PRODUCTION

The Hazel

For the ancient Romans, the hazel tree was a nearly religious symbol of fertility, knowledge and protection, to the point that they had a chosen place to plant it in the gardens of their homes.

At Tenuta Gropello, we honour this tree, so steeped in history and meaning, every day; that is why we dedicate ourselves to its cultivation with love and passion.

We have chosen a traditional, artisanal approach in our production as well, because we are convinced that, in order to offer products of excellence, it is indispensable to deal with a limited number of production lines and small quantities. This allows us to devote attention and care to each individual product.

We want to make sure that whoever brings one of our products to their table brings with them not only a tasty, healthy and wholesome food, but also part of our tradition, our passion and the respect we have for hazelnuts and the magic of this part of the Monferrato territory.

All our manufacturing processes and materials are rigorously selected with full respect for the environment, sustainability and energy saving. This starts with the controlled use of water, the greatest possible reduction of co2, and the exclusion of chemical fungicides, pesticides or herbicides. Even the packaging that reaches consumers' tables is recyclable and can be differentiated.

We strive every day to respect the environment, because it is only thanks to the environment that we can harvest such an amazing product as the Nocciola Tonda Gentile Trilobata del Piemonte.

OUR HAZELNUTS

The manufacturing process

The hazelnuts are processed in a few simple, rigorous and familiar steps. Ours are environmentally friendly methods that respect the land and the timing of nature. Harvesting is done manually with the help of only a few specific machines, to speed up the process.

Hazelnuts are harvested in autumn, after ripening that begins in late summer, starting at the end of August. Because of the not excessively humid summer climate, the fruit grows larger and concentrates all its nutritional and organoleptic properties.

Once ripe, the hazelnuts fall to the ground independently, so harvesting is done from the ground without harming the plant. It is important to carry out this operation as quickly as possible to preserve them from moisture that could compromise their taste and aroma, and to avoid the attack of mould or parasites. Our careful and rigorous harvesting allows us to select only the best fruit.

Next, the hazelnuts are cleaned of soil and leaves and placed to dry. Our drying time is slow, so that proper drying takes place naturally, using only air and sun. The hazelnuts must be arranged well apart on nets and dried evenly to prevent moisture accumulation.

After drying, the shells are opened very carefully and gently to keep the hazelnut intact. At this point, the hazelnuts are sieved and graded according to their size, following a standardised scale that differentiates the smaller, lower quality ones from the higher quality ones. In the case of Piedmont Hazelnuts, the sizes corresponding to excellence range from 11 to 15 mm in diameter.

At this point, we carry out a further check to remove residual impurities in order to continue to the next step: roasting. The hazelnuts are exposed to a controlled heat source and kept in constant motion to ensure uniform roasting.

This is the production step that represents all our knowledge; in it we apply a method based on family traditions, study and experimentation. We spent a lot of time researching to find the best balance between temperature, heat distance, process time and handling of the hazelnuts in order to achieve the ideal roasting for a perfect hazelnut. Only the right roasting can give a unique nuance of flavour, providing sweetness and warmth, intense and unmistakable aromas and a fragrant crunchiness.