Marco Rizzo
Campania, Italy
Driven by a great love for his land, the area of Cilento in southern Italy, Marco returned there after his artistic studies in Rome to restore his grand-parents’ olive groves. He set off seeking the highest quality right from the onset, gathering the advice of very respected oleologists in Italy, such as Gaetano Avallone, Nicolangelo Marsicani and Germano Monzo. Armed with sound advice, a Spartan work ethic and a holistic approach to organic farming, Marco restored the groves where weeds had literally invaded the trees of the native olive tree cultivars of Rotondella and Carpellese and the centuries-old Nostrale di Felitto, a variety that grows only in Cilento. The result is an ode to Cilento, and award-winning oils: three monocultivars that fully express the character of the native varieties, as well as a more delicate blend. The monocultivar Carpellese (Talismano) received the Gambero Rosso’s prestigious Best Monocultivar prize in 2020.
