How Frantoio Gaudenzi is Building an Umbrian Family Legacy in Olive Oil

Family legacy, regional heritage and a strong dedication to quality and innovation mark the story of one of Italy’s best extra virgin olive oil brands

Umbrian landscape

In 1950 when the young Vittorio Gaudenzi decided to take over an old olive mill – Molino di Cipolla – on the shores of river Clitunno, in Umbria, he could not have imagined that seventy years later his family name would represent the pinnacle of excellence for regional production. One of the few Italian regions not facing the Mediterranean, the sea is replaced (in addition to lakes and rivers) by the expanse of olive trees and their crowns swaying in the wind with green and silvery hues. Umbria is today rightfully acknowledged for high quality of extra virgin olive oil (as well as for the red, full-bodied wines such as Sagrantino, and the excellent products made by local pork butchers).

History of Frantoio Guadenzi

Gaudenzi Famiglia

Back in the early 50s, things were pretty different. Italy had yet to be reconstructed after World War II, and many left the countryside for bigger cities. Nevertheless, Vittorio followed his passion for olive oil, starting from scratch – together with his brothers at first, then with his wife – and building a successful farm. When a few years later his son Francesco wanted to follow in his steps, though, he convinced him to choose a secure job far from the land. Yet, Francesco’s passion was unaltered: he got a job, got married to Rossana, and had two children, Stefano and Andrea, but when his father decided to suspend the activity of the oil mill, in the late 80s, he could not accept it.

Together with Rossana, whose family also had a few olive trees, in 1994 he quit his job and took over the farm, starting again the production with many technological innovations and a precise goal: “searching for quality at any cost”. Starting from 300 trees and their will, they worked hard both in the mill and the fields, gradually increasing the number of trees and raising the bar of quality.

Frantoio Guadenzi Comes of Age

QuintaLuna

Their efforts were finally rewarded in the first decade of the new millennium: in 2003, they set up the new headquarters of Frantoio Gaudenzi at the foothills of Trevi, the charming snail-shaped hamlet nestled on the top of a hill covered by olive trees. Here they set up a modern plant and a space to welcome guests and let them taste and buy the oils. Their flagship product Quinta Luna – an intense and balanced oil, with lovely scents of almond, artichoke, fresh grass, and olive leaf, obtained from the olives harvested after only five moons (months) since blossoming – is a huge success and a favorite both by professional tasters and consumers.

1950, dedicated to the founder, is a more traditional product, a blend of all the varieties picked after the 2nd of November, according to local habits. Chiuse di Sant’Arcangelo is the result of a gamble made by Francesco and Rossana: soon after taking over the company, they decided to buy a sun-drenched olive grove at the forest edge, 600 meters above sea level, not far from an ancient church: here, the moraiolo trees give incredible fruits, and an exquisite extra virgin olive oil with fresh, green notes to the nose and bold bitterness and pungency.

In 2010, they created 6 Novembre to celebrate the 60th company’s anniversary as well as Vittorio’s date of birth: as the needleless clock on the label represents, it’s Nature’s timing to choose every year which oil this will be, based on the best olives and the family’s taste.

Pouring Frantoio Casa Lontana oil

Casa Lontana comes from the historical olive grove of the Gaudenzi family, set in a perfect location equally kissed by sun and wind: a Moraiolo-based blend with a small percentage of Frantoio, whose robust and intense profile with balsamic and minty notes is much appreciated by chefs, it’s the first oil to be certified with the Protected Designation of Origin Umbria-Colli Assisi-Spoleto, one out of the five sub-areas in which the regional Pdo (covering the whole surface of Umbria) is divided into.

Meanwhile, Stefano – who has become a passionate and expert olive oil taster – got involved in the family business, strengthening the family bond with olive oil and enhancing the scientific research on growing and milling procedures, working with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences of the University of Perugia and with the local Landscape Office Agronomist company.

Landscape from the Frantoio Gaudenzi groves

Looking to the Future

When, a few years ago, also Andrea joined them, a further step was taken in consolidating and broadening Vittorio’s legacy: in 2018, Stefano and Andrea planted the first young trees of a brand new 20-hectares grove in San Martino in Trignano. The trees of the local varieties frantoio, leccino, leccio del corno, moraiolo, sanfelice, nostrale di rigali, and dolce agogia, will mark the future of the company, with a modern planting layout aimed to match quantity and quality while preserving the enchanting Umbrian landscape. From the preexisting trees of the groves (san felice and a small percentage of moraiolo), they created the 89/93, named after their years of birth: a fresh and lively extra virgin with chicory, sage and black pepper notes which comes under the Umbria-Colli Martani PDO.

The latest addition to the range is Seven: a delicate yet complex blend of dolce agogia, leccino, and frantoio with light notes of green apple, fresh grass, and green tomato and a round mouthfeel. This is made from the 3,000 century-old olive trees growing on the shores of Lake Trasimeno and, as the name highlights, it’s the seventh label of the company. Moreover, this is also their third PDO, Colli del Trasimeno, adding another piece signed by the Gaudenzi Family to the mosaic of Umbrian oil biodiversity. “We don’t want to increase our production more than this”, Andrea Gaudenzi explains, adding “This year we will harvest 45,000 trees, and we are waiting for the first true harvest from the new Spoleto grove, where the drought of the last two years created some delays. Yet, we are constantly studying how to improve quality: together with University, we changed the pruning methods, practicing lighter cuts every year, all made by hand without using heavy tools or chainsaws. And we are improving our hospitality, too: after Covid, especially many Italians rediscovered our countryside and olive oil, and the request is growing.”

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Frantoio Gaudenzi offers guided tours – both in Italian and English – and tastings, from Monday to Sunday (a rarity in a country where Sunday is mostly devoted to family and rest). And they are setting up a kitchen to offer oil-based snacks or more complete tastings, while in five years, a few farmhouses they own in the surroundings will be ready for overnight stays.

Note: Some Frantoio Gaudenzi oils are available in the U.S. from Gustiamo.