Today we’d like to introduce you to Rudolph L Lantelme.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a health professional, I’ve always been dedicated to proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices and have been in love with extra virgin olive oil since my early childhood. Living with my French and Italian grandparents, I learned about the Mediterranean diet and became convinced years ago of the health benefits provided by this style of food and its preparation.
It has now been scientifically proven, by researchers as recently as 2013, that the responsible ingredient for all the benefits of the Mediterranean diet is EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL!
After meeting our partner, Johnny Madge, while vacationing in Italy, we were treated to a fabulous olive oil tasting at Johnny’s bar. It was there that we recognized each other’s passion for extra virgin olive oil and we have dedicated ourselves to bringing Italy’s finest, pure, Extra Virgin Olive Oils to the United States.
Has it been a smooth road?
We are a small, e-commerce Internet company that has to rely on good internet access to find the proper clientele. We struggled in the beginning with a website that just couldn’t perform the functions needed for our business. I think now however, we are in a better position to do so with our new web site designed in Italy. We still are looking for help with managing SEO in order to penetrate new markets and drive clients to our web site.
I also think another challenge to our business involved all the attention and news regarding the fraudulent olive oils (NOT extra virgin) that are awash in the marketplace. During the past few years, 60 MINUTES, the WSJ, TIME MAGAZINE, the NY Times have all gotten involved in exposing this fraud!
However, even though more Americans are learning of these facts, it is hard for them to: 1) find pure 100% extra virgin olive oil in stores, and 2) pay more than the usual $8 to $12 for a bottle of oil. 100% pure extra virgin olive oil is NOT that readily available (no matter what is written on the label!) and therefore, has a much greater cost!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Extra Virgin Olio by Madge & Louie’s story. Tell us more about the business.
Extra Virgin Olio by Madge & Louie’s is a small importing company of fine, artisanal, estate bottled, 100% pure extra virgin olive oil from Italy, and only available on-line. (https://www.extravirginolio.com)
Our mission involves bringing the very best 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oils to America. We also aspire to educate our consumers as to what 100% extra virgin olive oils are all about, how to find it and how beneficial this product is for their overall health.
Extra Virgin Olio is also dedicated to our small Italian producers, most of whom are National and International award winners. Our producers, working sometimes for generations, are proud and dedicated artisans of their craft who embrace new technology and spare no expense to produce the finest extra virgin olive oils in the world. They very much need our encouragement, recognition and support to continue their difficult work.
At Extra Virgin Olio, one can be assured of the freshest, and finest, pure, 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oils from Italy, non-adulterated or blended with other oils! We can guarantee this because of our extensive travels throughout Italy and the Mediterranean Basin. This time has allowed us to develop and solidify the relationships we have formed with our Italian artisans who produce our oils.
The olives that are used to produce our 100% pure extra virgins we select from different parts of Italy and of the highest quality. Some of these oils come from a single variety (cultivar) of olive and some from multiple cultivars or varieties. We also have a wide selection of Organic extra virgins as well. Therefore, all our oils selected offer different tastes and flavors that are unique! At Extra Virgin Olio, we endeavor to help you recognize and select the right oils to best suit your palate and complement the various dishes you prepare.
We have also expanded our product line to include some very special flavored olive oils (essence is never used only the fruit), unique and genuine Balsamic Vinegar from Modena and some Condiments as well.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think the olive oil business is in a real state of flux!
The big, multinational producers now understand that consumers are becoming more educated as to the quality of extra virgin olive oils. So, they have started to develop strategies to make up for their poor reputations. (All rather complicated and difficult to describe here)
People in the U.S. are slowly becoming more educated as to the status of the industry in this country. I might add, that the producers in California may be leading the changes coming in the industry. Keep in mind that California only produces 1% or olive oil production worldwide, and they’d like that to change!
Contact Info:
- Address: 20 Holyoke Street #2
Boston, MA 02116 - Website: https://www.extravirginolio.com
- Phone: 617 859 8582
- Email: louis@extravirginolio.com
- Facebook: Madge and Louie’s extra virgin olive oil
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
