We are a family-run oil mill, located in a small hamlet called Mulinetti, near Recco. The place likely arose in the medieval era, a time when the first settlements of Benedictine monks formed along the Ligurian Riviera, promoting the cultivation of olive oil and vine. The toponymy of Mulinetti recalls the presence of two hydraulic mills located in the Sonega river valley, used to power the millstones and presses of the oil mills, which are still present but powered by electric energy.
The first pressing dates to the distant 1860, and from there, we never stopped passionately and knowledgeably producing Extra Virgin Olive Oil with an authentic taste, unique due to its fragrance and genuineness.
A story that began well over 160 years ago from the ashes of an ancient water mill and handed down from father to son.
We now have a state-of-the-art facility with a continuous extraction method in three strictly cold phases.
We personally oversee every phase of the production process, from the selection of different olive varieties, mainly native and absolutely 100% Italian, to extraction, bottling, and shipping worldwide.
The excellent quality/price ratio is our strong point, believing that the pleasure and benefits of extra virgin olive oil should not be a luxury of a few.
Our flagship product is cold-extracted Extra Virgin Olive Oil, obtained thanks to the union of various types of expertly selected olives, processed within 24/48 hours after harvest to maintain the unaltered characteristics of the fruit; the oil is characterized by a sweet and delicate taste but intense on the palate at the same time.
The excellence of the oil mill is not only limited to oil production but also includes many other products derived from olive processing.
Once a water mill, the oil was produced by pressing, there was the press, a tool belonging to tradition and deriving from the classic stone mills belonging to the common imaginary of our culture. With this technique, the mechanical action was performed by one or more large wheels generally in granite that rotated on the collected, cleaned, and washed fruits. The exit of the liquids was given, as previously said, by the friction of the pits and the sharp edges of their remains against the pulp of the olives, and not by the crushing of the mills, which instead have the task of stirring the mass in process.
The grinding is the first phase of the process of transforming the olive into oil, it allows breaking the walls of the fruit to release its juice. The product derived from milling is the oil paste, a mixture of oil, water, and solid parts. In the period that goes from October to November, depending on the desired degree of ripeness reached by the olives, the harvest takes place. As already mentioned, the subsequent hours are crucial for obtaining a superior quality product. Time ago, the alternative to the system we chose for milling was the so-called stone-crushing. It is worth noting how the traditional extraction system with stone mills and fiscoli can no longer be compared on par with the modern market, as it would require continuous maintenance to ensure adequate hygienic-sanitary conditions. The olive, in that case, was crushed in a tank by the rotation of stone mills. The process, which retained a romantic aura, had several drawbacks. When the resulting paste was crushed, it overheated, then oxidized when it came into contact with oxygen. In this moment, the intense fragrance was lost, also because the tank was open.
In the years, the technology inevitably changed, new machinery, an advanced automation system allows us to grind numerous quintals of olives in a continuous cycle every year.
The crushing of the olives
The second most used technique and the one we adopted is the so-called crushing, which takes place through an industrial machine called, in fact, a hammer crusher, and integrates perfectly with the modern automation needs of new plants. The load is carried out from above thanks to belt elevators that pick up the fruits directly from the washers and pour the oil paste from below into the kneading machines.
Through this type of milling, the breaking of cell walls and membranes is caused by the impacts of mechanical devices that rotate at high speed, which takes place in very short times, making this technique perfect for continuous and automated processing cycles.
Towards energy self-sufficiency
Our thought is always to try to improve.
With the latest installation of renewable energy technology, the Frantoio Novella&Vignolo production plant can finally be said to be self-sufficient.
From today, Frantoio Novella&Vignolo is powered by a photovoltaic system for electricity and a small biomass plant (powered by part of the waste from olive processing) for heating water.
We care a lot about nature and its fruits, and that’s why we are always committed to the continuous search for alternative methods capable of guaranteeing us maximum quality and at the same time maximum attention towards the environment.
Quality, honesty, and courtesy are what customers expect and represent the fulcrum around which all our work revolves. 160 years ago, as today, we are still here, ready to face new challenges 🤩💪.