Already in the third generation, the Galantinos manage the estate La Fenice and their own oil mill with their employees.
Since 1926, the Galantino family has owned an oil mill near the medieval town of Bisceglie, 35 kilometers north of Bari. Vito Galantino had converted the grain mill from the 19th century at that time. His background was that he was a Mastro Oleari, an olive oil expert who evaluated the oil of other producers.
Continuous success story
The descendants were and still are also Mastri Oleari. Meanwhile, the 3rd generation are also oil millers. In 1960, the family bought a nearby estate with olive groves, 'La Fenice'. On 47 hectares stand old olive trees, including some over a hundred to a thousand years old. The olives of the Ogliarola and Coratina varieties are hand-picked at the perfect ripeness stage, but now also partly with gentle shaking machines.
Another 2000 small olive farmers from the region supply the Galantino mill with their harvest. In the mill, they work with two old granite stone mills that crush the fruits. This way, the olive skin is not crushed but only pressed. This preserves sweet flavor components. The oil is extracted with modern presses and centrifuges under exclusion of air.
Expansion and old recipes
The oil mill includes, besides a lecture hall in the historic vaulted cellar, also a restaurant with tasting opportunities. Apulian specialties can be combined there with various oils. In Apulia, the Galantino oil mill has been one of the top addresses for extra virgin olive oil for decades. They partly also have DOP status, Terra di Bari – Castel del Monte.
In the 1980s, Michele Galantino, son of the founder, established the family's olive oil as a brand and bottled the oil in attractive bottles himself in the mill. He began extensive export to the United States. There, for example, the gourmet chain Dean & Deluca carried it. In 1990, he expanded the range to include flavored oils, an old tradition that he revived. In this process, the respective fruits, vegetables, and herbs are freshly ground together with the olives.
International recognition
The many national and international awards have proven Michele right to expand in this way. These include two Golden Lions, three golden olive leaves in Gambero Rosso, the Olio Award, and a gold medal from the Los Angeles Olive Oil Competition. Today, the Frantoio is also the classroom for the subject of olive oil for the students of the Slow Food University.
