With their ‘Pure Colli Bio’ – an extra virgin olive oil born from a perfect mix between the Nostrana di Brisighella and Leccino varieties – they won ‘two leaves out of three’ in the Gambero Rosso guide dedicated to the ‘Oils of Italy’, 2024 edition. An even more precious recognition at the end of an olive oil campaign – the 2022-2023 one – archived by experts as one of the most unfortunate at a national level and even more so in Romagna, due to the flood and other atmospheric adversities that followed in the spring of a year does. We are talking about the ‘I sabbioni’ agricultural company, which is based in viale Bologna and is part of the multifaceted group created by the textile entrepreneur Dino Zoli: to coordinate most of the activities linked to the production and marketing of wines and oils – the core business of ‘company – is a woman, Cristina Guardigli.
Look, what does the Gambero Rosso verdict mean for you?
“Although some people disapprove of its judging criteria, the Gambero guide remains an authoritative volume, a well-known showcase and an important commercial tool. Being present, even at the end of a difficult year like the one just gone by, is a great achievement” .
Except for last year, marred by late frosts and floods, what is your average oil production?
“A niche production, which does not exceed 5 thousand litres. Currently twelve hectares of our company are dedicated to olive groves: of these, six are already productive (for a total of 4,500 plants) and another six host 2,200 plants planted in 2022 , which will be productive, at full capacity, by the end of 2025. For now – I say this with my fingers crossed – the forecasts for next year are encouraging”.
What are the company’s other products?
“We have 35 hectares of vineyards and around 60 hectares of arable land (in rotation, alfalfa, wheat and rapeseed): around half a hectare, however, is reserved for a small cultivation of ‘Moretto’ artichokes from Brisighella, which we process and sell in jars in oil. The excellent response to this product has convinced us to expand the artichoke factory: in the near future we aim to include other fruit and vegetable products typical of our areas”.
What are your other future goals?
“We are not yet ready for agritourism hospitality, but we are working on enhancing some structures already present in the area. Furthermore, we are planning itineraries, to be covered on foot or by bicycle, within our estate or in the immediate vicinity, taking inspiration, for example, from the war shelters scattered throughout these countryside or from the unique nature of our terroir, rich in molasses and yellow sands”.
Just think of your logo, the mammoth.
“Right here, among the sandy soils, the skeleton of this animal was found, today kept in the Museum of Natural Sciences of Faenza. But here another story begins, which we can’t wait to tell to those who come to visit us” .
Tags: leaves oil Pure hills bio wins Gambero Rosso experts
