The Origins
In 1963, the dedication and passion of Giuseppe Oliva and Maria Perniola led to the creation of our first mill, producing exclusively cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Over the years, the family business has continued its legacy, involving new members, such as their daughter Patrizia and her husband Biagio. Today, the latter, along with their three sons, Nunzio, Giuseppe, and Domenico, produce Perniola extra virgin olive oil using cold-pressing techniques and state-of-the-art machinery.
Three Generations Compared
Three generations that compare each other every day and have different views but with the same purpose: run a company based on love, traditions and the work of a strong and close-knit family.
The Production
ATTENTION AND QUALITY: OUR GUIDELINES
Collection
Harvesting generally begins from October to December, depending on weather conditions. This phase is critical and delicate, as if the olives aren't picked at the right time, they risk maceration. Hand-harvesting, known as brucatura, is the best method, although very expensive and slow, because it ensures the integrity of the olives. Our company has always harvested manually or by combing, which involves running special automatic rakes along the branches and allowing the ripe olives to fall spontaneously, resulting in an oil free of organoleptic defects and very low acidity.
Deramification
The olives are taken to the mill and placed in special containers commonly known as "cassoni" or bins. Before the pressing stage, they are placed in a steel hopper and transported to a machine called a defoliator, where any branches, leaves, stones, and soil are removed. The olives are then washed by a special machine that removes all impurities and placed in a second steel hopper, ready for the pressing stage.
Crushing
The olives are automatically transported by a steel auger to a knife crusher, which crushes the olives and stones into a homogeneous mixture, known as "olive paste." The resulting mixture passes through a heat exchanger that cools or heats the paste before malaxation, depending on the temperature of the raw material.
Kneading
The resulting mixture is gently and slowly stirred for about 30-40 minutes, using certified equipment to ensure the temperature is always below 27°C (80°F), in order to unify the oil molecules separated from the water. This process must be performed perfectly, as proper kneading promotes the uniformity of the oil droplets, which is essential for the next processing stage.
Extraction
The olive paste passes through a three-stage horizontal centrifuge, called a decanter, which, through the rotating action of the drum, separates it into three products: virgin olive pomace, a by-product sent to the pomace mill for transformation into pomace oil and fuel; vegetation water, a by-product used as agricultural fertilizer in our olive groves; and the prized olive must.
Separation
The resulting oily must is separated from any remaining water particles using a vertical centrifuge, the separator. Once this final processing step is complete, the extra virgin olive oil is ready for use.
Finished product
The resulting oil is stored in steel tanks equipped with nitrogen, positioned in a temperature-controlled warehouse to preserve the organoleptic and chemical characteristics of our product.
Our OIL
Choose the scent and lightness of our product.
It's the foundation of the healthy Mediterranean diet and the star ingredient in every dish. Here are four reasons to bring it to your table:
- Characteristics
- Quality
- Nutritional Values
- Packaging
