Attending an event that celebrates the quality and culture of extra virgin olive oil is always a special occasion, but this year it was even more so.
In the splendid setting of Torri del Benaco, on Lake Garda, we took part in the 2026 edition of the Oilive Oil Festival (Festa dell’Olio): a rich and varied event featuring a mix of tastings, talks, and tasting stations along the lakefront.
The presentation of Slow Food’s 2026 Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oils was the icing on the cake of this busy weekend: an event that brings together producers, enthusiasts, and industry professionals, all united by a shared commitment to excellence.
After a few years’ absence, our olive mill is back in the Slow Food Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oils, with a renewed sense of purpose and an even clearer vision.
During the event, Davide shared our story, describing the challenges that characterize the world of olive growing, especially in hilly areas like ours.
Here, many processes are still carried out by hand: a choice that guarantees quality, but one that entails high costs and growing difficulty in finding skilled labor. It is a delicate balance—between economic sustainability and respect for traditional practices—that we strive to maintain every day.
Another key focus was the revival and promotion of the Grignano variety. Just thirty years ago, there were plans to abandon it, as it was considered unprofitable and difficult to cultivate. Today, thanks to more careful and innovative agricultural and extraction techniques, this cultivar is capable of producing high-quality oils that are distinctive and deeply rooted in the local territory. This proves that, with research and determination, even something that seemed destined to disappear can once again become a valuable resource.
It was also interesting to observe the audience, which consisted largely of foreign visitors—especially Germans—who have always had a special connection to our lake. They were an attentive, curious, and quality-conscious audience, willing to recognize the value of our product: an attitude that reminds us how important it is to keep sharing the story of our work and what goes into every bottle.
We return from this experience with even greater conviction: producing quality oil means preserving a region, embracing…