August in the Groves: The Quiet Work Behind Great Olive Oil

It’s August in Sicily. The sun is strong, the air smells like wild herbs and dry earth, and out in the groves something important is happening—something that has nothing to do with vacations, and everything to do with great extra virgin olive oil.

This is the time of “inolizione”, a word that may sound a little strange unless you’ve spent some summers watching olive trees work their quiet magic. But if you love extra virgin olive oil, this is when the story begins.

What Is "Inolizione" and Why Does It Matter?

Inolizione is the phase when olives start turning into little oil factories. After weeks of growing and hardening their pits, the fruits begin producing oleic and linoleic acids—the healthy fats that will eventually become olive oil.

It’s a delicate moment. “Right now, we’re walking through the groves every morning,” says Stefania, “checking the trees, watching how the fruit is developing. So far, they’re looking good.”

But good isn’t automatic. To make quality EVOO, olives need the right conditions—sunlight, nutrients, and especially water. Without water in this phase, the fruit won’t develop properly and the oil yield drops. On the other hand, timely irrigation or some late-summer rain can make all the difference.

Timing Is Everything

Inolizione usually kicks off in late August and continues into September. It’s not visible to the eye, but inside the olives, a quiet transformation is taking place.

Late rains in October? Well, by then, the olives might swell in size, but the oil content is already set. That’s why now—right now—is a crucial phase, both for quality and yield.

Why We Pay Attention (So You Don’t Have To)

For those of us who grew up among olive trees, this moment is a kind of ritual. It’s not about fancy equipment or big declarations—it’s about walking the land, feeling the leaves, watching the color of the fruit, and knowing that the fruit quietly gathers all its promise.

When you open a bottle of our EVOO, you’re tasting the result of patient, precise care that starts long before harvest in the stillness of the groves, with olives quietly getting ready to become something exceptional.

If you’re enjoying summer barbecues or tossing together your favorite salad—just know that your olive oil is already hard at work. And we’re out there with it.