Storia
Our story begins in Altomonte, an ancient village rich in culture and tradition, rising among the lush hills of the lower Pollino Mountains. It is here that since 1961 the Papaleo family has dedicated all its commitment, passion and experience handed down through generations to the production of a quality oil, serving on tables all over the world a healthy and genuine product with a traditionally unmistakable flavor. “Being an oil miller is a way of life,” so claimed grandfather Luigi, founder of the company who with great dedication and sacrifice laid the foundations for a family project, carefully developed by his son Carlo and to this day by us grandchildren, who make this philosophy of life an essential criterion for continuing his work.
Territorio
Italy is one of the world’s largest producers of olive oil, two-thirds of which is extra virgin oil. Calabria is the second largest producer of olive oil in Italy, covering about one-third of all national production. Calabria’s olive-growing heritage, is among the most distinctive in Italy. The different types of soils, the difference in exposures and microclimates (i.e., climatic conditions of even small neighboring areas), given also by the distribution of cultivated areas mainly in the hills, create a multitude of sensory typicalities. The territory on which the company operates is that of Altomonte, an ancient medieval village included in the club of “The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy,” falling in the Cosenza pre-pollinic zone, between the slopes of Mount Pollino and the Esaro valley, on which the Bruzio PDO under pre-pollinic zone insists (varieties: Tondina, min. 50 percent; Carolea, max. 30 percent; Grossa di Cassano, max. 20 percent). Altomonte was known since ancient times for its very fertile land; it is washed by the Esaro, Grondi and Fiumicello rivers, and from its hills you can enjoy wonderful air and a vast panorama. The land is susceptible to all sorts of crops such as wheat, barley, legumes, vegetables, citrus and orchards. Indigenous olive groves and vineyards abound there, producing the balbini wines much praised by Pliny the Elder.
Certificazioni
Our extra virgin olive oil undergoes stringent quality checks every year by certified testing laboratories. In the case of extra virgin olive oil, there are two main parameters that determine its quality:
Acidity: this is not perceived by tasting, but laboratory analysis is needed. The acidity measure for extra virgin oil ranges from 0 to 0.80; the lower the acidity measure, the better the quality.
Number of Peroxides: give the measure of rancidity. For extra virgin, the measurement ranges from 0 to 20, always established by laboratory analysis. The lower the peroxide value, the higher the quality of the oil.
