Frantoio Tini - An olive oil experience in Abruzzo

In recent times our little village has embarked on several new initiatives to celebrate the local area, the diversity and quality of the local produce and those who produce it. One such initiative was the launch of the Olio Castiglionese to celebrate the excellence and tradition of the local olive oil. A festival with a full day of events was organised called 5 gocce la prima festa dall'olio (5 drops the first festival of oil).

The five drops are symbols of the five characteristics that make the local oil extraordinary

🫒 the bond with the land

🫒 the balance of flavour

🫒 the purity of the workmanship

🫒 the elegance of tradition

🫒 the innovation that looks to the future

Olive oil is ubiquitous in Italy but there is olive oil and there is olive oil, as they say, and the olive oil produced here in Abruzzo is some of the best you will ever taste. It is produced with passion and dedication by artisans who understand and respect the history of the area but at the same time have an eye to the future and sustainable innovation.

In the morning two of the local frantoi (olive oil mills) were doing tours of their production facilities which was followed by a lunch in the community hall, where the local olive oil was the focus of the menu. In the afternoon there was a market featuring local artisan producers of arts, crafts and produce and then in the evening there was music and dancing that went on late into the night. All of this is to say, this is how we found ourselves standing in the car park of Frantoio Tini with 30 or so other people on a chilly December morning.

Vincenzo giving us an introduction to the mill and his family's history

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Abruzzo, Castilenti to be precise, where the rolling foothills of the Gran Sasso meet an azure blue sky, you will find Frantoio Tini. The frantoio sits at an elevation of 375 metres above sea level and benefits from a unique micro climate that is particularly well suited to growing olives, with all their olive groves within a 20km radius. Antonio Tini first started producing olive oil on the site in 1921 and since then four generations of the Tini family have helped nurture his original dream. Today it is in the safe hands of Carmine Tini, his son Vincenzo Tini and Vincenzo's wife, Roberta Di Luigi. It is truly a testament to one family's connection with the land and enduring passion for producing exceptional extra virgin olive oil.

Over an hour and a half we were shown around the state of the art mill, the storage areas and finally the tasting room. First up was the mill where we were able to see the entire process from where the olives entered the mill and were sorted to where the oil finally exits the mill. Vincenzo talked through each stage of the process and explained how in 2015 they had modernised the mill and production process. Moving from traditional methods to a continuous cycle cold press method of olive production and what benefits this brought in terms of the quality of the oil produced. Next up was the storage area where huge stainless steel vats hold the oil in the absence of oxygen and light, both of which are olive oil’s natural enemy.

In the main production room, Vincenzo is explaining one of the processes

Here we also learnt about the correct storage of olive oil. At the supermarket you will often find olive oil in clear glass, supposedly so you can see the colour and determine the quality but as light is detrimental to the quality of olive oil clear glass packaging should be avoided. The preferred packaging is tin, ceramic bottles or bag in a box which excludes light and oxygen.

Finally we made it to their modern, light and airy tasting room where Roberta Di Luigi, a qualified oil sommelier and professional technical taster of virgin olive oils, explained how to properly taste olive oil and guided us through a tasting of several of their oils including a mono varietal extra virgin olive oil from the Castiglionese cultivar. Not many frantoi use the Castiglionese cultivar because it has a low oil yield but in my opinion is worth the effort as it has a excellent flavour.

The tasting room

The 7 oils named after Italian artists

Roberta preparing oil for tasting - image by Tramand'Arti

Liquid gold ready to be tasted - image by Tramand'Arti

In a playful twist, Frantoio Tini’s range of single cultivar and blended oils are each named after an iconic Italian artist, reflecting the artistry and individuality within every drop. You can buy oil at the end of the tour with both tasting packs and larger containers available.

If you are looking for an olive oil experience in Abruzzo then Frantoio Tini is an excellent choice. All in all it was a fun morning and an great way to experience the local culture and traditions of olive oil production in the area. We learnt a lot and would definitely recommend it. It is possible to take a private tour by reservation and to have a professional tasting session where Roberta will expertly guide you every step of the way. She is knowledgeable, engaging and passionate about their olive oil production and loves sharing this with visitors.

Olive oil tasting available by reservation

Want to know more about Frantoio Tini? Check out their website.

Lastly, if you’d like to read more about the tradition of olive oil production in Abruzzo, here is an excellent article featuring Roberta Di Luigi from Frantoio Tini.