"For me, making olive oil is an act of pure selfishness." The story of the small olive press that has made Cilento great

"For me, making olive oil is an act of pure selfishness: I delight in the beauty that this product embodies when well made. The more beautiful oils I make, the more delighted I am, the more I desire to make even more beautiful ones; it's a challenge that renews itself day by day and year by year. It's a healthy selfishness, which I nourish by sharing and appreciating the beauty of oil." Nicolangelo Marsicani's is one of those realities that, in addition to developing excellent oils for their own brand, contribute to the growth and valorization of smaller productions, bringing out the potential of entire territories. A project carried out with constancy and determination that this year was rewarded, for the third time, with the recognition of Olive Press of the Year during the presentation of the Oli d'Italia 2024 guide by Gambero Rosso in Verona on the occasion of Vinitaly - Sol Agrifood.

A network of producers and an olive press as a reference

An expert olive presser, but also a person capable of networking among the olive growers close to him and producers from other neighboring regions. His olive press, in the heart of Cilento, is a bustling place of experts, tasters, budding farmers, technicians, and enthusiasts. "To be able to produce many oils, I need many olives, and hence the relationship with other producers who also aim to achieve beauty in the oils produced from their own olives. People of great cultural and human depth, coming from various parts of Italy, allow me to expand my knowledge, to experiment, to research and gain experience with multiple cultivars," he confessed.

In this context of research, experimentation, and comparison, the relationship and collaboration with some trusted experts, or as he calls them, "roaming olive pressers," come into play: "With me, there are also professionals like Michele Siniscalchi Montereale, Sabrina Pupillo, and Marco Rizzo, excellent tasters and seasoned olive mill technicians who, by attending a gymnasium as real as it is virtual, such as the olive press and shared tastings, have managed to surpass in the interpretation of olives and their processing those with more years of experience."

The story of the Marsicani olive press

In 1928, the olive oil mill of the Marsicani family was registered at the Chamber of Commerce of Salerno. A family passion for the transformation of agricultural products, initially focused on grinding wheat, cereals, and olives, now entirely focused on green gold. A natural evolution for the company, over the years passed into the hands of Nicolangelo Marsicani, the current owner, who in 2007 decided to modernize the business and increasingly focus on the high quality of the product. And to do so through constant study carried out together with the Oleum association, which still aims to enhance the culture of quality extra virgin olive oil with training courses and tastings.

The Alter Ego, a Three Leaf extravirgin

In the tasting session that concerned Campania, the oil from the Marsicani olive press that obtained the highest score was the Alter Ego, a single variety of Itrana that surprised us with its intensity and elegance. An aromatic texture where nuances reminiscent of tomato leaf and aromatic herbs stand out, intertwining well with the bitterness of arugula and with balsamic traits reminiscent of conifers. An explosive oil with great persistence that finds its ideal pairing with tomato-based dishes, chickpea salads, and Margherita pizza.