Frantoio

This is the variety that gave Tuscan olive oil its reputation, and not by chance. It’s a vigorous, productive tree that adapts well to different soils and different seasons. In the oil it brings green fruitiness, bitterness and a peppery kick at the back of the throat, that slight scratch many people associate with “real” olive oil. It’s also rich in polyphenols, which is why a Frantoio oil holds up well over the months without tiring.

Moraiolo

A small olive that ripens early and yields less than the others. Anyone who works with it knows: it gives little, but that little has a lot to say. It’s the cultivar that pushes toward the bolder side, with notes of artichoke and green tomato, marked bitterness and a colour that leans toward deep green. It also copes well with drought, which these days is no small thing.

Pendolino

The name comes from its branches, which hang downward, and you notice it right away when you see it in the grove. As a single-variety oil it is softer and less aggressive, with hints of almond. But in an olive grove it has another role too: it is an excellent pollinator, and the surrounding trees benefit from it. In the blend it smooths the rough edges and brings balance.

Leccino

Sweet and delicate, with a gentler fruitiness and little bitterness or pepperiness. It’s a hardy tree, resistant to cold, and in Tuscany it was widely replanted after the frosts of 1985 for exactly that reason. In the blend it rounds things out, so that the strength of Frantoio and Moraiolo doesn’t hit the palate like a sharp blow.

Why four and not just one

A single-variety oil can be beautiful, but it speaks with only one voice. Bringing four cultivars together means building a complete oil: the structure of Frantoio, the character of Moraiolo, the sweetness of Leccino, the roundness of Pendolino. Each harvest shifts the proportions a little, because every year ripens differently, and it’s work that is decided in the grove and then at the mill, not at a desk.

From the grove to the bottle

Our trees face south-west, on soil that suits olive growing well. Plenty of sun, good drainage, and olives that ripen slowly.

Harvesting is done entirely by hand. It isn’t a romantic choice, it’s a practical one: by hand you can select, discard damaged olives or those that fell too long ago, and avoid bruising the fruit. A bruised olive starts to ferment almost immediately, and you can taste it later in the oil, so sorting matters more than people think.

The olives are pressed by the end of the same day. The mill is modern, three-phase, with cold extraction: the paste is never heated, so aromas and polyphenols are preserved. The result is an oil with a distinct aromatic intensity and very low acidity, which is the mark of healthy olives processed well and quickly.

A tip for tasting it

Pour a little into a glass, warm it for a few seconds in your hands, smell it, then take a small sip and wait. The bitterness comes first, the pepperiness after, at the back of the throat. If before that tingle you catch freshly cut grass, artichoke or almond, you’ve already managed to pick out the four cultivars that make it up.

It comes in a 750 ml bottle. For the technical details, the data sheet is available here: Wine tech sheet

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In Tuscany, where the olive oil tradition dates back centuries, some varieties have taken on a symbolic value: Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, and Moraiolo. These are the cultivars that La Badiola cultivates and enhances, creating an oil that embodies the true Tuscan identity.

Tuscan cultivars: a heritage of nuances

Frantoio is perhaps the most representative variety of the region. It produces an elegant oil with a medium-intense fruity flavor and notes of fresh grass and almond. Well-balanced and versatile, it is perfect for enhancing meat dishes and rustic soups.

Leccino is more delicate and rounded, with hints of green apple and sweet almond. It brings harmony and smoothness, ideal for those who appreciate a well-balanced extra virgin olive oil, perfect even for everyday use.

Pendolino stands out for its fluidity and its ability to pollinate other varieties. Its oil has a light, fragrant flavor, with a delicate aroma and a sweet finish that pairs beautifully with fish and vegetables.

Moraiolo, on the other hand, represents the bold character of the Tuscan Apennines. The oil obtained from it is intense and slightly bitter, with notes of artichoke and a hint of spiciness. It is the variety that adds depth and strength to blended oils.

The combination of these cultivars allows La Badiola to produce a complex and harmonious extra virgin olive oil, capable of expressing the essence of the land in every drop.

What “extra virgin” really means

The difference between extra virgin olive oil (EVO) and regular olive oil is not merely terminological. EVO oil is obtained exclusively through the mechanical pressing of olives, without any chemical treatment.

To be classified as extra virgin, it must have an acidity level below 0.8% and pass sensory tests that certify its aroma and purity.

Regular olive oil, on the other hand, may contain a blend of refined oils and a small percentage of virgin oil. The result is a more neutral product, often lacking the aromatic notes and antioxidant benefits of extra virgin oil.

Choosing extra virgin olive oil therefore means choosing quality, authenticity, and health — as it preserves the polyphenols, vitamins, and natural aromas of the olive.

La Badiola’s philosophy: quality over quantity

In a world where industrial production tends to standardize flavors, La Badiola remains faithful to the path of artisanal quality.
Hand harvesting, cold pressing, and careful selection of cultivars make it possible to obtain an oil with a full, balanced, and distinctive taste. An oil that aspires not only to be Tuscan, but deeply connected to the very land that gives it life.

L'articolo L’olio extravergine d’oliva: la terra Toscana e le sue cultivar uniche proviene da La Badiola.

• la varietà dei vitigni;
• la varietà dei terreni;
• dei microclimi, etc.

However, winemaking, along with the choice of container type and the materials used, are the fundamental elements in the production of both red and white wines.

Red Wine Vinification

What differentiates red wine vinification from white wine is the maceration process—the contact between the grape skins and the must, which imparts color and tannins to red wine.

This type of vinification requires a longer maceration time compared to, for example, rosé wines, which are produced by allowing the skins to macerate for a much shorter period.

The red winemaking process can be summarized in a few key steps:

1. Harvesting the grapes
2. Destemming and crushing
3. Must with grape skins
4. Fermentation with maceration
5. Various corrections and stabilizations

Once this phase is completed, the red wine moves on to the aging (refining) stage, which can be done in different ways. To obtain a full-bodied, structured red wine, wood barrels such as tonneaux or barriques are used for a specific period, depending on the desired style of wine.

READ ALSO: Vine reproduction: techniques and life cycle

The final step is bottle aging, which further refines the wine before it reaches the market.

White Wine

Unlike red wine, white wine vinification involves eliminating certain processes and introducing others. The main difference lies in fermentation, which in white wine does not take place in contact with the grape skins.

The skins are removed almost immediately through gentle pressing of the grapes. Afterwards, the usual treatments and adjustments are made to the must, which is then fermented at a lower temperature than red wine—typically around 18–20°C (64–68°F).

To obtain a white wine with more personality, a brief skin contact maceration (no more than a few hours) can be performed. This allows the extraction of pigments and aromatic compounds from the skins, enriching the flavor and complexity of the wine.

L'articolo La vinificazione: perché il vino è rosso o bianco? proviene da La Badiola.