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)

May 24, 2018 In EVOO

Recognition

We consider the producers we work with to be the very best in their region, crafting sublime EVOO that truly represents its origin. And goodness, it’s gratifying to know that we’re not the only ones to think this.


 

Here is just a brief selection of the awards given for the 2017 harvest (there are many more, but we don’t want to bore you!).  From North to South…

 

FRANTOIO DI RIVA, Garda

ULIVA DOP Garda Trentino has been awarded a gold medal at the “NYIOOC – New York International Olive Oil Competition”.  It also took first place in the Aipo d’Argento olive oil competition and finished second in the Ercole Olivario national competition. It was also awarded 2 red leaves by the guide “Oli d’Italia” by Gambero Rosso.

46 ° Parallelo was awarded the highly prestigious 3 leaves by Gambero Rosso and also the prestigious 5 drops by the Bibenda guide.

 

FRANTOIO PAOLO CASSINI, Liguria

Extremum, the incredibly monocultivar Taggiasca from Paolo Cassini’s 400 trees on a single site has been awarded with the Sol D’oro for monovarietale (this equates to the best monoculitvar evoo in Italy).  It was also crowned ‘Best in Class – Medium Fruity EVOO in Italy’ by Gambero Rosso 2018

 

FRANTOIO FRANCI, Tuscany

Villa Magra has had a great year! It was awarded the Sol d’Oro Intense Fruity Category –XVI° Sol d’Oro Competition 2018.  It also received two leaves from Gambero Rosso.  The New York International Olive Oil Competition 2018 also gave it a Gold Medal. And it also received 1° Prize “LEONE D’ORO” awarded during Vinitaly.

 

FRANTOIO VIOLA, Umbria

Marco Viola has recently been awarded with the Federico Caffe medal for 2018.  This is a highly prestigious accolade recognises Marco’s dedication to excellence above and beyond making a profit – he really does invest every ounce of his soul and energy to make his delicious oils.  We congratulate him whole heartedly.

 

FRANTOIO DE CARLO, Puglia

Tenuta Torre di Mossa was awarded 98/100 by Flos Olei 2018.  It was also awarded ‘Best in Class – Intensely Fruity’ by the Concorso Nazionale Oli Extra Vergine di Oliva 2018

Felice Garibaldi was awarded 2 leaves by Gambero Rosso 2018

 

FRANTOI CUTRERA, Sicily

A great year for Primo DOP that has been awarded a Gold Medal by the New York International Olive Oil Competition 2018 and the LA Olive Oil Competition.  It was also awarded 3 leaves by Gambero Rosso 2018, 5 drops by Bibenda and won the ‘Maestro d’Olio’ award at Lucca Extra, a highly acclaimed competition based in Tuscany.

 

 

Congratulations to each and every Frantoio, you’ve made the best of the harvest and we are honoured to be representing you.