About 'our' farmers
Without the dedication and hard work of farmers, we wouldn't have much to eat. And without olive farmers, no olive oil. The olive farmers from whom we buy our olives and extra virgin olive oil cultivate their land and trees with passion and respect for nature. As a Mediterranean olive farmer, you depend on land where olive trees have grown and flourished often since Roman times. For many generations, entire farming families have lived off the produce of that land and its olive trees. You won't survive by quick, short-term overexploitation.
We enjoy visiting the farmers. Not least because olives prefer to grow in the more pleasant parts of the world, such as the Mediterranean countries, but mostly to stay in touch with the people behind the products. What struck us immediately on our first visits was their love for the land and their products, but also that life as an olive farmer is much less romantic than we in the Netherlands like to imagine.
We often only see it in the summer when we're on holiday and imagine that an olive farmer's life mainly consists of relaxing on a terrace with the setting sun, enjoying a glass of wine and some bread and olive oil, looking at their olive trees. Of course, that happens, but for a farmer, running a business primarily means hard work and learning to deal with setbacks like storms, droughts, floods, pests, diseases, low prices, regulations, a lot of administration, etc.
We have great respect for the farmers who make our wonderful products and we love talking about them. Most of them, by the way, also love talking about themselves and their products. They'd be happy to give you a tour!
iL Bottaccio Tuscany
iL Bottaccio is a family business started in 1925 by great-grandfather Ermelindo and his wife Letizia. Ermelindo and Letizia loved their land and their olives and passed on their passion for growing olives and producing extra virgin olive oil, or 'extra Vergine' in Italian, and other products, from one generation to the next.
Eco-sustainability
Nature is iL Bottaccio's partner. They consider respecting and protecting the environment their fundamental privilege. At iL Bottaccio, they have eliminated all synthetic and non-recyclable materials in all their locations, products, and production processes.
They use eco-friendly packaging materials: exclusively paper and cardboard, aluminum caps, glass and aluminum bottles, pallets made from recycled wood, recycled paper, and biodegradable labels. In their offices, they exclusively use furniture made of wood, iron, steel, and glass, and they also use clean, green energy from renewable sources.
Olive oil has been part of this family's history for 4 generations. In the summer of 2020, we visited iL Bottaccio and met Francesco and Lucca. Two young men with respect for ancient farming traditions but also looking to the future. With current knowledge, they are working on developing a modern organic olive grove with respect for the territory and the old olive trees. As a farm, iL Bottaccio understands that nature is their partner, and it is their mission to produce healthy, high-quality food without chemicals. Everyone benefits from this, and they produce top-quality extra virgin olive oil and olives. You taste pure Tuscany.
The fact is that iL Bottaccio's beautiful products have only been sold in Italy for a hundred years! It almost feels like breaking a tradition, but we are proud that their olive oil and olives are now also available here in the Netherlands. Real Tuscany in a bottle! Enjoy!
Oilala, Puglia, Italy
Oilala is among the top 25 olive oil producers in the world! Spiros Borraccino and his brother came up with the name Oilalà. It comes from the French word 'olalà', which means awe and wonder (and not something spicy, that's what we in NL came up with).
Oilalà is a company rooted in heritage, family traditions, and love for the land, located in the Italian region of Puglia (also known as Apulia). After several years working in the fashion industry, the current head of the company, Spiros Borraccino, joined the family business. He is the third generation of olive growers, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Spyridon, who moved to Italy from Corfu, and his father Nicola.
“Our grandfather was known as a dreamer and spent his life with complete dedication and love for his family and the countryside,” says Spiros. “I inherited many things from him. First and foremost, the name and the passion for agriculture and travel, but above all, he taught me to believe in my dreams. We inherited 10 hectares of olive groves on the Adriatic coast of Apulia from our grandparents, and we are grateful and proud of that!”
