The past year was a good year for Italian quality extra virgin olive oil, despite the heavy climatic repercussions that greatly affected the quantity of the product. Witness it Guide to extra virgin olive oils 2021 published these days by Slow Food A guide that goes beyond tasting: it helps to discover the territories and the humanity behind a bottle of oil by photographing the great desire to restart a sector that deserves more attention.
In total the guide inspectors focused their attention on 838 companies after having tasted 1500 oils at all latitudes.
According to calculations made by Ismea and Unaprol, the production for the 2020-21 campaign settles at 255 thousand tons, with a 30% reduction on last year. To tow down is the pronounced reduction of the harvest in southern Italy (Puglia and Calabria in the lead), due to vintage of download and of harmful atmospheric and phytosanitary events, not compensated for by the good results of the centre-north. Qualitatively, however, the vintage is confirmed as good, as confirmed by the photograph of the 2020/21 oil campaign which can be consulted on the Slowfood.it website.
Despite the general difficulties, the guide records some interesting trends. The number of companies reviewed increased, a sign of the sector's interest in the guide and of the producers' desire to engage constructively with Slow Food and its oil experts. Among the companies there is, in many regions, a growth of young entrepreneurs, together with an increase in those who work in the organic regimeo and of those who have decided to ban synthetic products from their land. Remaining among the olive trees, the attention of the sector emerges for the native varieties, many monovarietals, all worked with great accuracy and excellence. In some cases the result of a courageous varietal recovery work, as well as the test of processing in purity that was made. So a world of oil that is anything but tired or bent on industrial logic.
Here is the guide in detail: 179 absolute novelties, 259 awards (Great Oil, distinguished by the symbol of an olive and v indicated with the wording "Slow") which testify to the quality of Italian extra virgin olive oil, excellence of the Mediterranean; 36 snails, recognition to the companies (and not to the oil) that interpret the values of Slow Food; 168 oils recognized as a Slow Food Presidium: the project that promotes the environmental, landscape, health and economic value of oil, which protects ancient olive groves, native cultivars and brings together producers who do not use synthetic fertilizers and chemical herbicides;
The Extra Virgin Olive Oil Guide does not limit itself to offering a cross-section of the Italy of oil, it goes further, also indicating the companies that offer restaurant services (as many as 266, identifiable with the dish icon) and the possibility of staying overnight (360, indicated with house symbol). Symbols that could not be missing in a Guide that invites the reader to visit these realities that are part of a strategic sector for Made in Italy and which contribute to designing the landscape face of our nation.
Buying and visiting advice is even more important today. A way to stay close to producers who often struggle to defend our olive-growing heritage as well as the landscape.
The Great Slow oils region by region
(awards attributed to excellent extra virgin olive oils in their category for organoleptic value, adherence to the territory and its cultivars)
LOMBARDY
Stallone
Grignano
VENETO
Marani farmhouse
Report
Borgo Evo oil mill
Volcanic Dop Veneto Euganei and Berici
Cornoleda mill
Shave
Cornoleda mill
Grignano
Agostino Vicentini
I was Agostino Vicentini
Zyme
Lands of the Grola
Monica Vaccarella
Donna Emme Dop Veneto Valpolicella
TRENTINO
Madonna of the Victories
PDO Garda Trentino
Riva del Garda agriculture
Garda Trentino DOP olive
Cru oil
PDO Garda Trentino
FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA
Radovich
Oil of the Winds – Art Blend
LIGURIA
Lands of Foa
Evo Lands of Foa
La Baita & Galleano
Extreme
Benza Frantoiano
Cr˘ TurË
