What unites cherries and oil? A combination that is certainly unusual and apparently not very suitable on both a gastronomic and cultural level, yet a thread unites these two fruits, protagonists of Italian cuisine and tradition. Precisely to enhance these aspects, the Città delle Ciliegie association was born in 2003, founded by the then mayor of Celleno Carlo Conticchio, current director, and sponsored by the regional and provincial administrations of the 72 associated municipalities as well as by the relevant chambers of commerce. Among the many activities that the association has launched to highlight the historical, cultural, folkloristic and economic particularities of our territories, there is the Ciliegie d’Italia competition, now in its 25th edition, and the youngest national olive oil competition Ramoscello d ‘Gold which, recently concluded, this year saw Americo Quattrociocchi triumph together with various producers who submitted the fruits of their know-how and commitment to the panel test.
Led in the tasting sessions by panel leader Maria Paola Consolini, Ramoscello d’Oro registered numerous participants – farms, oil mills, cooperatives and producer organizations – in the extra virgin olive oil categories; dop and igp; organic; monovarietal and finally, as the aspect of product communication is increasingly relevant, an award for the best emerging packaging and label according to marketing and sustainability criteria. The winners then gathered for the awards ceremony in the rooms of the Itas G. Garibaldi in Rome, in the presence of the head teacher Andrea Pontarelli. Among the promoters of the competition, the agricultural institute founded in 1872 boasts an agricultural property of over 70 hectares and its own oil mill for the olives of over a thousand company plants and to teach students the trade of oil millers. The oil mill, recently renovated, was also the subject of a visit and its operation illustrated by the director of the agricultural company Attilio Ferraiuolo.
Olive and oil academic, president of the Oliviculture section of Confagricoltura Trapani and already member of the panels in the most authoritative olive oil competitions in Italy and Europe, the panel leader Maria Paola Consolini declared herself impressed by the number and quality of the samples received : “About 200 labels participated in this fourth edition and in counting the cards I found high quality with minimal waste. The jury behaved professionally with well-deserved judgments. A very respectable award, especially for the fact that the oils were tasted and distinguished by everyone.”
“What makes the national olive oil competition Ramoscello d’Oro unique in the context of competitions on food and wine products is the fact that it hosts only companies that operate directly in the entire olive oil and olive oil supply chain, highlighting the wisdom of small-medium agricultural entrepreneurs ”, comments Carlo Conticchio, director of Città delle Ciliegie as well as creator and coordinator of the Golden Branch competition. Wisdom that translates into “choosing varieties acclimated to the territory they belong to, cultivating them for the purpose of their conservation and constant production, harvesting them at the right ripeness, with non-invasive methods; and again, cutting-edge oil mill technique, correct conservation of the oil, choice of the most suitable packaging for marketing, sale in the right and profitable channels. All this makes our farms unique in the world.” A knowledge and know-how that allowed high quality in a difficult year for everyone, which also generated commendable oils: “There are no other territories in the world where all the precautions and all the competence are applied with such dedication for the purpose of ‘obtaining top of the range; for this reason, participation in the competition represents in itself the certificate that confirms the excellence of its oil production for each participating company”.
The oils that earned the podium for packaging demonstrate the growing attention to an important communication vehicle: this can be seen in products such as that of the Syracuse company Villa Teresina, which presented Olei Flos, a limited edition from ‘elegant bottle; the artistic majolica cruet from Lucania’s Tenute Giardino Santo Stefano, which stood out for its small tray useful for “pucciare”, i.e. dipping bread; the kit with the selection of 12 extra virgin olive oils and condiments from the Oleificio Francesco Costa of Bronte, a kit which also includes the list of oils to best match them: this award is assigned by the Andmi – Association of outdoor market directors wholesale.
In the face of initiatives like this, where the artisanal ability of Italian companies is highlighted, the creativity not only in the field of producers, the combination of cherries – oil which initially might have been unsuitable, is now consolidated, thanks to an association that has looked beyond cherry cultivation, wanting to combine the red of the cherries with the green of the olives and the reflections of the oil, the most typical Italian (tri)colours.
The winners are attached here.
