passion4food4fashion

Every November I really need to find an old mill to …smell the aroma of the new extra virgin olive oil !

I said “I need ” because without this sensorial deep experience I can’t start winter time :for me  it’s the easier  way to try to forget summer  time & live the autumn mood at its best.

While I was inside this small , old mill run by a 83 years old  lady , Jolanda ,  I was so sorry not being able to keep the aroma with me or put it in a jar as the precious nectar that it is the oil , or even to catch it with my mobile …this smell stays in my mind forever, it is a real  experience I suggest not to miss. I’d love to share it with you, as it is really very deep & I simply love it!

The pressing is made old fashioned way : by big stones  : only men at work around this  lady who runs the business by herself : Iolanda & me we were the only two   women  there & I thought how much respect tgey had for her ….Usually this is a man job & in fact it was her husband job since he died & Iolanda kept on doing this every season & now celebrated 50 years.

Not a big place you need to produce extra virgin olive oil : a small house , at thr ground floor  the machineries to press & extract the oil , at the first floor where to weight olives .Hard job indeed for people who bring their own olives & wait until the oil is ready because everyoone us bery jelous of its production & want yo be present to the pressing : a different variety if olives can bring another taste to oil & everyone treats the olives in a different way : organic, half organic , with some treatments …on every jar there is a name , even on olives !

Outside the house a mountain of mashed olives paste to be recycled .

Around the mill a lovely landscape of my Pistoia’hills with the autumnal colours made me feel so lucky to be born here & still enjoying the real best top quality products coming from my region, Tuscany.

Enjoy my photos & try to imagine the smell please, otherwise next year book a tour with me to visit the mill & try the experience!