Thank you for your interest in the Bramasole Convivium. What is a Convivium, you might ask? Borrowed from the slow food movement (see www.slowfoodusa.org), convivium is a Latin word that means "a feast, entertainment, a banquet," from conviva, "a table-companion, a guest," from convivere, "to live with, hence to feast with." The Bramasole Convivium is a group of people who love Bramasole olive oil. In essence, it is a buyer's club where you have access to the freshest and best Tuscan oil available in America.

How does it work?
Convivium members commit in advance to purchasing at least one case (or 5 liter can) of oil for the year. Knowing how many people commit in advance, we only import the amount of oil that has been pre-purchased. We take care of everything - from the trees to the milling, the bottling, packaging, shipping to the US, customs, etc. As soon as we receive the bulk shipment, we pack your oil and send it to you. That's it - we do not ship any other oil all year, until the next harvest, when we do it all over again.

How much does it cost?
Please see below for prices that include delivery within the continental US. If you live near our warehouse (near Durham, NC), you can pick up the oil and save the shipping fee (please see below). If you live in Canada, please contact us for your total cost, which will be higher due to shipping rates. We are sorry that we no longer outside of the US/Canada. There are discounts if you purchase larger quantities than those listed below; please contact us for details.

When and How do I pay?
Payment occurs immediately when you sign up (see below). All payments are now processed via PayPal. You can pay with PayPal or with any major credit card. Again, if you are purchasing more than 2 cases, or if you live in Canada, please email us at info@thetuscansun.com and we will send you a special electronic invoice that can be paid with PayPal or any major credit card.

What if I don't have a PayPal account?
Note that you do not need to pay with "PayPal". PayPal just provides our shopping cart service. As you proceed through the checkout, simply say that you do NOT have a PayPal account and you will be prompted to pay with a credit card.

When can I join?
You can join any time. Just use the ordering system below and your oil will be reserved. Please note, however, that after January 1st (earlier for the expedited 5 liter can), we usually shut down ordering for the year, as we need to make final bottling and shipping arrangements from Italy.

When do I get my oil?
See below. We offer different arrival times depending on how you buy the oil.

How long will the oil last? How will it stay fresh over time?
Kept in a cool (70-ish degrees), dark place, the oil will easily last eighteen months. After that, the oil does not spoil – it simply loses some of its flavorful kick.

If you're not ready to order but would like to join our email list, please click here and we will keep you posted on events.

To join, use the buttons below to add products to your shopping cart. But before you order, here are some very important things to note:

• We DO NOT ship to PO boxes. Please double check the shipping address you give to make sure it is a physical address.
• Please include your phone number in the order. If you are paying with PayPal, below your shipping address, you will see "Add special instructions to the seller". Click "Add" and type in your phone number there. If you are paying with a credit card outside of PayPal, there will be a slot to type in your phone number. It is VERY important that we have your phone number in order to resolve potential shipping issues. We will not call you for any reason other than to resolve a shipping issue.
• Please email us after you order if you need your shipment to require a signature (you normally will not need to do this – only in special situations)
  
  

2011 harvest oil (expedited delivery by early to mid-November): $232 ORDERING CLOSED FOR THIS SEASON AS OF OCTOBER 21ST, 2011.

2011 harvest oil (standard delivery by February/March): $197 ORDERING CLOSED FOR THIS SEASON AS OF JANUARY 3RD, 2011.

2011 harvest oil (standard delivery by February/March): $285 ORDERING CLOSED FOR THIS SEASON AS OF JANUARY 3RD, 2011.

2011 harvest oil (standard delivery by February/March): $556 ORDERING CLOSED FOR THIS SEASON AS OF JANUARY 3RD, 2011.

Here are some questions we think you might have, and their answers.

Why don't you sell small quantities of oil?
The business has always been for fun–a hobby really. We have no paid staff. We'd like to keep bringing the oil to US, but we've got to find a way to make it manageable and fun. We're striving to get the oil here as early as possible—there's nothing like the taste of fresh olive oil.

I'm not sure I can use an entire case/5-liter can. What should I do?
We recommend that you get together with friends and family and order a case. Between a couple of people, a case/can goes pretty quickly. A bottle of oil makes a great gift during the holidays and throughout the year–try bringing a bottle as a housewarming gift, or instead of a bottle of wine, to the next party you attend, to see what a big hit it is. To improve your cooking, use more oil!

What is the difference between the expedited and standard delivery oil?
The oil is harvested at the same time. Expedited delivery simply gets you the oil sooner. The sooner you get the oil after it is harvested, the fresher the oil is. It is a rare treat for people outside of Italy to get oil so soon after harvest. Expedited oil is shipped via air from Italy (hence the higher price and quicker delivery).

Why do I have to pay in advance?
We only ship in late Fall to early Winter each year, and we need to figure out how much oil we need to bottle. It is quite a long process to get the oil to the US.

What if I don't pre-commit to an order; will I be able to buy the oil later?
No. We will only bring in as many cases as are pre-ordered. You would have to wait until next year to order a case.

Can I order more than one case/can?
Yes, you can order as many cases/cans as you like. Contact us if you would like to order a quantity larger than those listed; we give volume discounts.

What do I do with a 5 liter can?
Giancarlo Giannini (the mill owner, not the famous Italian actor) assures us that the oil may remain in the can for six months, at which time you need to transfer what's left, if any, to some glass or terracotta bottles. Or, better yet, save all those Bramasole olive oil bottles and refill them! The reason you have to transfer the oil is that the sediment (filtered out of the bottled oil) has settled to the bottom of the can and may begin to affect the taste.

What happens if my case/can is damaged?
Although rare, sometimes FedEx drops a package. We will do extra-protective careful packing, and we will order a few back-up cases/cans to cover drops and breaks. If your case is damaged, we will replace any damaged items and ship them to you at no charge.

Will single bottles be available at retailers/grocery stores?
We don't work much with retailers, as we do not have the volume to make this work. If you're a retailer who is willing to pre-order, drop us an email to talk.

I still have questions. Who can I contact?
Send an email to info@thetuscansun.com.