Casale Sonnino Extra Virgin Olive Oil took home a Silver Award at the New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) held in mid-April. Port Washington resident and co-owner of Azienda Agricola Sonnino-Treves, Claire Treves Brezel was present at the news conference when the announcement was made.
“I was very honored when our name was called out. Receiving an award is certainly a bonus, but the fact that our oil passed the high standards of the panel of super judges is even better,” said Brezel.
At the NYIOOC, 820 entries from 26 countries were evaluated and rated on a variety of attributes by an international panel of judges. Italy took home the most awards with 109, Spain came in second with 78, followed by the U.S. with 50 awards. After a disastrous harvest in 2014, where much of the olive crop was destroyed by the fruit fly and other maladies, Italian olive oil producers are grateful to have an abundant year in quantity and quality.
In October 2015, Mother Nature bestowed Azienda Agricola Sonnino-Treves with double the normal harvest from their vineyard of over 700 olive trees. Each year at this time, the olives, primarily Tuscan Leccino, Carboncella, Rociola and Vernina, are harvested by hand, gathered in nets and brought to a local mill where they are mechanically cold extracted. This first cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil—liquid gold—is stored, filtered and packaged at the Casale until it is shipped to the U.S. Brezel expects the oil to arrive in Port Washington by the end of May.
Brezel and her brother are fifth-generation co-owners of their ancestral home, Casale Sonnino, located in the Castelli Romani on the outskirts of Rome. For the past 30 years, their family has been renting the Casale—or Farmhouse—to travelers who wish to stay on an authentic family-run vineyard while visiting Rome and touring central Italy from Florence to the Amalfi Coast.
“I’m really proud of our nearly 40 5-star testimonials on Trip Advisor and Homeaway/VRBO,” said Brezel, adding that many Port Washington and Manhasset couples and families who have vacationed at the Casale offer their own rave reviews.
For more information about olive oil or the villa, email claire@casalesonnino .com or go to the Casale Sonnino website at www.casalesonnino.com.
