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)

Frantoi - DOP
April 6, 2016 In EVOO

DOP, IGP? What does it all mean?

“DOP” is the acronym for “Protected Designation of Origin”, which works exactly in the same way as the appellation system for wines, meaning that it relates to food (including extra virgin olive oil) that is produced in a specific region using traditional production methods. DOP is legally binding within the EU and we are seeing it gradually extended to areas outside the European Union via bilateral agreements. The production process for DOP certified oils must adhere to specific protocols and is overseen by a quality control committee, which further supports the quality.

 

“IGP”, which stands for “Protected Geographical Indication” is similar to DOP, although less stringent.

What all of this means to the consumer is that you have a guarantee of a style that you are buying in to, which in the complicated world of Extra Virgin Olive Oil is pretty important.

 

I have found that when sourcing the oils for our portfolio, I have been immediately drawn to oils with a DOP, mostly for the additional guarantee of provenance and therefore taste, however, on speaking to the frantoio owners, it seems as if this certification system is not only complicated but also relatively costly – often the feeling is that you will have to pay more for a DOP but it doesn’t necessarily mean this is the ‘best’ oil that they produce. Because of this, you will find some examples of DOP extra virgin olive oil on our list, and these are examples that we believe are beacons of the certification, but it doesn’t mean in any way that they are the best oils or that the others are lesser quality. Clear as mud? My suggestion is that you opt for a selection from Frantoio De Carlo, we have selected two of their oils that have DOP certification and are from single estates – these oils speak incredibly truly of their origin and are extremely worthy of their DOP status.