History

Mount Etna is a very special place. All The soil rests on lava that flowed out of the volcano and has hardened for thousands of years, creating incredible landscapes that remind of another world.
This restless enviroment of Mount Etna has changed multiple times due to countless eruptions in the past millennia and is the reason of such a richness and abundancy of soil types along these slopes. The different climates that coexist in this region where the mountain meets the sea, the diversity in age and characteristics of volcanic materials, land surface morphology, vegetation, and land-use history all contribute to make this region unique.

For millennia life around here has been regulated by the volcano.
Its unpredictable eruptions have changed the landscape many times and still the people of these lands have been able to recover, rebuilt, start over again, using the many gifts that the mountain has given to them. Thanks to the combination of volcanic soil, sea breeze and cool weather, almonds, oranges, olives and pistachios have been growing abundant for centuries.
This is where our history started, many decades ago, in a little corner of this land called “Contrada Vasadonna”, a local expression that means: “kiss of a woman”, in Italian “Bacio di Donna” or “Basium” in Latin.
A little place where we continue a tradition that lasted for generations in our family and now is a new adventure.
Here we have begun a new project to revive the most ancient methods of production and harvesting and combine them with the newest technologies in order to be able to produce an oil which has all the fragrance and the flavour of this land.

The Nocellara Etnea is an olive tree native of the west coast of Sicily, mostly from the Belice Valley. Centuries ago it was exported to the east coast by Greek settlers and merchants and here it found a perfect habitat around the slopes of Mount Etna.Very sensitive to temperature variations, this tree is very fragile in the early stage of its life and it needs a specific set of condition in order to grow healthy. It requires care and dedication, love and sacrifice, but the gifts it can give are priceless. Etna’s volcanic soil, so rich with its minerals, the temperate climate and high humidity, the gentle breeze from the coast, just a few miles away create the perfect environment where flourish and acquire a stronger and more autonomous character. Its olives are round and very large, therefore particularly juicy. They ripen very early in the season and are rich with polyphenols and all those other nutrients that are so good for our health.

“Bacio di Donna” is an organic extra virgin olive oil, extracted exclusively from Nocellara Etnea olives and cold pressed in a controlled environment with a very characteristic fragrance and taste, uniquely balanced between fruitiness, spiciness and bitterness, with a very low level of acidity. Its fragrance starts with fresh cut grass, tomato and apple, developing into a slightly bitter and spicy main flavour of almond and hazelnut. It has a bitter aftertaste accompanied by a spicy note that pinches the throat but leaves a nice taste in the mouth. This combination makes it particularly indicated with fish and seafood, especially raw, salads and fresh cheese or simply just on a thin slice of fresh white bread. A pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper and a touch of dried Sicilian chilli and you’ll have “Pane Cunzatu”, the traditional lunch of the sicilian farmers.
“Bacio di Donna” is unique. And that’s the way we like it. It has character and personality but still soave and gentle.
It’s unique, like the kiss of a woman.

Greek settlers imported olive trees to Sicily in the 6th century BC and olive oil has been produced on the island ever since.
We believe in tradition: our land has been producing olive oil for centuries, and we want to cherish that legacy.
But we think that the best way to protect tradition is through progress so we get the best of both. Harvest starts very early, typically in September, when the olives are strictly hand-picked using ancient methods. After harvesting, these precious green gems are loaded in small boxes and transported to the mill. Timing is essential: oxidation starts as soon as the olives are detached from the plant, it is so crucial to start the pressing process immediately in order to preserve the freshness.
As soon as they reach the mill, olives are washed and separated from branches and leaves.
Then the actual pressing starts in a controlled and sealed atmosphere, where temperature never exceeds 23 degrees Celsius, in order to best preserve the aromatic components. In a continuous cycle, the malaxation and the centrifugation in 4 stages will separate the oil from pomace, water, bones and other by-products.
Now the oil is ready to be filtered and gain its rich green golden color.