When a ray of late October sunshine filters through the silvery trunks of the olive trees of Palagianello, a few kilometers from the Ionian Sea, a ritual that our family has guarded for over fifty years is awakened: the harvest of the first olives. It is precisely from here that the journey of Olio Mazzarrino begins, a journey that smells of fresh grass, warm bread and smiles shared around the mill.
The Roots (1970-1978)
It all began in 1970, when my grandparents Giovanni Mazzarrino and Maria Pinto purchased the first four hectares in the Serrapizzuta district. Back then, oil wasn’t a business, but a love for the land: a few hectoliters destined for the family and neighbors, pressed in small stone mills and bottled by hand in green glass flasks. Every winter, the house smelled of freshly pressed olives; we grandchildren woke up to the fruity aroma coming out of the demijohns, and we already understood then that that “green magic” deserved to be shared.
The push to grow (1979-1999)
Our father, Domenico , took the first leap . In 1979, with great sacrifice, he purchased a traditional press mill. For our small community, it was a revolution: we no longer had to ship crates of olives, we could mill them the same day and preserve the aromas and polyphenols. In that noisy room, the habit that still opens every olive oil campaign was born: the midnight fett'unta . When the first green stream of “new oil” flows from the filter, the family gathers together: a slice of warm bread, a drizzle of still cloudy oil, a pinch of salt and a toast with thick glasses. That gesture – simple and powerful – is our way of saying thank you to the land and the people who cultivate it.
In the 90s, production expanded, but the ethics remained artisanal. The numbers changed, but not the mentality: manual harvesting with nets, aerated boxes, careful pruning of each individual branch. At the end of the decade, we glimpsed a new challenge: making official what we have always done, that is, growing without chemicals. Thus, in 2000 , our company obtained organic certification for the entire supply chain.
From the field to the web (2000-2015)
In 2006 the “Olio Mazzarrino” brand was officially born . We wanted a name that spoke of family even before the product, because for us oil is belonging, not simple commerce. Three years later, thanks to the curiosity of distant friends who wanted to taste that flavor of Puglia again, we opened the first e-commerce : a courageous gesture for a small-town farm, but necessary to take oil beyond regional borders.
Meanwhile, technologies are changing. We are replacing the old presses with a latest-generation decanter that works in two phases: it consumes 30% less water and preserves polyphenols thanks to constant temperature control (never above 27 °C). We are installing solar panels on the roof of the mill to cover 80% of the energy needs and we are adopting regenerative agriculture practices : legume green manure, minimal use of tractors to avoid compacting the soil, controlled grazing of the neighbor's sheep to "mow" the grass naturally. Tradition and innovation go hand in hand, with one goal: uncompromising quality, today as yesterday.
Awards and the new generation (2016-present)
2016 marks another milestone: the entry of Olio Mazzarrino into the world's Top 500 of quality producers. We do not see it as a point of arrival, but as proof that we are on the right path. In the following years, medals arrive at EVO-IOOC, AIPO d'Argento, Bibenda 5 Gocce: awards that fill us with pride but, above all, reassure the most demanding customers of the quality of our work.
Today the company is led by me, Giovanni Mazzarrino junior – grandson of the founder – and my wife Dalinda , an agronomist with a passion for green innovation. Together we have expanded the olive groves to 25 hectares, maintaining native varieties such as Coratina and Ogliarola; we have introduced QR code traceability on each bottle, so that those who buy can trace the harvest lot; we have opened the doors of the mill to visitors for guided tastings, because we believe that the true value of an oil can only be understood by breathing in the scent that fills the kneading room.
From our hands to your table
When you open a bottle of Olio Mazzarrino today – Delizioso, Intrepido or Cru Serrapizzuta – you are not simply pouring a condiment: you are savoring a story that spans three generations, 55 years of dawns in the olive grove, nights in the mill and hands soaked in chlorophyll. Every drop contains the slowness of the seasons, the care of our grandparents and the forward-looking gaze of our daughters.
Our commitment is to continue to tell that journey, bottle after bottle, post after post, because we believe that knowing the origin of what we bring to the table makes us enjoy life better. If you want to find out more, come and visit us at the masseria or continue to follow us on the blog: the next stories already smell of warm bread and new oil.
Thank you for being part of the Mazzarrino family.