Minuta Olive

A rare and ancient Sicilian olive cultivar, the Minuta, flourishes in the Nebrodi mountains, particularly in the Fitàlia Valley and some areas near Castell’Umberto and Sinagra. Around 90% of the olive groves, especially higher up in the hills, are planted with Minuta trees. A hardy cultivar, it is more resistant to adverse weather than the Santagatese. The Minuta is highly nutritious, with a high concentration of polyphenols and vitamin E, and its olive oil is very delicate, rich in subtle fruity notes with floral aromas. These are unusual characteristics in Sicilian oils, which are generally characterized by stronger, more piquant flavors.

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Season

Harvested from October to November, the oil and table olives can be found throughout the year.

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Producing extra-virgin olive oil from only Minuta olives is expensive: yields are low and harvest costs are high, because the terrain is uneven and picking by hand is still the norm. The centuries-old olive groves bear witness to the importance of the Minuta olive to the local culture and landscape, but these days the olives are often left to rot on the ground because it would cost too much to harvest them. The Presidium unites several growers who make a single-cultivar oil, obtained following a very strict production protocol.

Production area
Municipalities in the Nebrodi Mountains, Messina Province

Presidium supported by
Sinagra Municipality, Sicilian Region’s Agriculture and Forestry Department

Fratelli Bontempo
Naso (Me)
contrada San Giuliano
tel. +39 0941 961021
339 1350632
fllibontempo@virgilio.it

Vittoria Piccolo
Ficarra (Me)
contrada San Filippo
tel. +39 339 6785388
vittoriapiccolo1@virgilio.it

Queen Rose
di Carmelo Messina
Ficarra (Me)
via Martini, 300
tel. +39 0941 598287-349 0611428
c.messina71@virgilio.it

Fratelli Borrello
Sinagra (Me)
contrada Forte, 7
tel. +39 0941 594844-594436-333 1690200
f.lli_borello@virgilio.it

Calogera Milio
Ficarra(Me)
contrada San Noto, 11
tel. 0941 582068 - 345 1643336
info@sannoto.it
www.sannoto.it

Giulietta Milio
Ficarra (ME)
Contrada San Noto
tel. 0941 955059 - 338 2300118
aziendamilio@libero.it

Slow Food Presidium Producers’ Coordinator
Carmelo Messina
Tel. +39 0941 598287 - 349 0611428
c.messina71@virgilio.it

Slow Food Presidium Coordinator
Alberto Nuzzi,
Tel. +39 0941 561614
soat.brolo@regione.sicilia.it