This organic essential oil of bergamot comes from the province of Reggio Calabria, in the southern tip of Italy. This region is renowned for the quality of the bergamot it produces and its fragrance.
To produce top-quality bergamot oil, very specific climatic conditions are essential. Bergamot trees thrive in the heat, but do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature or drought. In this narrow strip of land, around a hundred kilometres long , between Villa San Giovanni and Gioiosa Ionica, it is a very favourable environment for bergamot: no great temperature differences between day and night, humid heat in summer, a temperate, wet climate in winter thanks to the sirocco, wide valleys crossed by the "fiumare" (watercourses typical of this region), and a soil that is very rich in minerals. Bergamot trees start to bear fruit after 5 years, and produce for 40 to 50 years afterwards. Their fragrant white flowers appear in April. They then form fruit, which turns from green to yellow as it ripens, and are harvested between November and March. The fruits are monitored throughout their ripening process and are picked when ripe, then carefully sorted to remove any rotten fruit.
Formerly extracted by hand using sponges, the essence of these citrus fruits, contained in their peel, is now extracted very quickly after picking by cold expression using modern machines called "pelatrici", which grate the peel from the fruit while spraying it with water. This method of extraction guarantees that this fragile essence is preserved carefully. The resulting emulsion is then separated by centrifugation to isolate the pure bergamot essence. Bergamot cultivation now employs more than 6,000 people in the region. Our partner has been producing and extracting bergamot in Calabria for over 60 years. They have their own plantations, and also work in collaboration with many small local organic farmers. They have developed a perfect knowledge of the land, the plant and the extraction methods, enabling them to produce an essence of the very highest quality. This fabulous 'green gold' of Calabria is renowned for its fine, fresh and invigorating citrus scent.
