Today we are proposing two grand crus for the first time, the first named simply Contrada Campo Lisio, an extra virgin olive oil from the best olives from our best groves on our eponymous farm in the arid Capo di Leuca, where we started farming olives 20 years go, and where we have planted over 1500 trees. Trees of many types, not just olives, naturally rewilding machia mediterranea, planting all types of local varieties of fruit, and even avocados and more recently mango and papaya. Fingers crossed! This bio diversity has naturally brought with it all sorts of wild plants and weeds (foglie miste) and colonies of birds. All contributes to an olive oil full of wild and beautiful fragrances.
It is most important to note the balance of the oil, after the apocalyptic passage of the rapid leaf drying syndrome (CODIRO) this last decade, where varieties such as Frantoio, Coratina and Leccino rest with almost equal portion with century old revitalised Cellina di Nardo which has been saved from disease by natural agro-eclogical methods paying special attention to the earth, the very sustenance of the tree, enabling them to increase their natural immunity and resistance to diseases. During these last years we have begun planting both Leccio del Corno and Lecciana.
Our motto this harvest was ‘every olive on every tree’ and required a horde of able helpers, climbing and pulling the olives down by hand, taking olives from stray branches and young suckers. This enabled a decent share of the ancient and long-suffering Ogliarola di Lecce to find its way into the blend and give the oil a taste of something we maybe thought was lost, but with tenacity and hard work, many belligerent contadini resistenti in Salento are bringing back to life.
In parallel we have become specialised in chilis, planting various varieties from seed: local Guardacielo, Cayenne, Habanero (red, orange and chocolate), Thai bird chilis, Sri Lankan Kochchi, Jalapeno and Paprika. All plants grown with rigorous organic methods.
We can now propose two hot sauces: Salsamara and Piccantissimo, both made with home made recipes, delicious and spicy! We also have dried chili powder and have produced a Contrada Chili extra virgin olive oil made from simultaneous pressing of Olives and Chilis… one of the most surprising and startling olive oils you will find!
Every year, every harvest, every season presents us with its host of challenges.
With every day that goes by, we get better at rising to those challenges.
At Campo Lisio all pesticides and herbicides were banished long ago to encourage maximum biodiversity.
At Campo Lisio, all pesticides and herbicides have long been banned in order to foster maximum biodiversity.
The farm is organically certified and goes even further in its commitment by using exclusively natural fertilizers and repellents.
Vast areas of land are dedicated to Mediterranean bush, others to citrus and avocado orchards, as well as chili gardens and a wide variety of other vegetables
.
Our goal is to continue planting and expanding both our crops and our products.
Monoculture is the enemy of any farm that strives for quality, as it prioritizes mechanization and cost reduction at the expense of diversity.
Such uniformity encourages the spread of pests and diseases, pushing farmers to rely on chemical substances that are harmful to both crops and consumers.
Conversely, biodiversity and rewilding allow plants to defend themselves naturally, to build resilience, and to disrupt pests through the richness of plant species.
When creating our signature olive oil, Contrada Campo Lisio, our guiding principle was to harvest every olive from every tree, without neglecting the shoots of centuries-old olive trees or the surrounding wild varieties. Exceptional olive oils are born from early harvests, starting in early October, carried out by hand and quickly pressed in the finest local mills.
At Campo Lisio all pesticides and herbicides were banished long ago to encourage maximum biodiversity.
At Campo Lisio, all pesticides and herbicides have long been banned in order to foster maximum biodiversity.
The farm is organically certified and goes even further in its commitment by using exclusively natural fertilizers and repellents.
Vast areas of land are dedicated to Mediterranean bush, others to citrus and avocado orchards, as well as chili gardens and a wide variety of other vegetables
.
Our goal is to continue planting and expanding both our crops and our products.
Monoculture is the enemy of any farm that strives for quality, as it prioritizes mechanization and cost reduction at the expense of diversity.
Such uniformity encourages the spread of pests and diseases, pushing farmers to rely on chemical substances that are harmful to both crops and consumers.
Conversely, biodiversity and rewilding allow plants to defend themselves naturally, to build resilience, and to disrupt pests through the richness of plant species.
When creating our signature olive oil, Contrada Campo Lisio, our guiding principle was to harvest every olive from every tree, without neglecting the shoots of centuries-old olive trees or the surrounding wild varieties. Exceptional olive oils are born from early harvests, starting in early October, carried out by hand and quickly pressed in the finest local mills.
At the origin of Campo Lisio, Dominic settled in Salento in the mid-2000s, drawn by the light, the land, and the authenticity of this still-preserved region. Olive growing soon became a calling, then a passion, nurtured by experience, observation, and the patience of time.
Artisans et contadini
Campo Lisio est aussi une communauté de femmes et d’hommes — agriculteurs, récoltants et partenaires locaux — tous engagés dans un travail manuel minutieux et respectueux, perpétuant un savoir-faire profondément enraciné dans le Salento.
Harvest time is a defining moment. Olives are picked by hand, tree by tree, branch by branch, sometimes reaching even the youngest shoots.
Each olive counts.
Every olive matters.
This patient approach preserves the integrity of the fruit, reveals the aromatic complexity of local varieties, and produces olive oils that are balanced, intense, and vibrant.
Leccino
Leccino
Guardacielo
Cayenne
Harabanero
Thaï Bird Chili
Jalapeno
Black Pepper Chili
Koichchi
Guardacielo
Cayenne
Harabanero
Thaï Bird Chili
Jalapeno
Black Pepper Chili
Koichchi
Avocados
Avocados
