Certa Stampa – OLI D’ITALIA 2024, THE PROVINCE OF PESCARA IS THE HOME OF GREEN GOLD ACCORDING TO GAMBERO ROSSO

The main product and cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, extra virgin olive oil is not only a condiment recognized for its numerous beneficial effects on health, but represents a true cultural and gastronomic heritage, a symbol of Italian tradition and craftsmanship. With the Oli d’Italia Guide dedicated to Italian extra virgin olive oils, now in its 14th edition and this year with the support of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the fifth in double language, Italian and English, presented today at Sol&Agrifood in Verona, which takes place simultaneously with VinitalyGambero Rosso draws a map that wants to celebrate the richness and diversity of the varieties of olives and oils present in our country, highlighting the peculiarities of each region, with the exception only of Valle d’Aosta and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and valorising the stories of the producers who carry on the millenary tradition of oil production with passion and dedication: from the renowned Ligurian Taggiasca, to the robust Leccino, passing through the Frantoio and the vigorous Carboncella up to the Ogliarola, typical of the Bari, Gargano and Salento areas.

“The world of extra virgin olive oil is complex and fascinating at the same time: each product has unique characteristics and our Guide aims to guide professionals and consumers in choosing the best product capable of satisfying different tastes and combinations” he comments Stefano Polacchi, editor of the Guide. I am 389 manufacturing companies For 679 extra virgin labels evaluated and included in the Guideof which 191 the Three Leaves and 34 the Stars, which have obtained the maximum score for ten years, the result of a long process of research, selection and evaluation to identify the most sublime taste but also to recognize a greater commitment to sustainability, in a global economy that competes on the price front lower. “Italy today finds itself competing with products of community origin which favor quantity over quality and are able to charge lower selling prices. But the quality and long olive-growing tradition of our country must be recognized and enhanced by supporting, also through political interventions, our farmers, ambassadors of quality in the world” adds Polacchi.

“Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena joins Gambero Rosso to promote and develop the Italian agri-food sector” declares Maurizio Bai, Deputy General Commercial Director of Banca Mps. “Extra virgin olive oil is an emblem of the country’s culture and agriculture. The collaboration for the ‘Guida Oli d’Italia’ demonstrates how our Bank is dedicated to supporting quality and rural districts. In fact, every day we support agri-food companies and the DOP Economy in their growth path, even at an international level, with a specialized offer oriented towards economic and environmental sustainability.”

There are five price ranges considered, from oils priced under 10 euros to the most excellent products even over 30 euros per litre. The Guide also offers information on producers of table olives and companies that offer hospitality and catering in the countryside for complete and exhaustive information. The individual extra virgin olive oils were also evaluated for their aromatic profile, based on the intensity of fruity, bitter and spicy, useful for determining possible combinations with foods and ingredients.

Abruzzo

With its 23 signs, Abruzzo is still today witness to ancient traditions linked to the cultivation of olive trees and the production of oil, considered “precious” by any Abruzzese who defines himself as such. Of these, more than half are the excellences that have achieved a full score and obtained the coveted Three Leaves recognition and 2 special prizes.

The Three Leavesof which 3 with star* for having achieved the title for the tenth consecutive year:

• Cascina Bruno, Elice (PE), with Majia Monocultivar Coratina, a company born from the great passion for agricultural work of Francesco Bruno Rubini, who manages a 15-hectare company dedicated to 1,400 olive trees and heliciculture;

• Mercurius* oil mill, Pens (PE), with its Crognale Monocultivar Crognalegno,family business, a qualitative point of reference for the entire region;

• Timando De Juliis oil mill, Pianella (PE) which also won the special prize “Best DOP Oil” with its Regina Dop Aprutino Pescarese, one of the first names of extra virgin olive oil to be registered in Italy, this product stands out for its vegetal, legume, but also balsamic and persistent scents.

• Giulio’s Gardens, Tocco da Casauria (PE), its Monocultivar Toccolana Bio label and a splendid estate located between the sea and the hills managed by the Di Giulio family for three generations;

• Guardians Farchione, Tocco Da Casauria (PE), with the Monocultivar Intosso Bio of a renowned agricultural reality which since 1974 has been dedicated to the production of oils and wine;

• La Selvotta*, Vasto (CH), with its Oliva Grossa Monocultivar Bella Di Cerignola, led by the Sputore family, one of the most significant oil producers in the region;

• Marina Palusci, Pianella (PE), with L’uomo Di Ferro Monocultivar Dritta and where the young son and entrepreneur has managed this beautiful family-run property for 4 generations;

• Darkeye, Città Sant’Angelo (PE), the property at the foot of the village of Città Sant’Angelo which spreads over just over 8 dedicated hectares and its excellence with Sapiens Oil;

• Saint Eustace, Tocco Da Casauria (PE), the family farm that has always aimed at valorising the local varietal heritage and stands out with its Monocultivar Toccolana;

• Skygreen, Nocciano (PE), with its Musino Monocultivar Itrana oil and the beautiful reality active since 2015 in an area that has always been suited to olive growing on the slopes of the Majella;

• Touch of Italy, Tocco Da Casauria (PE), with the three leaves assigned to Mormay Monocultivar Toccolana Bio owned by Francesco Di Gregorio, with the precious support of Andrea Calloni, born from the passion for nature and attachment to the territory;

• Tommaso Masciantonio*, Trappeto Di Caprafico, Casoli (Ch) which also won the special prize “Best Intense Fruity” with its Crognale Monocultivar Crognalegno, an oil of great complexity and power whose variety that characterizes it represents the desire to recover plants that were once little considered.