Marina Colonna | Extra Virgin Olive Oil

On the farm inherited in 1996 from her father, Marina Colonna’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil came to life. The relationship between an ancient Roman family and this farmland on the border between Molise and Puglia dates back to the beginning of the 1800s. The Duchess Cattaneo di Sannicandro married Aspreno Colonna, and with the bride came the land as part of her dowry.

Marina Colonna believes that each stage of production, from tending to the olives and other produce to extracting the oil, is important to achieve a high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. She is meticulous in ensuring that her end product has all the right aromas, flavors, and health benefits. The Colonna olive groves are treated using natural fertilizers together with compost produced on the estate. The main pruning season is the winter; this revitalizes the plants, while light summer pruning is carried out selectively. In the hot summer months, the trees are watered with a droplet system, crucial for the survival of the plants and for the optimal development of the fruit.

To create the signature Lemon (Granverde) Extra Virgin Olive Oil, freshly harvested olives are processed together with the rind of organic lemons. Oranges, tangerines and bergamot are instead chopped and then milled together with the olives. The same process occurs with ginger, cardamom and leaves of basil grown in their garden.