The olive groves on the di Frassineto estate, Tenuta di Fontarronco, in Tuscany have long been used in producing artisanal extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality. Now, thanks to the efforts of two local women, the olive oil now available in Victoria, BC. Marcelene di Frassineto had long recognized the purity and health benefits of her family’s oil, so with her good friend and business partner, Eimer McGrath, the two decided that the business of harvest and pressing, bottling and importing was one they would undertake together. From branch to bottle, Eimer and Marci have created Amoliva Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Operating this small business in Victoria, where both are raising families, is an expression of their mutual love of food culture and healthy living. Their passion lies in bringing a novel product home to a market that will recognize and appreciate it.
In the context of growing consumer awareness of substandard olive oil, Amoliva’s production stands apart. The olive groves have been tended with sustainable, no-spray practice by the same farming families employed by the working estate for generations. Marci and Eimer return to Italy each fall to oversee the olive harvest and pressing. The extra virgin oil produced is small batch, single origin, and pressed at the local mill; not only does this ensure full traceability of their product, but also its superior quality and taste.