HOW IT ALL STARTED
A year of parental leave and the opportunity to do something different. A VW camper, a map of Italy and plenty of time. These were the basic ingredients; after that, plans just made themselves. With our two children, we set off in the direction of Sardinia. The town of Bosa on the west coast became our home for the next year. Time slowed down and one thing led to another, as it always does when plans don't get in the way.
Arriving at the end of the summer was our good fortune; the sun and heat are relentless during July and August, so everyone welcomes the first rains of September. The island's flowers blossom again, herbs and grass appear out of the baked ground and there is a second spring.
With the van parked, and a town house rented, we began to explore the hills around Bosa. Long walks took us towards Torre Argentina, Montiferru, Tresnuraghes and Managu. The terraced hillsides rising out of the Mediterranean Sea are all covered in noble olive trees, and it was here that we made new friends and became involved in the harvest. Nets were spread under the trees, friends and family carefully combing the olives out of the branches, sorting leaves and carting the full crates down the hillside.
In the evenings, we delivered the crates of olives to the local press and, along with many others, waited for the first drops of cold pressed, extra virgin oil to run from the tap of the frantolio - olio novello. Tasting this fresh, novello oil was a revelation and we were instantly hooked. It is simply not possible to use other olive oils once you have tasted how it is meant to be - green, fresh, fruttato!
Since this first harvest of our own, we have revisited Sardinia every year to learn more. We have travelled to other parts of the island and mainland Italy to find producers, who share a sense for quality and respect for tradition. With these contacts, we now have a selection of excellent olive oils that can be delivered to Denmark, literally directly from the press, as fresh as they possibly can be.
You can join us, pre-order and pay for your oil before 31 October and then pick it up or arrange to have it delivered to your door in early January. But be warned, there is no going back once you have tried novello olive oil!