Wine and vine accompanied the history of Sicily from its dawn to the latest times. It is believed that the vine grew spontaneously in Sicily long before the Greeks came and many grapes – now considered native – were introduced by the Phoenicians. Vine-growing was most likely introduced into the island during the eighth century B.C. from the first Greek settlers, that built the foundations of the future oenological tradition of Sicily.
FRANTOIO CUTRERA
For generations the Cutrera family has been dedicating to the cultivation of olive trees and olive oil production, a profession carried on for decades with the passion and the love that binds this family to its land. The company’s origins date back more than a century ago, records show that in 1906, the family Cutrera was dedicated to the cultivation and care of olive trees in Chiaramonte Gulfi, a small town in the south-eastern area of Sicily. Giovanni Cutrera, the head of the family, founded the first mill in 1979, with the help of his wife Mary, after having grown up working in an old mill with millstones in which it was using the help of mules and presses.
Over the years the Giovanni’s children, Maria – the eldest, followed by Giusy, the second, and finally Salvatore, the youngest – have joined dad in his farm. In 1999, an important year for the fate of Frantoi Cutrera, Giovanni, with the thrust of the entire family, decided to open a second mill.
The strong point of the Cutrera Mill is the diversity of its three extraction lines which allows it to adapt the technicalities of extraction to the variety and grade of maturity of the olives, making it always possible to obtain oils of intense fruit and balance.
The whole family and local producers were aware of the quality of the olive oil produced in the Iblei Mountains, then they decided to find a way to market it beyond the local market. It was a bet that the present results prove to be won.
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Since 2000, the Frantoi Cutrera is handled by three children, Maria, Giusy and Salvatore with their spouses and currently the third generation is starting to join the management company. Looking ahead, never forgetting the past, a good mix between tradition and innovation, this is the mission that now distinguishes the family.