OUR HOME - FRANTOIO DEL POGGIOLO
Behind Monini is a community who is focused, resilient, hardworking, and passionate about what we do.
Frantoio del Poggiolo is a restored farmhouse, and the headquarters of Monini oil. It’s here where a lot of the important work takes place, where we combine our rigorous work practices in achieving superior quality oil along with sharing our knowledge on extra virgin olive oil.
Creating the best extra virgin olive oil is what we are passionate about, and so is sharing in the special culture that surrounds us. At Frantoio del Poggiolo our doors are always open to those olive oil lovers and foodies wanting to discover more about our secrets of olive oil and cultivation techniques. Meetings, conferences, workshops and cooking courses create opportunities to share knowledge with famous chefs from around the world.
THE HOME
Half-way up a hill in the midst of our olive groves, you’ll be greeted by Frantoio del Poggiolo, where modern agricultural machinery meets elegant residential spaces that welcome seminar and conference participants.
DESIGN
The various elements and building materials have been carefully sourced and combine to generate a sophisticated, yet earthy atmosphere. On the ground floor there is the olive mill, the portico for olive unloading and other agricultural spaces. The first floor is the residential area that proudly shows off ceiling trusses, wooden beams, terracotta floors, lime-washed plastered walls, art nouveau balustrades and glass lampshades.
THE ROOMS
The welcoming entrance hall leads to a quaint wooden library overflowing with books about olive growing and production techniques. Further along the corridor a large modern kitchen opens up into a living room like a great stage. It’s here that our chef prepares culinary delights, including creations from our olive press. The guesthouse includes seven rooms, all with their own private bathroom.
THE OLIVE GROVE
THE OLIVE GROVE HILLS
Frantoio del Poggiolo sits atop a hill that takes in the Spoleto valley, and extends for 100 acres, of which, many are taken up by 5,500 historic olive trees. And a further 1500 new trees are dispersed across 60 acres.
OLIVE CULTIVARS
We use a variety of olives, some native, some imported. This enables us to study every growing harvest and working variable.to source the best blends.
Approximately 80% of our olives are Moraiolo, an almost exclusively Umbrian variety that is a distinguishing characteristic of the Assisi-Spoleto oil blends. A further 12% is Frantoio, and 4.5% Leccino, two noble cultivars typical of central Italy, with the remaining 3.5% comprising of other varieties.
THE LABORATORY
The avant-garde machinery needed for the next stages of olive growing is also important. Frantoio del Poggio is an innovative, and world-class technology centre that guarantees superior quality olive oil production. Our niche products, including Novello an unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, are produced here in limited quantities.
FARMING
Balancing extra virgin aromas and giving it a noble flavour means choosing the right cultivars.
Each cultivar has its own characteristics and every year the climate, soil and season influences the different yields and quality that produces either a more pungent or intense flavour.
The ideal blend is a matter of recipes combining the best oils in a given vintage.
WORKING
Quality is not simply a matter of good raw materials, but also implementing correct procedures without neglecting elements such as harvest period, methods and storage which can impact the taste of the final product.
Irrigation and different working time frames are decided on the basis of olive type, cultivar and weather conditions.
