Panicale stands on a hill overlooking the valley of the Nestore river and the plain of Lake Trasimeno. One of the most shining examples of Panicale’s military past is its structure which, despite the numerous maintenance works, still preserves the appearance of the medieval castle.
And it is in this village that Christiane Wessmann gave life to her project: Rastrello, the small tool used by hand during the olive harvest, is the perfect symbol capable of referring not only to the deep bond between the territory and tradition olive oil, but also to what the olive grove really represents for the owners. The olive harvest, in fact, is a magical moment, capable of bringing together the entire Rastrello family, which is also joined by friends from near and far.
The olive grove has about 1,300 plants, most of which are secular (400 years old). EVOO production began in 1995, but commercialization began only in 2017. The owner of Rastrello, Christiane Wassmann, is an olive oil sommelier and she strongly wanted to create a project capable of combining her knowledge of olive oil with the one of hospitality. Precisely for this reason the boutique hotel has the same name as the oil. To make this fil rouge between the two realities even more strong, each room has the name of a different olive cultivar: Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino, Rosciolo, Dolce Agogia, Pendolino, Vera and San Felice.
Rastrello EVOO is characterized by being an oil particularly rich in polyphenols, as the harvest takes place at the beginning of the season, and this makes this oil characterized by richer and more complex flavors and aromas. The cultivars of Rastrello include: moraiolo, frantoio, leccino, pendolino, dolce agogia, rosciola dell’Umbria and nero di Panicale. This is a typical blend that is found exclusively in the Trasimeno Lake area. The olives are scrupulously hand-picked and their oil is cold-pressed the same day.
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