The Olive: A Little Fruit with a Big Story

November is traditionally olive harvest time in Chianti, just like in all of Tuscany. I've also had the pleasure many times of being there for the harvest and pressing of the fruits, seeing firsthand how that bitter fruit transforms into a green delicacy that's absolutely essential in Italian cooking.

That's why, in this and upcoming blog posts, I'm dedicating myself to Tuscany's green gold – the journey from tree to extra virgin olive oil. Today, in the first part, we're focusing entirely on the olive tree itself – these venerable trees with such a rich history.

Because Roman emperors once had victory wreaths woven from its branches. Entire peoples gained wealth and influence in the Mediterranean through cultivating the olive tree – namely the Philistines (1000 BC) and the Cretans (up to 1500 BC). So, let's first get to the bottom of what makes the olive tree so special...

Facts, Figures & Fun Stuff About the Olive Tree

Depending on the olive tree variety – and there are over 1,000 in the Mediterranean alone, with about 80 types just in Tuscany – these gnarled trees can grow between 10 to 20 meters tall. Wild olive trees are smaller than their cultivated counterparts.

Typical features of all olive trees are the greenish-gray, smooth bark of young branches and trunks, and the intensely silver-gray leaves that bring the Tuscan landscape to life and define it. And this is true all year round: because the olive tree is an evergreen plant. In other words: it never loses all its leaves at once, but rather sheds individual leaves that are several years old, little by little.

Basically, olive trees, which belong to the genus of oil trees, need a lot of time to grow: You have to be patient for at least six to seven years before the highly coveted fruits can be harvested for the first time. However, this period becomes relative when you consider that an olive tree can live for several hundred years, sometimes even more than a thousand years. So, if you plant an olive tree today, many, many future generations will see it grow and enjoy its fruits.

By the way: The oldest known olive tree specimen grows on the Greek island of Crete and is estimated to be a proud 4,000 years old.

It's (not) all about age…

However, you won't find many trees that old in Chianti, or barely any at all. There's a sad but simple reason for this: in the winter of 1985, a sudden cold snap hit large parts of Tuscany, with temperatures dropping to as low as minus twenty degrees. This extreme cold, combined with the wetness from previous rain, wiped out many trees.

At first, people thought that eighteen million of Tuscany's twenty million olive trees were partially or completely frozen. But they cut back the damaged trees, and soon, young shoots sprang from the wood that everyone thought was dead. Plantations that had often been given up on came back to life. Of course, the harvests weren't great for years because the saved or newly planted saplings didn't bear nearly as much fruit as the old trees. It took six years after the big frost for Tuscany to have an above-average harvest again.

Since then, Chianti's olive groves have made a fantastic recovery, and almost everyone with a small piece of land has planted their own olive trees there and makes their own 'Olio' (olive oil). And if you don't have your own trees, you just lease some… because you simply can't do without olive oil here.

Olive tree in bloom

The Olive Tree: A tough tree that loves the Mediterranean vibe

The olive tree itself doesn't really need much: every spring, it gets a trim, with a slightly more intense pruning every five years or so. This makes sense because olive trees produce most of their fruit on fresh, one-year-old shoots.

Typically, olive trees in Chianti are pruned into a rounder shape. There's a pretty practical reason for this: if the tree is shorter, it's easier to harvest the olives later. What else an olive tree needs is loose soil and temperatures that aren't too hot, but also not too cold. Plus, olives don't like it too dry, but not too wet either. An occasional drink of water gives the tree strength and, in turn, strong fruits. Basically: for a great olive harvest, a typical Tuscan, Mediterranean summer is perfect!

Snow and Cold

A little snow and cold doesn't bother olive trees at all, quite the opposite! And it looks beautiful too.

The Olive Year 2018 in Chianti

In March 2018, Chianti saw another cold snap that affected the olive trees. But it's important to remember: not all frost is the same! Severe frost means temperatures of about minus ten degrees Celsius or lower, lasting for several days. Mild freezing temperatures, on the other hand, don't harm olive trees at all – quite the opposite: light frost naturally gets rid of certain pests. The key is that it doesn't freeze for too long – an olive tree can easily handle two to three frosty days.

Thankfully, this year there wasn't widespread frost – like back in the mid-80s – but only in isolated spots. So, some producers are reporting harvest losses of up to 40 percent this year, while others, just a hill away, got off with minimal damage. So, nothing stood in the way of the harvest!

By the way: If you're dreaming of a shady olive tree in your home garden, you have a pretty good chance of enjoying your olive tree for a long time. That is, if you manage to protect the tree from prolonged frost or simply move it to a warmer spot for the winter.