CULTIVAR

 

There are around 800 different Olive Cultivars in Italy alone, many of which are used for Olive Oil. Similarly to grape varieties in wine, the Olive cultivar influences the flavour profile of your oil.  Different cultivars, depending on size of fruit, thickness of the skin, composition of the pulp can produce different yields, varying concentrations of anti-oxidants and overall different quality levels.

LOCATION AND CLIMATE

 

As you might expect, olives grown in cooler areas where there is more moisture (rainfall and dew) exhibit leaner, more restrained characteristics.  This doesn’t however mean that great oil can now be made in Iceland – you need a minimum amount of sunshine to make your Extra Virgin Olive Oil taste remarkable, similarly to tomatoes or stone fruit.

Olive trees are sensitive to winter freeze (the Casaliva cultivar is more resistant to cold, hence being grown in the Garda region).  It is also easier to farm organically where the climate is more stable and less chemical sprays are required to keep the trees healthy.

OLIVE MATURITY

 

Here’s the thing – all olives are green.  When they become fully mature, they turn black.
Olive maturity at the time of harvest is a major factor in flavour and quality: olives harvested earlier (green olives) feature more bitter, grassy characteristics, with lower yields and with the highest anti-oxidant content.  The oil is a much more intense green colour and has a longer shelf-life.  In terms of production, milling can take longer with green olives (a longer malaxation - the action of slowly churning milled olives to release droplets of oil - is needed and can be more complicated) but the results are far superior!  Don’t choose olive oil from over mature fruit: it lacks all the potential goodness and flavour.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL IN GROVE AND MILL

 

People who care passionately about what they make and follow it personally every day have the capacity to create products with far higher quality, with integrity, and that taste of where they come from.  They are also able to do this by caring for the environment they inhabit.

FRANTOIO DI RIVA BOX

This box contains 6 bottles of extra virgin olive oil made exclusively by Frantoio di Riva from groves on the banks of lake Garda.

Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO green label x 3 bottles (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO organic white label x 1 bottle (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO blue label x 1 bottle (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, ULIVA Garda Trentino DOP x 1 bottle (50cl)

SPRING | SUMMER | AUTUMN | WINTER
September 20, 2023

Zucchini, Tomato, Olive and Mozzarella Salad

This is the perfect salad for a warm evening. It works well alongside a piece of grilled fish or just served with a simple bruschetta and chilled glass of wine.

INGREDIENTS

1 zucchini, sliced
1 large tomato
A handful of Kalamata olives
2 tsp fine capers
1 ball of mozzarella, roughly torn
A few pea shoots
Lemon zest
Lemon Thyme and Dill
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Seasoning

METHOD

Lightly sautee the onions and zucchini in a little olive oil with a pinch of flaked sea salt (you can even keep it all raw if it’s roasting hot and you can’t stand the heat of the oven) for no more than 2-3 minutes. Set aside for a moment to allow It to cool and add some lemon zest.

 

Meanwhile, slice the tomato on to a plate and add a little flaked salt and ground black pepper at this point. Then layer the zucchini, olives, capers and torn mozzarella. Finally add the pea shoots, plenty of dill and a little lemon thyme if you have it.

 

Finish with a swirl of monocultivar olive oil, ideally from the South of Italy as these ingredients really sing together. We chose Talismano from Marco Rizzo in Campania, a wonderful monocultivar carpellese which has a good green almond note and decisive peppery kick.

July 6, 2023

Green Risotto with Lemon and Almonds

This risotto is brilliant as the weather gets warmer and you feel like eating less but brighter. It has a lovely southern Italian twist vs a typical pesto thanks to the almonds and spinach. We love it with a linear Sicilian oil such as Nocellara Etnea from the volcanic soils of Mt. Etna.READ MORE

June 12, 2023

Olive Oil Garden Cakes

We discovered these cakes not that long ago but haven’t looked back. They are great because they’re not too sweet and are scented with just a hint of raw organic honey. The recipe is inspired by Teresa Cutter and in its original version can be found in her book Healthy Baking.

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May 4, 2023

The Secret to Hummus

I’m sure everyone has their own recipe for hummus, but this one is tried and tested and we feel the secrets are: the quality of the chickpeas and using the plumper ones, a load of lemon, a bit of cumin and finally the most important element, the perfect extra virgin olive oil – we use Rosciola from Frantoio Gregori in Le Marche, which is a divine pair for chickpeas.READ MORE

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