From Umbria to America
I was 17 when I left Italy for a year in Colorado.
Being away from home made me see Italy in a different way. I realized how much I loved where I came from, and how much people in America appreciated the food, traditions, and way of life I had always taken for granted.
When I returned to Italy, I began working at Le Vigne, a historic villa in Umbria owned by Roger and Joan, an American couple who had made the region their home.
I did a little bit of everything. I worked the land, cut wood, mowed the fields, took care of the olive trees, harvested olives, and welcomed American guests. It was there, especially during the olive harvest, that I discovered how much I enjoyed working close to the land.
I also learned a lot from the older farmers I worked with, who had been working with olive trees their whole lives. I spent time alongside them during the harvest and saw how much knowledge and care goes into something as simple as a bottle of olive oil. That stayed with me.
Roger and Joan were already bringing Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the United States, and I became involved in that side of their work. But their influence on me went far beyond olive oil. They believed in me, gave me opportunities, and taught me things that I still carry with me today.
When they eventually returned to America, I decided to continue what they had started. In many ways, Mattioli is also my way of honoring the trust they placed in me.
That is how Mattioli was born.
What we bring to America
Today, Mattioli is a way for me to share the Italy I know and love.
We look for products made by people who care about what they produce and where it comes from, foods rooted in tradition, made with good ingredients, and meant to be enjoyed as part of everyday life.
We start in Umbria, my home, and from there look across Italy for products that meet the same standard.
Our goal is simple: to make it easier for people across America to discover the authentic foods that have always been part of Italian life.
- Manuel Mattioli
