From the Trapanese landed gentry printing house to a family business in Valderice
The history of Frantoio Gabriele dates back to 1831, when the Trapanese landed gentry had an oil mill built in Valderice – at that time still combined with a grain mill. Over a century later, since 1949, Pietro Gabriele has been an integral part of the business, before taking over the Frantoio independently in 1974 and steering it in a new direction: he separated from the mill, invested in modern continuous systems, and thus laid the foundation for an independent family tradition. His son Alberto joined him in 1977 and, together with his wife Iolanda, decisively shaped the company: under their leadership, quality became the focus, and the flagship product "0.2" received its name – the acidity level as a promise of quality directly on the label.
Today, the third generation continues to run the company: son Pietro is responsible for cultivation and blending, while daughter Laura – trained in marketing in Rome and Paris – has oriented sales towards new markets. The company is still located on Via Misericordia in Valderice, a town in the hills of the Trapani province, with a direct view of the gulf.
20 hectares of olive groves, three varieties, strict hand-picking
The heart of the business is around 20 hectares of its own olive groves with over 40,000 trees of the Biancolilla, Nocellara, and Cerasuola varieties – all autochthonous varieties of western Sicily that have been cultivated in the valleys of the Trapani province for centuries. Harvesting is traditionally done between October and December, as soon as the fruits are still green and aromatic – the harvest time is considered a decisive factor here for aroma and acidity. The oil remains unfiltered and is cold-pressed to preserve fruit notes and sensory structure as completely as possible. For the Cibus trade fair appearance in 2023, the company was also listed with the Bio/Organic certificate.
Processing and bottling take place in their own Frantoio in Valderice. The family describes their standard simply: the oil should taste the way they use it themselves every day – tasted from a small plate, with a piece of bread. What sounds simple is in reality the strictest quality test for an olive oil.
The "0.2" – an assortment that speaks for itself
The house's leading product is the unfiltered Extra Vergine "0.2", named after its maximum 0.2 percent acidity – a value that is significantly below the legal EU limit for the Extra Vergine category and can only be achieved in practice through clean harvesting, fast processing, and careful pressing. Fruity-green on the nose with an intense scent of freshly crushed olive; balanced on the palate, with a light spice in the finish, which can be attributed to the Cerasuola content. The texture is velvety, the oil slightly cloudy due to the lack of filtration. Ideal cold on bruschetta, with tomatoes, over grilled fish or vegetables – not intended for searing. In addition, the family produces flavored variants, including an orange oil. In total, the company has an annual production of around 700,000 liters.
