Why Italians Wait All Year for This One Bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Every autumn, something happens in the Umbrian hills that lasts only a few weeks. The first olives of the new season come off the trees, go straight to the mill, and become an oil so young and so alive that Italians treat its arrival as an event. It is called Novello, and it is not a product you can order whenever you feel like it. It exists for a season, then it is gone until next year.

This year, that oil is coming to the UAE. Marfuga Novello is available on pre-order now, with delivery from 26 October 2026. Here is why it matters, and why people who know it do not wait to decide.

A Moment, Not a Product

For most of the year, olive oil sits quietly in a cupboard. But there is one point in the calendar when it becomes a story of land, harvest, and waiting.

The arrival of the new oil is a small ritual across the Mediterranean. It marks the end of a year's work in the groves and the first taste of what the season has produced. Farmers, millers, and families gather around warm bread and the first pour. Nothing is aged, nothing is blended, nothing is smoothed out. It is simply the harvest, in a bottle, as immediate as it will ever be.

Every year tastes slightly different, because every year the weather, the rainfall, and the ripening are different. In that sense, Novello is a photograph of a single season. Next year's will not be the same, which is exactly the point.

What Makes Novello Different

Novello is the first extra virgin olive oil of the new harvest. What sets it apart comes down to two decisions made at the mill.

Picked Early, on Purpose

The olives are hand-picked before they reach full ripeness, while they are still green. This is a deliberate trade-off. Early olives give less oil, so the yield drops and the cost per bottle rises. What you gain is intensity. Green olives carry more of the natural compounds that give olive oil its character, including its polyphenols, and those compounds are exactly what you taste as freshness, bitterness, and that peppery kick at the back of the throat.

At Marfuga, the olives are hand-harvested from the estate's own groves in Campello sul Clitunno and Trevi, then pressed in the family mill. There is no gap between grove and press where quality can slip away.

Bottled Unfiltered

Here is the detail most people miss. Marfuga chooses not to filter its Novello.

Filtering makes an oil clear and stable, but it also strips out the finest natural particles left over from pressing the fruit. Leaving them in keeps the oil closer to what came out of the mill: slightly veiled, faintly cloudy, and carrying the full sensory character of the just-pressed olive. It is the difference between a photograph and a painting of the same scene.

This is also why you may see a little sediment settle at the bottom of the bottle. That is not a fault. It is the signature of a genuine unfiltered Novello, and Marfuga bottles it in clear glass on purpose, so you can see the intense green before you even open it.

One honest caveat comes with it: unfiltered oil is more delicate than filtered oil, and it needs more care. More on that below, because in the UAE it matters.

What It Tastes Like

Marfuga Novello pours a vivid, almost startling green. The aroma is fresh and grassy, with clear vegetal notes. On the palate there are distinct artichoke notes, a balanced mild bitterness, and a lively peppery finish that lingers.

That bitterness and pepper are not flaws to be tolerated. They are the natural expression of the compounds present in freshly harvested olives, and they are the clearest sign you are tasting a genuine early-harvest oil rather than something older and rounded off by time.

It is made from Moraiolo, Frantoio, and Leccino olives, the classic Umbrian trio, grown in a cool continental climate that lets the fruit ripen slowly and cleanly.

The Estate Behind It

Marfuga has been producing olive oil in Umbria since 1817. That is over two centuries of the same family working the same hills, in a region that has grown olives since Etruscan times.

The estate manages the entire chain itself, from harvest through cold extraction to bottling, which keeps both quality and traceability in one place. Its reputation is not self-declared either: Marfuga's oils carry international recognition, including listings in Flos Olei and the Ercole Olivario award, and the estate was recognised by Gambero Rosso as one of five producers that shaped the history of Italian extra virgin olive oil.

For Nivitaly, this is exactly the kind of producer worth importing: a named family estate with a verifiable story, not an anonymous blend. You can see how each producer is assessed on the sourcing standards page.

How to Use It

Novello is a finishing oil, full stop. Cooking it would destroy the very freshness you paid for. Use it raw, generously, on food simple enough to let it speak.

• Bruschetta, with nothing more than warm bread and a pinch of salt. This is the classic, and it is classic for a reason.
• Panzanella and simple tomato salads, where the green intensity lifts everything.
• Legume and vegetable soups, finished with a drizzle just before serving.
• Grilled or roasted red meat, where the peppery edge cuts through the richness.
• Plain rice or pasta with shavings of parmesan. Nothing else needed.

If you want to understand why raw use suits some oils and not others, Nivitaly's guide on the best olive oil for salads covers the same principle.

Looking After It in the UAE

This part is not optional with a Novello. Because it is unfiltered and young, it is more sensitive than a standard filtered oil to the three things that age olive oil fastest: light, heat, and air.

In the UAE climate, that means keeping it in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the stove and out of direct sunlight, with the cap closed tightly after every use. And more importantly, use it. A Novello is not a bottle to save for a special occasion six months from now. Its whole appeal is its youth. For the full method, see how to store olive oil in UAE heat.

Why Pre-Order Matters This Time

Novello is produced in limited quantity for a limited season. Once the harvest is pressed and bottled, that is the entire supply for the year. There is no second batch, because there are no second olives.

Nivitaly is taking pre-orders now for the 2026/2027 harvest, with delivery from 26 October. Reserving in advance is simply the way this particular oil works, and it is how you guarantee you get a bottle from this season rather than waiting for the next one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Novello olive oil?

Novello is the first extra virgin olive oil of the new harvest, made from early-picked olives and bottled shortly after pressing. It has a bright green colour, a fresh grassy character, and a pronounced bitterness and pepperiness. It is produced once a year for a limited season.

Why is Marfuga Novello unfiltered?

Filtering removes the fine natural particles left from pressing the fruit. Leaving the oil unfiltered keeps it closer to how it came out of the mill and preserves more of its sensory character in its first months. It also gives the oil a slightly veiled appearance and a little natural sediment.

Is sediment in the bottle a problem?

No. A small amount of natural sediment settling at the bottom is normal in an unfiltered oil and is a sign of a genuine, minimally processed Novello.

Can I cook with Novello olive oil?

It is not intended for high-heat frying. Novello is at its best used raw as a finishing oil, drizzled over bruschetta, soups, vegetables, salads, or grilled meat, where its freshness comes through fully.

When will my Marfuga Novello pre-order be delivered?

Delivery begins from 26 October 2026, once the fresh harvest arrives from Italy. Nivitaly delivers across the UAE, with free delivery on orders above AED 150.

How long should I keep a Novello before using it?

Do not keep it long. Novello is meant to be enjoyed young, while its aroma and intensity are at their peak. Store it cool and dark, and use it rather than saving it.

The new season starts at the mill and ends at your table, and only for a few weeks. Reserve your Marfuga Novello now for delivery from 26 October, across the UAE.