Extra virgin olive oil like Super Tuscan wines: the case of Laudemio
The success abroad of the olive oil created by Vittorio Frescobaldi is growing, with over 70 per cent of it sold at prices exceeding 50 euros
No longer merely the staple condiment of the Mediterranean diet, but an elixir of wellbeing and longevity: this is the journey of extra virgin olive oil in the United States, the new positioning that is driving sales, particularly of premium-range products, amongst a public that is particularly focused on longevity, highly informed and also willing to spend generously.
“We’ve seen a surge in orders from the US after nutritionist Eric Berg (28 million social media followers, ed.) singled out our oil as the best in terms of antioxidant content,” explains Leonardo Francalanci, director of Fattoria San Michele in Torri, an integrated organic farm covering 1,113 hectares (of which 140 are olive groves) owned by Paolo Nocentini, chairman of Savino Del Bene.
The estate is one of the 21 selected producers of Laudemio, the super-premium Tuscan extra virgin olive oil created in the 1980s at the behest of Vittorio Frescobaldi, a sort of ‘super Tuscan’ of extra virgin olive oil, 72 per cent of which is sold abroad. Its largest market outside Italia is the US (27 per cent).
“Sales began in California, where farmers’ feeding practices are not dissimilar to those in Tuscany, and from there we have managed to raise its profile internationally,” explains Diana Frescobaldi, president of the Laudemio consortium, which is responsible for the promotion, development and quality control of this private label. Only batches of extra virgin olive oil that comply with the production specifications – updated in 2025 with the introduction of more restrictive rules, such as new parameters relating to acidity, mandatory filtration and storage in nitrogen – are entitled to bear the Laudemio label. However, simply being produced to the highest standards is not enough to qualify as Laudemio. The oil must always pass a laboratory chemical analysis and be assessed by an officially recognised panel of tasters. Only once this approval has been granted may producers bottle the oil and package it in the distinctive octagonal opaque glass bottles, inspired by French fine perfumery bottles.
The harvest season, which is due to end at the end of November, is characterised by excellent quality and above-average yields. “We are looking at a truly extraordinary harvest, with abundant, beautiful and perfectly healthy olives: a harvest we will remember,” adds Diana Frescobaldi.
