Trebbio

We had to ask ourselves: do we really need to add another Tuscan oil to our list? Unfortunately, we didn’t think so. But. . when we met a family who put such care into the land and produce such high quality oil, we had to reconsider. We are delighted to be joining the Corsini family at the start of their project and are looking forward to seeing how they continue to marry the past and the future as they restore and care for the Villa del Trebbio and its grounds.

The Medici Villa del Trebbio, in Mugello, Tuscany, stands at the site where three roads meet. In fact, the name Trebbio literally means a meeting place of three roads. It seems to be fate then, that the Corsini family have taken over stewardship of the estate with a mission that is the union of three ideals: cultural preservation, environmental protection and agricultural excellence. Maintaining and developing the olive groves of the estate is a project that allows them to work towards each of these ideals.

Across 170 acres of land, Clemente and Gabriella Corsini and their family are combining existing olive groves with new planting patterns and use biodynamic and organic methods which aim to protect and improve the estate’s biodiversity and ecological stability. Along the way they are producing exceptional olive oil.

Trebbio is made using a blend of the Tuscan olive varieties that grow on the estate including a variety that was once believed to be extinct. The Italian National Research Council have now recognised this olive and renamed it Dianora del Trebbio, for Clemente and Gabriella’s daughter, who is highly involved in the project.

Each variety of olive is harvested early by hand and cold pressed at their mill straight after picking. The resulting monovarietal oils are blended to create a peppery and intense, typically Tuscan olive oil.

The symbol of Trebbio is the biblical image of a dove carrying an olive branch in its beak, an image that recalls ideas of light, serenity and peace. The Corsini family themselves put it best: “With the help of our team and the local community, we are fulfilling our dream of giving back to nature, hoping in turn to inspire similar initiatives. As a family, we remain rooted in our Tuscan heritage while projecting innovatively into the future.”

What is Biodynamic farming?

Biodynamic farming was first developed in 1924 and was the first modern organic farming movement. It is based around the belief that a farm, or even just a garden, is a whole organism unto itself, and that it can and should operate as a closed loop, with no external input required. In practice this means not using artificial fertilisers or pesticides and giving over at least 10% of the farm’s land over to wildlife, all with aim of enriching soil, fostering biodiversity and providing resilience to the farm.

The Corsini family’s choice to farm biodynamically was led by Gabriella, who states:

To be honest it was the only way I wanted to go. I want to leave the land to my children in a better condition than how I found it. By consciously paying attention to the biosphere and seeing ourselves as part of the ecosystem it positively impacts not only the environment but also everyone involved”