Paul Cassini
extreme
Paul Cassini
Kross
EMILIA ROMAGNA
Land of Brisighella
Brisighello Dop Brisighella
Palace of Varignana
Claterna
Pennita estate
Valdoleto
Podere La Torre
Oleum Exquisitum
TUSCANY
beech forest
Morcone
Giancarlo Giannini
Evo Vipiano
Perelli
Evo Perelli
Petroleum
Tuscan PGI
Held il Leccio
The Moraiolo holm oak
Foiano source
Grand Cru
Franci oil mill
Roses – Olivastra Seggianese
Casagrande Farm
Ad Astra – Leccino
Hold the Entrance
Holly
Agrispes
Sassaiolo IGP Hills of Florence
Marquis Frescobaldi
Frescobaldi-Laudemio
Giacomo Grassi
Maurino
Sala Casino
Gold of the Tatanni
Triboli farm
Evo Triboli Farm
Bardelli since 1942
Tuscan PGI – Moraiolo
Maurizio Menichetti
Tuscan PGI
Crusher of Crosses
First IGP Tuscan Olive
The Views Farm
malacoda
Podere Cavozzoli
Reserve Blend
Parri farms
Igp Tuscan Hills of Florence
soleia
Pendolino
Altomena farm
Traditional
Luca Varini
Castruccio
Giuseppe Marini and Sons
Maurino
Il Cellaio
Podere Cellaio
The Greppi of Silli
Proxima Saecula – Maurino
Maryamado
mortar
Pian del Crognolo
Tuscan PGI
UMBRIA
Geltrude Contessa olive grove
Paradise
Tenths
DOP Colli Martani
Mitera GmbH
DNA Approved Radio
Mitera GmbH
DNA Approved Amerius
Viola
The Sincere
CM Centumbrie
PDO Umbria Colli del Trasimeno
CM Centumbrie
Sweet Agogia
Monte Vibiano Vecchio Castle
Three thousand olives – Borgiona
LAZIO
Etruscan hills
EVO Dop Tuscia
The Vulcino
The Prince of Vulci
The Vulcino
Saecula
Ion Zobbi
Grand Cru 40 Rubbies
Cosmo Di Russo
Don Pasquale Dop Pontine Hills
Julia Cappelli
Evergreen
Two Nine Six
Rosalena
Mother Olea
Evoolea
Alfred Cetrone
Cetron IN
Alfred Cetrone
DOP Pontine Hills
Hills of the Queen
Alba – Canine
ABRUZZO
Cascina Bruno
PDO Aprutino Pescarese
Mercurius crusher
Nymph
The wild
Electum
CAMPANIA
Ambrosio Farm
Alfa
Family oil mill
Ravece
PUGLIA
Intini
Olive
Intini
Coratin
Salamida
Mola top
Corleto
Aura
Maria Bisceglie
Ganga Wolf
Sabinus Leo
Don Gioacchino
John Petruzzi
Salento Ogliarola
Masseria Pezze Galere
Giacomo
Orthoplant
Gold of Rufolo
Donato Conserva
Mimi Peranzana
Joseph Ciccolella
Coppadoro
Agriolea
N'alia
Pujje
Sale
Stasi
Archpriest
Joseph Pannarale
1885
Paviro
Principle of use
Leave
Gran Riserva Dop Terra d'Otranto
BASILICATA
Brothers Peace
Igp Lucanian oil – pitted
CALABRIA
Crusher Acres
Vigorous
Renzo brothers
OrOlio Limited Edition
Rainbow
Frisina
Treasures of the Sun
PDO Lametia
San Giorgio oil mill
Altanum IGP Oil from Calabria
Garzo sisters
Dolciterre Rosì
Federico Torchia oil mill
Ages Torchia
SICILY
Vincent Romano
The Sciare Novecento
One hundred and eleven
Case di Latomie Dop Valle del Belìce
Galioto mill
Lego castle
Galioto mill
Moorish
Evo Sicily
Embrace
Arkè oil and Nature
Arkè
SARDINIA
Academy Olearia
Bosana Fruity Green
Domenico Manca
San Giuliano Cuor d'Olivo
Medda olive oil
Nuragikus
Olìas Court
Semidana
Olive growers Oliena
Ilio
Franco Ledda
S'Ard
Garigue
Ramine – Black of Oliena
Giancarlo Demurtas
Eternal Passion
The Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Marches seduces the palate because it has a slightly fruity taste, basically sweet, with bitter and spicy notes. Its value and great organoleptic qualities are the result of a tradition that has very ancient origins. The Venetian nobles were already great admirers of the 'oil of the Marca', resold at a higher price by virtue of the 'aroma and flavour'.
The quality and typicality of the Marche oil are the result of the combination of various factors: the variety used, which combines some local species with the Frantoio and Leccino, the particular climate of the Marche, the ancient agronomic techniques and the mill tradition, which sees the coexistence cutting-edge production realities with more traditional systems.
Thanks to the approximately 7.200 hectares of specialized olive groves present in the Region, today there is a production of 45.000 quintals of extra virgin olive oil. Among the autochthonous varieties we should mention the Coroncina, the Piantone di Falerone, the Piantone di Mogliano, the Rosciola, the Sargano di Fermo, the Orbetana, the Mignola, the Carboncella, the Raggia and the Raggiola.