We are delighted to share some wonderful news from our olive groves in Umbria: our organic extra virgin olive oil, Fonte della Pace Bio 2025, has been selected for the Merum Olive Oil Guide 2026 and distinguished with a Merum heart.
For our family, this recognition has a particularly special meaning. Fonte della Pace is not simply an olive oil. It is the expression of our land, our 4,000 olive trees and the careful work that accompanies every harvest at Il Fontanaro—from caring for the groves organically to milling the olives in our own olive mill.
What Is Merum?
Merum is an independent German-language magazine dedicated to the authentic food and wine culture of Italy. For more than 25 years, its editorial team has explored Italian wine, extra virgin olive oil, regional gastronomy and the people who protect Italy’s agricultural traditions.
Merum is highly respected among professionals and knowledgeable consumers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for its independent approach, critical tastings and deep understanding of Italian terroir.
Its annual olive oil guide is much more than a collection of labels. It helps readers understand how authentic extra virgin olive oil is produced, exposes misleading practices within the industry and introduces the farmers and millers preserving Italy’s extraordinary olive-growing heritage.
The Merum Olive Oil Guide 2026
For its 2026 guide, Merum’s professional tasting panel evaluated 337 olive oils from the 2025 harvest, selecting only 196 of the best oils produced in Italy.
Each selected oil was tasted and described individually, while the guide also provides information about the producer, the olive varieties, production quantities and the character of the harvest.
Being included in such a carefully curated selection is a beautiful acknowledgement of the work carried out every day at Il Fontanaro.
Merum’s Review of Fonte della Pace
Here is the English translation of our entry in the guide:
**Extra Virgin Fonte della Pace Bio 2025**
Greenish pale gold in colour; delicately fruity, with notes of almond and ripe olives. Mild bitterness, gently pungent and full-bodied.
Olive varieties: 35% Frantoio, 30% Leccino, 20% Moraiolo and 15% Dolce Agogia.
Quantity produced: 1,500 litres.
The guide also describes Il Fontanaro as an agricultural estate with its own olive mill, approximately 4,000 olive trees and an average annual production of around 3,000 litres.
The Merum heart printed beside Fonte della Pace makes this feature even more meaningful to us.
An Olive Oil Born in Umbria
Fonte della Pace is produced in Paciano, in the green hills between Umbria and Tuscany. Our olive trees grow in a landscape shaped by centuries of farming, overlooking Lake Trasimeno and surrounded by woods, vineyards and ancient villages.
The blend brings together four traditional local varieties:
● Frantoio, for elegance, freshness and aromatic complexity
● Leccino, for softness and balance
● Moraiolo, for structure, bitterness and its characteristic peppery finish
● Dolce Agogia, an ancient Umbrian variety that adds delicacy and a distinctive connection to our territory
We harvest our olives carefully and mill them within hours in our own solar-powered olive mill. Controlling every stage—from tree to bottle—allows us to protect the freshness, aromas and natural character of the fruit.
A Recognition We Share with Our Team
This mention belongs to everyone who works throughout the year among our olive trees and inside our mill. It celebrates patient agricultural work, respect for biodiversity and our decision to produce a limited quantity without compromising quality.
At a time when authentic extra virgin olive oil is becoming increasingly precious, independent guides such as Merum help consumers discover the difference between an anonymous product and an oil with a real place, harvest and family behind it.
We are deeply grateful to Merum’s tasting panel for including Fonte della Pace Bio 2025 in its selection of the best Italian olive oils of 2026.
Most of all, we are proud to bring a little part of our Umbrian landscape to tables around the world—one bottle, one harvest and one drop at a time.