Planeta’s passion for olive oil

Planeta, one of the great wine companies of Sicily, is also the producer of an exceptional range of Sicilian olive oils.

Sustainability and the preservation of local culture are central to Planeta’s values. All its estates’ agricultural processes are fully organic, and while wine is the core business, it is part of a much broader, holistic approach to agriculture.

The company’s vineyards cover 386 hectares, with plantings in some of Sicily’s most prestigious DOs. Growing alongside Planeta’s diverse portfolio of international and local grape varieties you will find a variety of other organically grown crops, including almonds, durum wheat and the all-important olive groves.

Planeta has 50,000 olive trees, covering 151 hectares, planted in the Capparrina Oasis, close to the beach at Menfi and between Capo San Marco and Selinunte. The family have farmed the land here for over 200 years.

Today this area is home to protected flora and fauna, with the aim of preserving the precious scrubland of the

Mediterranean and providing a haven for endangered animal species. Visit and you will find dwarf palms and sea lilies and keep company with porcupines and hoopoes. Time it right and you might see the migration of loggerhead sea turtles.

It is in this magic spot that the family grow three different olive varieties: Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla and Cerasuola, which in turn make three distinctive organic IGP olive oils.

Hand-harvested, the olives are taken promptly to the olive press house, at the centre of the estate. The process is rigorously controlled, in line with IGP requirements and Planeta’s commitment to making the finest possible olive oils.

Gently pressed in a new, two-phase centrifuge, the oil is gently extracted with the maximum amount of character and flavour, drawn from the fruit. Each resulting oil has its own distinctive personality.

Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva Tradizionale

(Traditional extra virgin olive oil.) Aa blend of all three olive varieties. Richly pistachiocoloured, this is an oil that vividly expresses the terroir of the Capparrina Oasis on the nose: fresh-cut grass, tomato leaf, artichoke and seaweed, alongside fruity notes of cedar and fresh-picked basil. This is a clean, richly fruity oil that is both spicy and intense. It’s also very adaptable, accompanying meat, fish and vegetables equally well.

Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva Denocciolato

Nocellara (Pitted Nocellara extra virgin olive oil.) This mono-variety olive oil is intense green in appearance with lime-yellow highlights. The broad bouquet encompasses fragrant basil, green citrus and bergamot. The de-pitting of the olives makes this oil more delicate, almost sweet, and wonderfully fragrant. The palate is given terrific lift by a tang of sea brine. The perfect olive oil for lighter dishes –maybe raw vegetables, salads or soups.

Olio Extra Vergine di Olivia Denocciolato Biancolilla (Pitted Biancolilla extra virgin olive oil). Pale green with light yellow hues. Scents of fresh thyme, carob, almonds and white pepper are all there to greet you on the nose. Delicate and velvety smooth, there is a distinctive sea-air quality to this oil. A standout with fish, shellfish and seared chicken, it would also work well with goat’s cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.