Italy’s top ten PDO-protected olive oils
Italy is the word's second producer of extra virgin olive oil, just behind Spain. Despite the scandals and alleged frauds that sometimes grab headlines in the international press, Italy is home to many excellent, honest producers and the quality of Italian olive oil is universally recognized as outstanding in international competitions. But what makes Italian extra virgin olive oil so extraordinary? There are many reasons why it’s considered unique.
The cultivation of olive trees and the production of oil in Italy has ancient origins; in Roman times Latin poets and writers praised the quality of their local olive oil. Unlike other countries such as Spain, Chile or Argentina, in Italy many olive groves are still small with low density and the land belongs to independent farmers instead of huge companies. Moreover, due to the natural geography of the country and traditional farming habits, olive groves are scattered throughout the country, often in arduous places such as ledges or canyon-like valleys. This means that harvesting is a difficult (and expensive) venture, and quantities are small. Thanks to the growers' and producers' efforts and crucial innovations in technology over the last years, however, quality is now at its best. Also, the modern trend of harvesting olives early, in spite of a lower yield, helps obtain delicious smelling oils which are rich in polyphenols (the antioxidant compounds responsible for the oil’s pungent taste), making them extremely healthy, too.
The main distinctive feature of Italian extra virgin olive oil lays in its biodiversity. Italy is home to over 350 different olive varieties (which increases to 600 if you include regional clones), each of them characterized by their specific flavours and characteristics. Italian oil millers decide whether it’s best to enhance each variety's features in single-cultivar oils, or to harmonize them in excellent blends. Tasting and smelling the oil – perhaps using a special tasting glass or on a slice of warm, unsalted bread – is the best way to learn how to identify and recognize a good quality extra virgin olive oil, and to honour the hard work of the producers.