Orchards
THE PROPERTY
The Bel Lavoro orchards are home to a unique collection of olive trees, which grow across our property alongside complementary botanicals. Our largest planting is Manzanilla, a widely beloved Spanish varietal. The Manzanilla tree is highly productive, with a gracious harvesting season. Its rich flavor contains a pleasant bite with distinct notes of almond.
Among new growth groves are our prized Chemlali trees. A native of Tunisia, this variety of olive is rarely found in the United States, and we are proud to be one of the few California-based orchards to grow it.
Our Arbequina trees, another Spanish legacy, give us an adaptable and hardy tree. Their highly aromatic olives are a deep brown hue and carry a mild, buttery flavor with hints of fruit.
TENDING & HARVEST
It is our absolute pleasure to tend the land atop the mountain. We treat each Manzanilla, Chemlali and Arbequina tree with the reverence it deserves. Through timeless and organic practices, we harvest both leaves and fruit, using our finest and favorite tools.
Because each type of tree is unique, so too are our harvesting techniques. Each variety is pruned by hand before drying our leaves on custom racks in preparation for tea making.
Our commitment, as much a privilege as it is a responsibility, is to give these trees everything they need to produce the highest quality ingredients, which we gather respectfully to craft our teas.
HEALTH BENEFITS*
A symbol of heavenly power, the olive tree has long been regarded for its health benefits, despite its relatively recent introduction to the Western world. Its abundance of medicinal qualities is largely attributed to a compound called oleuropein, found in both its leaves and fruit. When carefully extracted, it takes only a small amount of this nutrient-rich ingredient to help fight infection and prevent the underlying causes of many diseases and conditions. A powerful antioxidant, oleuropein’s potency is almost double that of green tea extract and four times higher than vitamin C. Oleuropein promotes increased energy, cardiovascular health and a more robust immune system.