Agrestis is based in Buccheri, a small Sicilian town in the hinterland of Syracuse. The whole area, at an altitude of about 820 meters above sea level, is made of steep hills, beautiful woods, and ravines and the olive production represent a culture of centuries.
Agrestis Estate
The Story
Agrestis is based in Buccheri, a small Sicilian town in the hinterland of Syracuse. The whole area, at an altitude of about 820 meters above sea level, is made of steep hills, beautiful woods, and ravines and the olive production represent a culture of centuries. Giuseppe Paparone and Lorenzo Nicotra, residents of Buccheri and lifelong friends, launched the small cooperative in 2003, to protect the century-old trees growing on the steep lands nearby and to turn the domestic production into a quality business. Later, their sons Pietro and Salvatore joined them, improving the business with their knowledge and passion.
They acquired around 8 hectares of olive groves and part of them were converted from conventional to organic, and the rest were managed in lease. From the beginning, the main philosophy for their project it’s always been guaranteeing the best quality for a “precious food” which is the expression of Sicilian traditions.
Currently the Cooperative is managing 20.000 plants that spread over 48 hectares of mountain groves.
The change in size of the project has not interfered with the quality of the olive oil as we are always applying the same artisanal philosophy.
Agrestis has won prestigious international and national contests for years due to the quality of the evo oil produced with the unique Tonda Iblea olive; this variety develops his best characteristics in the territory of Buccheri.
The olives are still picked by hand, very early in the harvest season and milled the same day, to reach the perfect balance of intensity and roundness. High in polyphenols, the oil is not only very tasty but extremely healthy too.
Since the beginning, our goal is to produce a product that reach the highest quality standards, respecting the nature and the tradition of our land.
