250 ml - Umbria, Italy

The bright and spicy flavor of organic chili peppers balances well with Giuseppe of Etruria's organic Late Harvest extra-virgin olive oil. This is an unusual, delicious oil, perfect when you need a little hotness. No need to struggle with hot chili peppers, just add a dash of chili olive oil. Unlike infused oils, which tend to lose flavor, crushing chilis and olives together maintains the pure flavor of each.

About the Producer
In ancient times, portions of Umbria were conquered by the Etruscans and became part of what the Romans called Etruria -- adopted by Giuseppe for the name of his Umbrian specialty products company.

Giuseppe Cagnoni produces his olive oil in the small Umbrian town of Trevi. The small town of Trevi in Umbria is perched on a pyramid of a hill surrounded by miles and miles of olive groves. This is where five generations of Giuseppe Cagnoni's family have grown olives and pressed them into exceptional oil. As in the old days, much is done by hand - and everything is organic.

The primary olive used is Muraiolo, an Umbrian specialty, with small amounts of Leccino and Frantoio rounding out the blend. Only the first pressing of his finest organically grown olives are pressed for this oil. In various parts of Italy, farmers often press small amounts of olives with fresh citrus fruit to create heavenly scented oils for family and friends.

About the Olives
University researchers have dated the rootstock for some of Giuseppe's trees back to 1,000 B.C. . . it seems the olives were there even before the Etruscans. The main olive variety planted on the Cagnoni property is Moraiolo, a specialty of Umbria. However, Moraiolo is not self-pollinating, and so the property is also planted with small amounts of Frantoio and Leccino, Tuscan staples. The groves are planted on the rugged hillsides in parcels that 380-600 m. above sea level.

Giuseppe's father Eugenio is a master pruner who carefully prunes all the trees once a year, the old-fashioned way: climbing a ladder and working from the top down. His services are in demand by other producers.