RAVIDA

The Ravida farm, west of Menfi, overlooks the sea and the Belice valley, home to the lauded Nocellara del Belice olives. The farm is full of wild and cultivated olive trees, lemon trees and aromatic herbs. Here they have been producing olive oil for hundreds of years. 

Producer, Natalia, recalls clear childhood memories of weighing the olives in the fields with her grandfather, to share half with the farmers.  In those days the olives were sent to the local mill for pressing. Some of the oil was kept for personal consumption, but most was sold in bulk.                                                                                                                         

Natalia was working as a journalist in London when she read about The Oil Merchant and bought us a bottle of deep green oil. The first taste of it we still remember to this day. Encouraged by the reception she was able to persuade her father to install an oil press at the farm. In 1991 they started pressing and bottling the oil themselves.

Three varieties of olive trees are grown across the farm: Cerasuola, Biancolila and Nocellara. They grow in harmony across the farm, are picked by hand and, unusually, are pressed together to create this unique and delicious blend of house oil.