140 GOURMET TRAVELLER
wellwitha plateoforecchiette– Maxdrawsattentiontocertain
treesthatlookwitheredanddry,theirbranchesbearingnofruit.
ThesetreeshavebeeninfectedwithXylella,a deadlybacteria
spreadbyinsectsthatsucksouttheliquidfromolivetrees,
dryingthemtoa husk.Oncethathappens,theplantwillmost
likelyneverproduceolivesagain.Accordingtoreports,more
than 5000 squarekilometresofPuglianlandhasbeeninfected
since2013,withsome 11 milliontreesbelievedtobeat risk.
Thereis noknowncure.
TheworstaffectedareasaredownnearLecce,where
scientistsareonregularpatrol,inspectingplantationsfor
anyhintofinfection.Furthernorth,inthedustyvalleys
outsideOstuni,thetreesarehealthier.Sohealthy,infact,
thatwhenwevisitonefamily-ownedfarm,workersare
busyscoopingpurple-greenfruitsintobasketstobe
pressed.Thismasseriais thesiteofoneoftheregion’s
oldestolivetrees,a wizenedoldcroneofa bush
proppedupwithbricksasit bendstowardsthesun.
Thewhitewashedmasseriabuildingis hometoa
fascinatinghistoryofolive-oilproduction,withtools
datingbacktotheRomanera.Today,theowneris a
seventh-generationoilman,whosefamilyhaslived
andworkedonthepropertyformorethan 200 years.
InPuglia,theycalloliveoilliquidgold,butit’s
actuallykindofthickandgreen.Pourouta nipofhigh-
qualitystuff– somethingina heavy,darkglassbottle
thatbearsthelabelextra-virgin– andyou’llseewhatI
mean.Madefromjust-ripenedfruitwithonlythefaintest
hintofpurpleblush,it shouldbesmooth,yes,butalsoa
littlespicyandbitter,too.It shouldbecomplicatedand
evolveinyourthroat.It shouldbethekindof thing you
want to douse a hunk of crusty bread in.BackinRomantimes,oliveoilwasthefueloftheregion.
Eventoday,theoilis stillthething,anagriculturalendeavour
pursuedwitha near-religiousfervour.Thereare240,000olive
farmsintheareaandolivetreesoutnumberpeople 15 toone.
There’sa carafeofoliveoilonpracticallyeverytable,anolive
treeinalmosteverybackyard.Inthis,a regionwithmoreolive
treesthansquarekilometres,youcan’tlookouta windowand
notseeat leastone,allsun-bleachedtrunkandsage-greenleaves.
Thebacteriahasn’tmadeit toMasseriaMontenapoleone
yet,a farmhousehoteloutsideofFasano,either.Thetrees
herestretchasfarastheeyecanseeandfurtherstill,feathered
greenleavesreachingouttotouchthehorizon.OwnerGiuliano
takesmeona walkthroughthepropertyat dusk,
whentheairis stillandheavywiththescentoflemon
androsemary,andthesunis gallantlyprotestingits
bedtimelikea raucoustoddler.Finally,it bidsfarewell
ina tantrumoforangeandpinkandblue.(Italy!Even
thesunsetsaredramatic.)
There’sa crispkicktothebreezeaswewalkthrough
Giuliano’solivegroves.Heis explainingtheimportance
ofconservation.That,whenit comestotheolivetrees,
Giulianobelievesit is MasseriaMontenapoleone’s
vocationtonurturethemforthenextmillennium
andtheoneafterthat,justastheRomansdid.
“Wecouldtalkaboutoliveoilforanotherhour,”
hejokes.“Oliveoilandhumanshavebeentogetherfor
solong.Humanshavetotakecareofthetrees.That’s
whywehavetreesthathavebeenhereforthousands
ofyears.”Hewalksaheadofmeonthepathandfor
a second,asthehorizondarkens,I losesightofhim
amidst the tangle of olive trees, swaying in the wind.●Getting
there
LuxuryEscapes
organised
GT’s travelto
Puglia.Thetour
companyoffers
a seven-ornine-
daytripthrough
Puglia,beginning
inLecceand
takingintowns
includingOstuni,
Monopoli,
Polignanoa Mare
andAlberobello,
withthepossible
extension
toMatera.
luxuryescapes.
com/toursClockwisefrom
left:a fisherman
inMonopoli;
anolivegrove;
seafoodmarinara
spaghettion
theFasano
coastline.