François ANDREANI
A Merula
PDO olive oil
Visits : All year by appointment
Regions : Casinca - Castagniccia - Costa Verde
Categories : Around the olive tree and the chestnut tree
Agricultural sectors : Oliu di Corsica
Villa santa catalina - Folelli
20213 Penta di Casinca
06 80 75 99 38
oliuandreani@gmail.com
Francis is 58 and has long experience of rural life. Working with the land respectfully is part of the family tradition as producers from father to son, . His parents owned a vineyard and the Castellare di Casinca vines have been grown and lovingly tended to for many years.
But Francis gradually lost interest in wine-making and began to consider changing occupations. He wanted to continue producing but also to focus on exploring new products. His taste for olives suggested a future in produing their oil.
In 2002, he planted his first acre of olive trees. Eight years later, he further enlarged the area worked beyond the 25-acre mark. The purchase of a mill in 2011 was for Catherine, Francis’ wife, a dream come fream: she began managing the sale of the harvests. These three roles - producer, refiner and salesman - excite Francis, who sees in these varied activities some of the dynamism he knows the region has to embrace. His patience and desire to innovate are crucial in this world where things move faster by the week.
"The Casinca land is rich; but the slow process of growing and harvesting often puts younger people off. But they really should taste this freedom, there’s nothing like it," he says thoughtfully, before adding quickly: "What drives my wife and I is our passion for the land, its preservation, and passing it down to future generations.”