The Passante Agricultural Company
The company is located in the territory of the very ancient (about two thousand years of history!) Municipality of Mineo, in the heart of the Sicilian Iblei Mountains (immersed in an area rich in history and archaeological sites) and covers about twenty hectares entirely cultivated olive grove and, in part, citrus grove.
The company insists on an area with a high olive vocation and an ancient oil tradition.
Here olive trees have been grown and oil has been produced for millennia!
An ancient popular saying of the area, in fact, says “Miniu, Miniu, ricchu d’uogghiu e poviru acqua” (“Mineo, Mineo, a town rich in oil and poor in water resources”) and this, properly, to stigmatize the strong oil vocation of the territory. The company is located in two sites (“Poggiarelli” and “Castelluccio-Fausia”) which dominate a plain called “Piana di Mineo”, is surrounded by the chain of the Iblei Mountains and in the background, wherever you look, dominates the imposing massif of the ETNA VOLCANO. The company, in fact, is located about fifty kilometers from Catania and is easily reachable from Catania airport (which is less than forty kilometers away), through the important s.s. n. 417 (Catania – Gela).
The company olive groves, located at an altitude of about 350.00 meters above sea level) include both a plantation of centuries-old olive trees (whose age is certainly centuries-old), and modern rational plants.
The main olive cultivars grown on the farm are the ancient native variety called “Marmurigna”, “Tonda Iblea”, “Nocellara Etnea” and “Nocellara del Belice”.
The cultivation techniques practiced on the farm are inspired by the most absolute respect for the environment and are aimed at creating a product of the highest quality.
“QUALITY AND NOT QUANTITY”, IN FACT, IS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF THE COMPANY FOUNDER.
It is certain that the very particular pedoclimatic conditions of this micro-territory (calcareous soils of medium texture, strong temperature variations between day and night during the winter and very dry springs and summers), have always favored the cultivation of the olive tree and the production of a unique oil for organoleptic characteristics and health properties.
Products and oil Production
The company mainly produces extra virgin olive oil I.G.P. (Protected Geographical Indication) extracted, with the most modern cold techniques, exclusively from olives produced on the farm.
THE COMPANY PHILOSOPHY IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT SELLS MUST BE PRODUCED IN THE COMPANY!
Furthermore, the most modern conservation and storage techniques allow the product to retain its excellent initial properties for a very long time.
ALL STAGES OF THE OIL PRODUCTION CHAIN TAKE PLACE IN THE COMPANY OR UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL OF COMPANY STAFF.
THIS ALLOWS TO MAINTAIN VERY HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS.
Three monovarietal oils are produced of “Tonda Iblea” (very delicate oil, with a marked fruity; very balanced), “Nocellara Etnea” (oil with a more decisive character and with a very pleasant degree of spiciness) and “Nocellara del Belice” ( oil with a more decisive character and with a very pleasant and non-aggressive degree of spiciness) and a blend of “Tonda Iblea” and “Nocellara Etnea” with a small percentage of other cultivars present on the farm (“Marmurigna”, “Biancolilla” and ” Giarraffa ”) (this oil perfectly combines the different characters of the cultivars that compose it; it is a product with very complex organoleptic characteristics and which must be used in dishes that enhance it as the main ingredient).
In addition to the traditional bottling formats of 0.50 and 0.75 cl., Other formats are also possible on request. Company visits are possible with telephone or e-mail booking.
For information and quotes send an e-mail or call.