The olive grove primarily cultivates the Coratina olive variety, which yields an olive oil rich in fruitiness, with spicy and bitter notes. This indicates a very high concentration of polyphenols, known to be powerful antioxidants and what makes olive oil so healthy. Oilalà also grows the Paranzana olive variety, which produces a delicious, lighter oil.
Under the inspiring leadership of Spiros Borraccino, the olive grove is run according to a philosophy of caring for the land combined with a passion for producing a premium, high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Attention to detail is paramount at all stages of the process, from caring for the trees and the earth, to harvesting the olives, the processing, and bottling the oil. Spiros' mark is visible everywhere, right down to the elegant design of the bottles.
The milling process is carried out in a state-of-the-art facility exclusively controlled by Oilalà, meaning that quality can be closely monitored until the oil is safely in the bottles.
The result is an incredible extra virgin olive oil that has won numerous global awards for years, including the prestigious Evooleum award received in 2020. The quality of the oil is not only appreciated by judges. Many Michelin-starred chefs around the world have used Oilalà's oils in their restaurants, and it is the oil of choice in an impressive selection of five-star hotels worldwide.
Spiros: “It has always been my greatest wish to make the oil and delicacies of the land known to everyone looking for uncompromising quality. To those who love good food and care for their well-being.”
SORESA – the family behind CAIXEIRO
Soresa is the Portuguese family business behind the Caixeiro brand. It is located in the Trás-os-Montes olive region in Northern Portugal. The family has been working in olive cultivation for generations and brought that experience together in 2015 into a modern company completely focused on quality, origin, and sustainability. Their olive groves are located in the hills around Santa Maria de Émeres near Valpaços, an area known for traditional varieties such as Cobrançosa, Madural, and Verdeal Transmontana.
What drives Soresa
Soresa combines local tradition with a clear forward-looking vision. The family has in-depth knowledge of the microclimate and soil, but only applies modern techniques when they contribute to better oil and a cleaner production method. The olives are harvested with care and processed within a short time to preserve freshness and aromas. The oil is then cold-extracted and carefully blended to guarantee a stable flavor profile.
The Caixeiro oil represents the character of the region: fresh to medium fruity, with green notes, a slight bitterness, and a distinctive peppery accent. This profile is created by the combination of the mountain climate, traditional varieties, and a production process focused on minimal intervention and maximum purity.
Why we work with Soresa
Soresa aligns with The Olive Label's values because they operate from three core principles:
- Origin and authenticity – a family that works with its own land, its own trees, and full control over the process.
- Quality over quantity – choices that consistently revolve around taste, freshness, and natural stability.
- Sustainability as a starting point – organic approach, respect for soil and biodiversity, and a production process kept as much as possible in-house.
For us, Caixeiro represents an olive oil with a clear story, a recognizable regional style, and a producer who consciously chooses craftsmanship and long-term quality. That is why Soresa is part of our selection of farmers.
DENTRI - Organic olive oil from one Greek estate
Around Ancient Olympia lies Botsas Estate: the family estate where Dentri extra virgin olive oil is made. Here, there are no industrial schemes, but farming at nature's pace. The olive grove is a living ecosystem, where olive trees grow alongside wild herbs and other fruit trees.
No pesticides, no artificial fertilizers, and minimal soil cultivation. The trees remain strong, the soil healthy, and the olives concentrated in flavor and nutrients.
How Dentri olive oil is made
The olives are harvested early and picked by hand. This means a lower yield, but higher quality. Within a few hours of harvesting, they are cold-pressed, so that aromas, polyphenols, and antioxidants are preserved.
This is not a neutral oil, but a distinct extra virgin olive oil for those who recognize quality.
Very limited edition
Dentri is deliberately produced in small quantities.
Harvest year this season: only 720 bottles of the Koroneiki variety and only 520 bottles of the Blend
Once sold out, it's gone. Each bottle comes from the same harvest and the same estate. Because olives are harvested once a year, it is possible that this olive oil may also be sold out for weeks or sometimes months.
