On Etna’s Volcanic Slopes, Sikulus Revives a Family Olive Oil Legacy

The word draws from Arabic and Latin origins associated with uncultivated and burned land, reflecting the harsh beauty of this corner of Sicily. Per to Something sparked within me, fueled by my strong bond with Sicily, and I, to myself, ‘I need to return and build something on my own land.’ – Sergio Pappalardo, Sikulus The orchard stretches from 400 to 950 meters above sea level, where centuries-old Nocellara Etnea trees thrive in fertile ground enriched by the slow weathering of volcanic debris.

From Santa Maria di Licodia, near Catania, the business now sends most of its production to international trades, including the United States, Singapore, Japan, Australia and Sweden. Sergio Pappalardo with his grandfather Giuseppe known as ‘Peppino’ (right), his father Giuseppe know as ‘Pippo’ and his son Lorenzo at the Sikulus estate. “I called my project Sikulus to evoke the spirit of Sicily, driven by the desire to bring my island and my homeland, Etna, to the world,” Pappalardo explained. “When it came to packaging, I opted for square bottles in bright colors, distinct from more classic vessels. Paying attention to these details was an instinctive choice, shaped by my background.” Until shortly before launching the venture, Pappalardo was on a very different professional path.

After earning a degree in economics and completing a master’s in business management. Marketing, he built a strong career in Rome. “I was fully immersed in that work when I began to feel the call of the land,” he told reporters. “Something sparked within me, fueled by my strong bond with Sicily, and I explained to myself, ‘I need to return and build something on my own land.’ This is how Sikulus was born. I decided to take the reins of the family business, relaunch it and open it to the world.” Pronio’s Monte Etna DOP is the extra virgin producede by Sikulus to highlights the business’s connection with the U.S. marketplace.

Even his parents were puzzled after years of study in another field and a successful job in the capital. Back in Sicily, he got under way formal training in the olive oil industry and took over management of the family business. During that period, he as well became an olive oil sommelier and now teaches advanced management courses for the trade. “My first move was to start gathering earlier than usual.

The centuries-old grove, which has earned Slow Food Presidium recognition, stands on land reshaped by volcanic eruptions and reclaimed in ancient times. Because of the rugged landscape, the 14-hectare property includes only about nine hectares of cultivable land. “One hectare of these plots contains fewer trees than would fit in a regular-pattern orchard,” Pappalardo said. “It is demanding work, and we can truly call it heroic olive farming .” He explained that the plots are inaccessible to mechanical equipment.

When the olives reach the optimal stage of ripeness, a team of about two dozen employees harvests the fruit and ensures it is delivered to the mill within hours. In recent years, to prevent the olives from overheating during periods of extreme heat, the business introduced refrigerated trucks for transport, an adaptation to increasingly difficult crop conditions.

As a milling technician , Pappalardo personally oversees processing at a nearby facility equipped with a latest-generation Pieralisi system. “ Pronio’s Monte Etna PDO , which won a Gold Award at the NYIOOC , is named after the Pronio family, our importers in the U.S.,” he stated. “We crafted this oil to strengthen the connection between Sikulus and the U.S. marketplace. With notes of grass, artichoke and tomato leaf, along with hints of green apple and pepper, it embodies the essence of our flagship variety, Nocellara Etnea .” Sergio Pappalardo (center) with the Pronio family, importers of Sikulus in the U.S., at his farm on Mount Etna Pappalardo said Etna’s ongoing eruptive activity can make work in the groves especially dramatic.

At times, he and his collaborators return home after a day in the orchard with their clothes blackened by volcanic ash. “The active volcano makes this a unique land that feels truly vibrant,” he stated. “One positive aspect is the fertility of the soil, but the work is demanding, and only great passion and love for what I do drive me to continue year after year. Above all, he wants them to safeguard the heritage represented by the family land and its ancient trees.

For now, at 5 and 7, they already enjoy the oil and know how to “strippare,” or slurp, when tasting it. Their mother, Loriana Mazzarino, is a classical flutist, and that world inspired one of the company’s latest projects. “Living in a musical environment, with my wife and our many friends in the sector, it felt natural for me to view music, with its sensory dimension, as a language capable of expressing the experience of olive oil and expanding the meaning of my journey,” Pappalardo told reporters.

To turn that idea into music, he commissioned the contemporary symphonic piece Sikulus .