Sicily combines volcanic, mineral-rich soils with more than 300 days of sun a year – ideal conditions for aromatic olives. The south-east around Noto is also home to old Sicilian varieties such as Moresca, which are hard to find off the island. Our hεvo comes entirely from a single grove in Noto.

A single-cultivar oil (also called single-varietal) is made from one olive variety alone – unlike most oils, which blend several. Single-varietal oils show the undisguised character of their variety and origin, much like a single-grape wine. hεvo is 100 % Moresca.

Moresca is an old Sicilian olive variety, typical of the south-east of the island around Noto and Syracuse, in the Monti Iblei with its long olive-growing tradition. It stands out for its historic stock and intensely flavoured olives: green, fruity, aromatic, with a fine spice. Outside Sicily it is hard to find.

It is the highest EU grade for olive oil: obtained purely mechanically, without heat or chemical treatment, with strict limits – a maximum of 0.8 % free fatty acids, for example – and a faultless taste in sensory testing. hεvo is tested by an accredited laboratory in Sicily and meets every limit.

Harvesting early – in our case in September, while the olives are still green – yields less oil per tree but far more aroma and polyphenols. The result: green, fruity freshness and that characteristic peppery note. Late harvests give more volume but flatter oils. Harvesting early is therefore a deliberate choice of quality over yield.

Natural plant compounds in the olive that act as antioxidants and give good olive oil its bitterness and pungency. Their level is a measurable mark of quality: the fresher and earlier the harvest, the higher it is. According to laboratory analysis, hεvo's 2025 harvest contains 274 mg/kg of total polyphenols – considerably more than typical supermarket oils.

There is no legal threshold, but for orientation: many industrial oils sit at around 100–200 mg/kg of total polyphenols, while values from about 250 mg/kg are generally regarded as high. According to laboratory analysis of the 2025 harvest, hεvo reaches 274 mg/kg – the result of an early harvest and swift cold pressing. You can taste it in the fresh bitterness and the peppery bite.

That slight catch – Italians call it “pizzica” – is the pungency of the polyphenols and a sign of freshness and quality, not a flaw. Professional tasters look for it deliberately. An olive oil with no catch at all is usually old or low in polyphenols.

Dark, cool (but not in the fridge) and tightly closed – light, heat and oxygen are the oil's three enemies. Our dark bottles already protect it from light. Once opened, enjoy it within a few months.

You choose a package (0.5 l, 1.0 l or 1.5 l of oil) and become the sponsor of a real olive tree in our grove in Noto. After your purchase you receive your personal certificate by email, a slate name plaque goes up on your tree – and we send you a photo of it. Your oil reaches you either right after the purchase or at the end of the sponsorship – shipping included.

Yes – it is designed as a gift. The certificate arrives by email immediately, so last-minute giving works too. Simply enter the name of the person you are giving it to at checkout and the certificate will be made out to them.

Absolutely. As a sponsor you are warmly invited to visit your tree in Noto. There is a guided walk through the grove with a tasting of the current vintage and of regional specialities – bookable through our website.

The sponsorship ends automatically – no subscription, nothing to cancel. If you would like to continue, you simply start a new one. You are welcome to keep the same tree.

We ship to the entire EU and to 15 further countries – among them Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Norway, the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Within Germany shipping is free on orders from €45 – every tree sponsorship is above that, as is the set of three bottles. For all other destinations the shipping cost is shown at checkout.

Yes. Azienda agricola Bonfanti in Noto is certified organic (control body IT-BIO-009). Growing is free of pesticides and harvesting is done by hand.