The intense heat of our Tuscan summer has now cooled, the leaves begin to turn, the walnuts drop continuously from their branches, the fig trees continue to fruit and our pomegranates burst open, ripe with luscious seeds. It is autumn here in Tuscany in all its splendor.

Our land is dotted with 800 olive trees, some as old at 700 years, some wee babies, which are full with plump black and green olives. They are elegant and serene as they wait their turn to be picked. They remind me of groups of people chatting quietly away during these last warm days of the year. The young ones are small yet robust, like a playground full of pre-schoolers, the ancient ones regal and seemingly in charge,

lording
over the masses. They whisper in a rhythmic sway under light winds as their leaves twist skywards showing off their silvery underskirts. It’s a beautiful
sight.

 

In two weeks our olive tree orchards will be filled with the sound of our own chatter and laughter as friends, family and guests throw down the nets and
begin the task of climbing, picking, combing and shaking the olives out of the trees. We will pick, enjoy fresco lunches in the olive groves and dinners
tucked around roaring fires at Villa Reniella. We will press, bottle and label and then we will ship our golden elixir to all our customers’ doorsteps
by mid – December.

I am very passionate about the world of olive oil. The reason is simple. Olive oil is a

superfood
and an important part of life in Mediterranean countries. It is one of the oldest and healthiest foods, but it can also be one of the deadliest. With
the rapid rise of the popularity of olive oil around the

world there
has been an immense increase in fraud. Where there is money to be made there will always be

exploitation
. Much of the commercial olive oil on your supermarket shelves is not what it seems. Take two minutes to just Google about the corruption of the world
of olive oil or read extracts from Tom Mueller’s best selling book Extra Virginity. It will really shock you. Olive oil can be doctored with
other cheaper oils, even with the lowest grade oil called Lampante or lamp oil which is unfit for human consumption. Several years ago in Spain, olive
oil was contaminated with a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics – it caused 24,000 people to become sick and over 1000 died. Many of our supermarket
brands uses low grade oil, flavored and dyed. Many olive oils whose label proudly pronounce it as Italian or Tuscan are actually lower grade olives
from around the world that are packaged and labeled in Italy. There are too many scandals to mention but please take a look at the facts – they are
out there for us all to read.

 

Here is what you should look for in a good olive oil:

Extra Virgin: This means it is the first pressing of the olive fruit. Anything other than this is a lower grade.

 

Cold pressed: This means that the olives have been pressed between metal plates or stones to squeeze out the oil, a fairly natural process. If it
has not been cold pressed then the oil has been extracted by a chemical process.

 

Organic: It is important to only use organic oil. If the trees are sprayed with pesticides then much of this ends up

inside
the bottle of olive oil.

 

Harvest Date: Olive oil like most vegetable oils goes rancid after a few months. Many will have the expiry date on the label, but it is much better
to have the harvest date than you really know when the olives were picked.

 

The bottle: Never buy olive oil in a clear container. Light affects the oil dramatically and it is said that the oil can become carcinogenic.

 

The price: Be realistic about what you pay for Extra Virgin olive oil. You can pretty much guarantee that you get what you pay for. Beware of the
word ‘pure’. In the food industry, it means anything but. Again, Google this – you will be shocked.

 

So how do you make sure you are getting a good, healthy fabulous fresh olive oil?

The best way is to order your oil from a farm you trust in Italy, Greece, Turkey, or even California. You should be paying between 30 and 70 dollars a
liter. We produce one bottle on average from each tree and it can take us a couple of hours to pick that tree. Alternatively, find an olive oil consortium
who
take orders in the early fall, pick, press and ship to your door.

 

This is what we do at Villa Reniella, our farm in Tuscany. This year we will produce about 700 liters. When it is sold, there is no more. We go the extra
mile and

Fedex
the bottles to our office in Canada, then on to the customers home. You only have to pay for shipping within Canada and this ensures that you have
our wonderful Extra Virgin, organic olive oil for the holidays. It makes for a unique hostess gift or Christmas present.

 

If you would like to order this year’s olive oil please go to my website www.tuscangetaway.com and visit
the SHOP.

 

We must appreciate and respect good quality olive oil in the same way as we treat wine.

 

Debbie Travis

 

DEBBIE TRAVIS’ TUSCAN OLIVE OIL, PICKED BY MY FAMILY, ENJOYED BY YOURS.