800 of the Taggiasca olive trees are nurtured in the Merula Valley by Marco and Gina in sun and rain around the year to share the beneficial results at the end of the year.
After 15 years of care, the young trees are ready to be used for the production of olive oil. Now the olives of the young trees have reached the desired quality. After five years, the tree produces fruit for the first time. Only after ten to fifteen years they are edible and meet the quality standard.
The olives are their life: All year round, Gina and Marco take care of their grove. As early as February, they prune the trees whose branches have dried up over the winter and need to be removed. This helps with the so-called rejuvenation of the tree. The further you cut back the crown and the tree, the denser and stronger it sprouts again. Then in the summer, the olive trees are in full bloom, so Gina and Marco are already harvesting their olives at the beginning of winter. A lot of olive growers harvest only in spring, because then the yield is bigger, but this also changes the taste and quality. Gina and Marco’s olives ripened just right in November and December without tasting bitter.
Gina and Marco are the people behind the LIVA’s olive oil. Both have a love for olive oil since their birth. Despite having long and often hard-working days, they seem to have no difficulty recognizing the beauty in their work and the final product.
In November and December, the olives reach their ideal ripeness and are either shaken from the trees with sticks or harvest combs. By using sticks or harvest combs, Gina and Marco ensure that all olives are in perfect condition before they are taken to the mill.
Finally, the olives reach their last stop: at a traditional stone mill, the oil is extracted and bottled by hand, which gives the olive oil the best possible protection from external agents.
