For three generations, Frantoio d'Orazio has been enveloped in the scents of the earth, surrounded by olive trees: today Francesco, first his uncle Peppino and before him his grandfather, moves in the farming world and leads the family business between innovation and tradition.
The territory: Puglia, the land of Frantoio D'Orazio
Imagine a land rich in centuries-old olive trees, plants rooted in centuries-old tradition.
A land of intertwined emotions, flavors, and aromas.
A land of authenticity that has accompanied three generations in creativity and cultivation.
This is the land where D'Orazio extra virgin olive oil was born.
Frantoio D'Orazio is located in Conversano , in Puglia , the heel of the boot of the Italian peninsula, the land of olive trees .
Three generations of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The history of the D'Orazio family has its roots in the 1930s, when the ancient tradition of producing extra virgin olive oil inspired the founder Francesco D'Orazio to lay the foundation stone of the small farm of the same name.
Today, just like in the past: we wake up at 4:30 every morning, no matter how cold or unfavorable the weather, the day at the Frantoio has been marked the same way for 70 years.
Even when working was much more tiring than today, "we had electricity in '44," Peppino D'Orazio recalls in an old interview. "Before that, there were tanks with donkeys that turned the mechanism and men who worked the presses to extract the oil. Each press had 25 fisculi (discs made of plant fiber) into which, one by one, the olive paste had to be spread before being filtered. After the war, there were zinc tanks, and even before that, bags made from sheep or pig skins!"
In the 1990s, the generational transition took place and Peppino sought the help of Francesco, who began to collaborate more actively and took on the responsibilities of the family business.
Tradition meets technology
The art of making oil has accompanied the d'Orazio family for almost a century of history and continues to this day.
The values of the past remain as important as they are to the future: the company has reinvented itself through investments in advanced technologies to improve not only food safety but also the taste and quality of its Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
“Today we have mechanized more or less everything,” explains Francesco D'Orazio , “and we try to choose technology suited to the needs of our company's development, while keeping tradition alive.”
A tradition that is celebrated every day: the knowledge of the past is safeguarded and preserved, passed down from generation to generation.
In fact, even today, extra virgin olive oil still maintains an unmistakable flavour.
Frantoio D'Orazio goes green
Generational change, adaptation to new technologies, and the desire to innovate and make the production of quality extra virgin olive oil increasingly accessible have led the mill to an increasingly sustainable transformation.
Today, in fact, the D'Orazio family has adopted photovoltaic panels to produce electricity.
Not only that:
- the vegetation water resulting from the processing of olive oil is used as fertilizer in the fields
- DMF plants produce a mixture of vegetation water and pomace called 2-PHASE WET POMACE, which is used to feed biodigestion plants for electricity production.
- thermal energy is produced through the combustion of olive stones extracted from virgin pomace
Among future investments, the D'Orazio family also plans to acquire new hectares of olive groves to manage directly to control the quality of the product.
Extra virgin olive oil pop!
Innovation and modernity are evident not only in the production processes, but also in the new look of the extra virgin olive oil.
The final product becomes pop: the highest quality extra virgin olive oil meets eye-catching packaging that strongly recalls the link with Puglia.
In fact, we find a clear reference to the majolica tiles that have become the hallmark of D'Orazio oil.
A sign of identity, a love for the land and for Apulian culture: this is how design works are born that encapsulate a product of timeless gastronomic excellence.
Not only the final packaging but also the bottles become pop: Frantoio D'Orazio oil is presented in a can, with a view to product sustainability.
Authenticity, innovation, and creativity come together in a signature bottle.
The Frantoio D'Orazio plant is now located on Via dell'Ulivo in Conversano, as it could not be otherwise, and processes an average of 35-40 thousand quintals of olives a year.
Here you can visit the olive pressing operation, witness the entire production process and taste the freshly extracted oil.