Why we choose Dentri
At The Olive Label, we only work with farmers who are transparent about what they do and why they do it that way. Dentri fits this perfectly: not a marketing story, but craftsmanship you can taste.
This is olive oil as it was meant to be.
Cultura Olive Oil & Labrini Tsitsou
Cultũra olive oil comes from the mountainous interior of Arcadia (Peloponnese, Greece). It is a small-scale, organic extra virgin olive oil made with attention to nature, careful processing, and content — not volume.
The olive trees grow in an area where altitude, soil, and temperature ensure slow ripening of the olives. Cultũra operates on a simple principle: nature is given space to do what it does, while the farmer only guides where necessary. This way of working is symbolized by the bird on the label — a small gesture that contributes to new growth. A small bird carries the seed and helps a new tree grow.
The person behind Cultũra
Besides the olive oil itself, at The Olive Label, we also consider the people and their story behind the oil to be very important. Cultũra is made by Labrini Tsitsou. Labrini is quite special. She combines the work of an olive farmer with a broad and deep academic background.
Her education and professional experience include a Bachelor's degree in Archeology (University of the Peloponnese), a Master's in Heritage & Interpretation (University of Leicester), a Master's in Cultural Management (Panteion University, Athens), specialized training in the production, use, and identification of jewelry (Gemmological Association of Great Britain), her work as an officially sworn Greek-English translator, and a PhD in Philosophy (Université Aix-Marseille).
Labrini is a diving archaeologist specializing in coastal and underwater heritage, working at the intersection of cultural and geological landscapes. Educated in Greece and the United Kingdom (Master's degrees) and in France (PhD), she investigates the values, meanings, and social practices that shape and are shaped by our interaction with the environment, thus understanding how culture and nature are intertwined.
Her study of excavated ancient shipwrecks in the Aegean Sea, which transported commercial amphorae with olive oil and wine, naturally led her into the world of olive oil production.
She continues to delve into the history, science, and art of olive oil, alongside natural botanical perfumery and gemmology, connecting heritage, nature, and sensory experiences. Her olive oil is the result of a conscious choice for quality, integrity, and complete control over the process, from olive grove to bottling.
The land in Arcadia is family-owned. For generations, they cultivated fruits, grains, and vines. Slowly but surely, as new generations arrived, agriculture in this area declined.
Her father, Nikolaos, taught Labrini to respect the land, take responsibility, and carefully consider the consequences of every activity we undertake. He also taught his children to respect the work of previous generations, who endured many hardships, while we can still see the trees they planted and cared for, and the soil they cultivated.
Labrini saw the potential of this land for a beautiful olive oil. Olive oil was not a family business, nor a family or generational tradition; Labrini is therefore the first generation olive oil producer. She started by convincingly following the scientific methodology of olive cultivation and olive oil production.
Why organic truly makes a difference here
Cultũra is produced entirely organically. Not as a marketing choice, but as a starting point. Healthy soils, biodiversity, and resilient olive trees form the basis of truly high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
In a living, rich soil, olive trees are stronger and more resilient and produce olives and olive oil rich in natural protective substances (polyphenols and bioactive compounds) that improve taste, stability, and shelf life. Organic farming is not an end in itself here, but a logical part of long-term quality and health for people and the environment.
Very limited edition
Cultũra is deliberately produced in very small batches. The 2025/2026 season consists of only 400 hand-numbered bottles, from a single harvest and a single origin area in the mountainous interior of Arcadia.
First come, first served. Olives are harvested once a year. When this batch of 400 bottles is sold out, the oil will not be available again until after the next harvest. This may mean that Cultũra is temporarily unavailable.
Why we choose Cultũra
At The Olive Label, we only work with producers who take full responsibility for what they create. Cultũra fits perfectly with this.
Labrini manages the entire process herself, leaving nothing to chance. Not a marketing story, but an olive oil underpinned by knowledge, analysis, and care for nature and soil. The basis of all life and part of geological heritage.
This is extra virgin olive oil as it is meant to be:
small-scale, thoughtful, and made with respect for content.