rochester's olive oil pipeline

by Dave Harney

You probably know that olive oil is one of the healthiest oils for cooking and eating. It has a high ratio of monounsaturated fat in the form of oleic acid. This is the ‘good’ fat. It also has Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats, also ‘good’ fats and important for our bodies.

But did you know that Rochester has its own fabulous olive oil connection? That’s right, some of the exciting taste and benefits of a Mediterranean diet can be enjoyed right here on the shores of Lake Ontario!

That’s because Vince Giordano and his brother-in-law Tony, of V.M. Giordano Imports in Rochester’s Public Market, own olive orchards in the town of Rionero, Italy which Vince inherited a few years ago. Each November, Vince and Tony make the trek to their family’s ancestral home in the Italian state of Basilicatta, 4 hours south of Rome and two hours north of Naples. In this pastoral country setting they pick their olives by hand from about 75 trees. Then they carefully drag them on tarps to stone wheel presses where they are pressed in much the same way it has been done for thousands of years. There is great care in handling the olives, because Vince says you can easily damage them, allowing air to get in and create more acid (not a good thing if you’re striving to produce quality extra virgin olive oil, as he is). The oil is gathered in 12 gallon metal containers and shipped back to Rochester for bottling in Vince’s basement. And the taste? Let’s just say you would be hard pressed to find such delicious, fresh tasting olive oil from commercial producers. Hearing Vince talk about it is like listening to someone describe the taste of a fine wine.

Vince has a passion for, and detailed knowledge of, his olives, resulting in the exceptional care he takes in the entire process, from growing, to picking, to pressing and packaging. He has been doing this since he was a little boy in the 1960’s, helping his dad in their orchards. But the family’s oil was never sold. In Italy, most small producers only gave or traded their olive oil to friends and family. Vince says his family alone used about 20 gallons of their oil every year.

And is it healthier? Vince doesn’t make any claims. But he does point out that the healthy diet and lifestyle of the citizens of Rionero produces numerous octogenarians who continue to remain healthy every November that he returns. And they also use a lot of olive oil.