One of six groves in our care
Vernalese.
A family grove, back in harvest.
357 trees on a west facing hillside overlooking Florence. Still owned and worked by Giovanna, and in our care alongside her since 2010.
The restoration
After the farmers left.
After her father passed away, the grove became too much for Giovanna to keep up. The local farmers who had helped her stopped coming, and Vernalese fell into abandonment. In 2010 we took it on to support her, and brought it back into harvest.
Why Vernalese almost always finds a place in Founder's Reserve.
Founder's Reserve is picked early in the season. Vernalese's exposure and microclimate make it ideal to harvest at that time, so part of it nearly always ends up in the selection.
Picked when it's ready.
Each variety is harvested when we judge it ready. Then we decide how much of each goes into the oil.
100 new Maurino trees.
In 2026 we planted 100 Maurino where the old trees were set out irregularly, leaving the grove sparse in places. In time, as they mature, they will make each harvest steadier.
The grove.
- Overlooking Florence
- 4.7 acres
- 250 metres
- West facing
- 357 trees
- Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino, Pendolino, Olivo Bianco, Maurino
- In our care since 2010
The 2025 harvest
Vernalese's 2025 harvest.
The season
Picked from October 16 to 20, under cool, overcast skies. Less fruit on the trees than the year before, yet a higher yield: 15.26%.
Tasting
Artichoke, green almond and fresh cut grass, then bitter greens, with bitterness and pepper that stay steady and integrated. A long finish, with structure.
Pairing
Made for food with depth. Finish a plate of squid ink pasta with it.
The record, 2025
56% Frantoio, 35% Leccino, 9% Moraiolo
- Fruitiness
- 5.8/10
- Bitterness
- 5.6/10
- Pepperiness
- 5.7/10
- Polyphenols
- 571 mg/kg
- Free fatty acids
- 0.23%
- Peroxides
- 7.2 meq O₂/kg
- Monounsaturated fatty acids
- above 75%
- Pesticide residues
- not detected
2025 gave mostly Frantoio. Not every year does.
Fil's full tasting notes, pairings and the season as it happened are in My Grove.
The people of this grove
Giovanna's grove.
Vernalese still belongs to Giovanna, and she still works it. What began as helping a friend keep her father's grove became part of everything we do.
Belong to a grove.
Every Guardian is connected to a real tree in one of our restored groves. Your tree is assigned after you join, wherever one is available, and you'll see exactly where it stands: its grove, its number, its coordinates. Each harvest, two bottles of that grove's oil are yours.
Guard a tree by December 31 for this year's harvest.
