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)

October 3, 2019 In Health

The main health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

We are always amazed by the incredible health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and the science behind why and how it is such a superfood. We recently interviewed Dr Simon Poole to understand more, how the science is developing and how to ensure you use it in the right way to get the greatest benefit.  But we are often asked to summarise what makes EVOO so good for you, and so where better to turn than the Olive Wellness Institute, who have published a great article on it here.

We summarise the main points:

  1. EVOO is a great source of healthy fats and antioxidants
  2. EVOO can help you reduce the risk of heart disease
  3. EVOO can protect you against a stroke
  4. EVOO can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
  5. EVOO is the best cooking oil
  6. EVOO makes your vegetables more nutritious
  7. EVOO might make your bones stronger
  8. EVOO might protect you against certain cancers
  9. EVOO is good for your brain health
  10. EVOO can contribute to your longevity

 

If you read our blog regularly you will already know that using EVOO every day helps you improve both mental and physical health. Just make sure the oil is as fresh as possibile since the health benefits are more prominent when it has been freshly milled.