October 29 – November 2, 2026
A five-day workshop exploring olive cultivation, harvest, milling and olive oil production in Puglia.
Join us in the olive groves’ historical landscapes .
Taste and Compare Freshly Extracted Olive Oil
Witness the olive oil extraction process firsthand and savour the season’s first oils.
Extraction Methods
Learn about the evolution of olive oil production, from traditional practices to modern techniques.
Distinguishing High-Quality Olive Oil
Uncover the clues to identifying authentic extra-virgin olive oil.
Conducting an Organoleptic Evaluation
Assessing olive oil positive and negative descriptors through sensory analysis.
History of Olive Cultivation
Delve into the rich history of olive trees and their central role in Mediterranean culture and economy.
Demystifying Labels and Marketing Definitions
Decode terms like “extra virgin” or “cold press” and learn to navigate olive oil labels.
Gastronomic Uses and Health Benefits
Discover the culinary versatility, flavour profile and nutritional value of oils from different olive varietals with tips for incorporating them into meals.
Cheesemaking at 3rd century B.C.E. Fornello Cave site
Make the cheeses of Puglia: pecorino, mozzarella, bocconcini, treccia, burrata, scamorza. Learn about traditional rennet and aging. Meet with the shepherd and his family to bring in the flock from the pasture.
Morning at the market
Sourcing seasonal produce.
All Day Cooking
Cooking traditional regional dishes.
Visit Historical – Archaeological Sites and the Monumental Multicentennial Olive Trees
Learn about the region’s wealth of history, architecture, art, and landscape.
A Journey Through the Olive Harvest and the World of Olive Oil
The olive has been cultivated in Puglia for thousands of years and remains central to the agricultural, economic and food history of the Mediterranean. Set within the Murgian landscape of Gravina, Altamura and Matera, this five-day workshop examines olive cultivation and oil production through the region’s agricultural practices, historic landscape and contemporary harvest.
Working in the olive groves during harvest, participants learn about local cultivars, soils, pruning and tree management, harvesting methods, and the factors that influence the character and quality of olive oil. Visits to working mills follow the olives through extraction, providing an opportunity to compare production methods and taste newly extracted oils from the current harvest.
Culinary Traditions and Local Practices
The workshop extends into the broader food culture of Puglia through a cheese-making session with a local shepherd at a historical Byzantine site, followed by a walk through the fields to meet the shepherd and flock. You’ll also visit a bakery to witness the traditional production of Altamura D.O.P. bread and spend a day cooking seasonal recipes, where you’ll engage with local culinary practices.
There will also be time for wine tasting at a local winery, offering an opportunity to connect with the broader agricultural heritage of the region. These activities provide a rounded understanding of the interconnected traditions that shape Puglia’s food culture.
The workshop is led by Puglian native Tonio Creanza, the Founder and Director of Messors and 6th generation olive oil and durum wheat producer, along with his colleagues of local farmers, cheese makers, shepherds, historians, restauranteurs, etc.
Tonio grew up on his family farm tending to durum wheat, vineyards and olive tree cultivation in the historical and archeological rich setting of Puglia. As a cultural heritage conservator and 6th generation olive oil producer, his knowledge and passion for food and history is echoed in the workshops he has been running for the past 25 years. The hands-on and in-situ approach of the workshops creates an enriching living school model and culturally connecting experiences for travelers and locals.
Workshop Dates
The Olive Grove Workshop
- October 29 – November 2, 2026
- Includes arrival and departure days.
Registration
Email: messors.tonio@gmail.com
Please, let us know which workshop you are inquiring about, along with a brief introduction.
Workshops are instructed in English, and lectures are translated when necessary.
Registration for this workshop closes when we reach a maximum of 14 participants.
Due to limited capacity, participation is confirmed upon receipt of registration with deposit.
Participants’ ages range from the early twenties to the late sixties, as do backgrounds of study and interests.
Applicants not in the general age range are welcome to inquire to discuss details, learn what to expect, and determine the suitability of the workshop’s activities.
You need to be 18 to register (16 y-o if accompanied by an adult).
Participation costs
The Olive Grove Workshop
- October 29 – November 2, 2026 2250 EUR
- Includes your stay (shared occupancy), transportation to and from the Bari airport, hotel or train station on arrival and departure days, meals and wine.
- Does not include: airfare, personal health and travel insurance, personal expenses.
What to expect
This is an active and dynamic workshop. We ask participants to be in good health and be prepared for walks in the rural countryside, historic towns and uneven terrain.
As all of the participants range greatly in age and background, we ask that they be able to participate in activities, appreciate group interaction, and be ready for some impromptu experiences that will arise, creating adventure and a learning environment.
The workshop includes
- The fundamentals of southern Italian cuisine: olive oil, wine, durum wheat flour, cheese, and seasonal produce. How it is grown, harvested, produced, and cooked. Cook, eat and enjoy it with the community.
- Olive oil tasting and talk on “The origin and evolution of olive oil extraction; distinguishing a true extra-virgin olive oil and demystifying supermarket labelling definitions. In the olive orchards – talk on cultivars, pruning, tending, harvesting.
- Drink the unique regional wines made from autochthonous grapes preexisting the ancient Greek colonization.
- Cheesemaking at 3rd century B.C. Fornello Cave site, meet with the shepherd and his family to bring in the flock from pasture and be part of his daily life. Learn about the cheeses of Puglia, traditional rennet, and aging. Participants will make pecorino, mozzarella, bocconcini, treccia, burrata, scamorza.
- All day cooking regional traditional dishes.
- Visit and talk about the evolution of Matera and its Sassi, the unique cave-dwelling settlement inhabited for millennia and a UNESCO heritage site.
- Bake bread with the fornaio at the traditional wood-oven bakery and learn about the mother dough of Altamura DOP bread.
- Local farm- talk on Durum wheat crops, seeding, and harvesting. Learn to make durum wheat flour pasta with different shapes specific to the region.
- Excursions to Matera, Altamura, a coastal Adriatic Sea town, and the historical sites of Botromagno, Jesce, and Fornello.
- Walk through and learn about the cultivation of the still-producing monumental, millenary olive trees that form the exceptional historic landscape of the Puglia Region.
*Field trips and projected itinerary are subject to changes depending on weather conditions, museum and third parties operating hours, and unforeseen circumstances.