Frantoi Cutrera

The Ibleo area, in the south-eastern part of Sicily, is distinguished not only by its culture and traditions, but also by the excellent quality of its extra virgin olive oil, the fruit of the many hectares of land devoted to olive growing.

Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the province of Ragusa, is one of the nerve centers of production, and has received numerous prestigious awards both nationally and internationally. It has a museum dedicated to “liquid gold”, and the official town website calls it the "City of Oil".

Chiaramonte Gulfi is home to Frantoi Cutrera, a company that has taken advantage of the favorable climatic and morphological conditions to support its passion for olive growing. Already active in this field at the beginning of the 20th century, the Cutrera family was headed by Giovanni and Maria.

In recent years, the business has been run by their children, Maria, Giusy and Salvatore, joined by some members of the third generation.

The olive groves belonging to the company stand on about 75 hectares of the Monti Iblei area, guaranteeing a significant quantity of extra virgin olive oil. Products such as the "Grand Cru Cerasuola", "Grand Cru Biancolilla", "Selezione Cutrera", "Primo D.O.P.", "Primo Bio" and "Primo Double" are exported to more than 35 countries.

In order to avoid damaging the olives, harvesting is done by hand: a delicate operation that is still carried out today, strictly following the movements handed down from generation to generation. The olives reach the mills within 6 hours of being harvested, where they are subjected to cold extraction.

The presence of two plants equipped with 3 extraction lines makes it possible to choose the best technique not only based on the cultivar, but also on the degree of ripeness reached by the fruit. The reuse of processing by-products such as organic fertilizers is also worth highlighting.

In recent years, Frantoi Cutrera has added other items to the production of extra virgin olive oil, from preserves to jams.