Autumn is harvest season for Italy's bounty of olives. Fratelli Aprile, south of Scicli, Sicily, starts pressing Oct. 1 for the family's exceptional 274th Il Novello. Recently, we visited the Aprile groves and mill and were lucky enough to see the brothers in action. Their extra virgin olive oil is the essence of super premium. The olives are hand-picked from trees that are hundreds of years old, and the oil

pressed just yards from the trees. The 274th green-gold color reflects the freshness and pure olive-y nature of the oil. 

The brothers, Roberto and Daniele, decided when they took over operations in the late '90s to concentrate only on quality. That dedication to quality and careful controls is shown in every detail -- from the small size of the containers storing the oil to reduce oxidation, to the simple beauty of the labeling on 274th, Sesto and other oils they produce, to the sparkling, clean mill.  The brothers and their parents who still work in the mill are justifiably proud of their EVOOs.

And we at Salumeria Italiana are excited to offer the 2012 harvest of 274th Il Novello. Daniele Aprile says that this summer's hot daytime temperatures combined with cool nights points to an exceptionally good olive harvest. We think this crop of 274th is fantastic, and we think you'll think so, too. 

Because we love this EVOO and so do our customers, we placed an early order for 274th Il Novello and will be among the first stores in the United States to offer the new 2012 harvest EVOO. And, as you know, freshest is best in extra virgin olive oil.