processor celebrate together when
the harvest first runs from the press. In this functional processing plant
there is an adjoining room with an open fireplace for toasting bread for
that first, all-important, tasting.
Unfortunately the autumn rains come early and harvest is interrupted.
We are consoled though, in our spacious villa apartment overlooking both a
central courtyard and the olive groves and vineyards. We spend an evening
with our host. He arrives with a basket of freshly toasted bread and shows
us the Tuscan method of tasting oil.
We are too early to taste this season’s oil
from the Villa Di Corsane. Signor Mignone uses oil for his own consumption
and sells to a private group of clientele. Fortunately there is some oil
remaining from last year’s harvest.
The bread is rubbed with a cut clove of garlic and placed on a deep
plate, swamped with oil, and then lightly sprinkled with salt. This,
together with a bottle of Signore Mignone’s gutsy red wine, is a perfect
way to end our stay in Tuscany.
We purchase (at around $10.00 per litre) 2 litres of last season’s
oil; green, peppery and pungent. We would love to take more but are aware
that our luggage is now well over the limit with the selection of oils we
are bringing home.
Our tour is now
over and we head for Rome for a final night before the flight home to
Australia. We have been away for six weeks and are anxious to return to
our grove in Central Victoria, glad that we chose the olive to be part of
our future.
