Campania firmly occupies fourth place in olive oil production, after Puglia, Calabria and Sicily. An important resource that dominates the landscape in Cilento, Sannio, the Peninsula, and in most of the provinces of Salerno, Avellino and Caserta. The olive tree alone occupies 12% of the agricultural surface, while out of the 3,000 hectares there are 700 operators involved in organic farming.
The province of Salerno (54% of total production) is almost entirely covered by the two PDOs, Cilento and Colline Salernitane. Benevento, the second province with 18%, has none while Naples (3%) has the Sorrento Peninsula PDO, Avellino (11%) Colline dell’Ufita and Caserta (12%) Terre Aurunche.
A promoting committee was formed to obtain a Campania PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) capable of covering the entire regional territory, with the aim of qualifying the product and selling it better on the market in a context where the practice of bulk production is still alive, a bit like it was in wine in the 80s. After the ministry’s approval in March 2021, the specifications are now in Brussels awaiting the green light.
The sector is highly fragmented and the 5 existing PDOs taken individually are unable to cover the quantities required by the international market. It is necessary to carry out a re-adaptation of the olive sector to the logic of the market, which often demands simplicity of communication and greater recognizability of the geographical name which cannot always be achieved with PDOs.
The PGI «Olio Campania» must be obtained from the varieties indicated below and their synonyms, alone or together: Asprinia, Caiazzana, Carpellese, Frantoio, Leccino, Leccio del Corno, Marinese, Minucciola, Nostrale, Ogliarola campana, Ortice, Ortolana , Pisciottana, Racioppella, Ravece, Rotondella, Salella, Sessana, Tonda. Other varieties may also contribute up to a maximum of 15%. The interaction between the historically acclimatized varietal genotypes, the pedoclimatic characteristics and the production techniques adopted in this area means that the PGI «Olio Campania» is characterized by specific chemical-physical and organoleptic parameters.
In particular, as regards the organoleptic profile, the PGI «Olio Campania» presents a medium-high intensity olive fruitiness. This fruitiness is characterized by the presence of aromatic hints mainly attributable to “almond”, “tomato” and “artichoke”, present, alone or together, with variable intensity depending on the varietal composition, as well as the agronomic and technological variables adopted. The aromatic component is also accompanied by a perception of “bitter” and “spicy” in line with the concentration of total polyphenols.
