We interviewed Filippo Legnaioli who told us about the olive harvest and the production of extra virgin olive oil.
The great summer heat and in the harvest period
It was a very hot summer, also characterized by a long period of drought. This meant that there were fewer olives than usual and made them ripen earlier. The harvest began on the Tuscan coast in September. In mid-October the oil was already an oil ready for the olive harvest.
The difficulty for olive growers this year was due to the great heat at the time of harvest. As the heat risked ruining the freshly picked olives.
The freshly picked olives are in fact stored for a few hours in perforated plastic boxes before being taken to the mill for pressing. In the 2022 vintage, i.e. in October 2022, the olive growers had to take the olives to the oil mill even several times a day to prevent the olives from remaining under the hot sun and starting to ferment.
Apart from this difficulty, the olives from the 2022 harvest were found to be healthy and harvested at the right degree of ripeness.
The types of oil produced by Frantoio del Grevepesa
Il Frantoio del Grevepesa produces different types of extra virgin olive oil, how can we explain the different sensations that these different types give to consumers of EVO oil?
The production of DOP and IGP oils that guarantee the Tuscan origin of the oil guarantees consumers about the origin of the olives and the production area of the extra virgin olive oil. Chianti Classico DOP oil
The difference of the oil that we can perceive does not depend on the processing of the mill but it differs according to the type of olives, where for example the 100% Italian oil will have olives from the Italian territory, while the Tuscan IGP oil and the Chianti Classico DOP are made with olives from all over Tuscany the first and from the Chianti Classico area between Florence and Siena the according to. 100% Italian is not subject to a production disciplinary.
More than the quality of the product, therefore, reference is made to the link with the territory and the oil reflects the flavors and aromas that are typical of the territory.
In terms of taste, we del Frantoio Del Grevepesa we try to diversify our offer, always in a manner consistent with the characteristics that distinguish our products which are bitter, fruity and spicy.
The characteristics of Tuscan oil
From a sensory point of view, the Toscano PGI and the Chianti Classico have different nuances typical Tuscan with a pronounced bitterness and a clearly perceptible pungency. The medium-intense fruitiness of olives, the hints are those classics of the territory artichoke, thistle, herbaceous, fresh notes, sweet almond.
THEOrganic oil it differs from other oils because of the production disciplinary certify the production process, starting from the field, the olives must be grown following particular agronomic models, according to the dictates of organic farming, the same precautions for the organic supply chain must also be taken in the mill for pressing and bottling.
Our PDO Chianti Classico differs for a particularly intense bitterness and pungency.
The Tuscan IGP is characterized by a medium fruitiness, harmonious, but a little softer.
The 100% Italian oil is characterized by easier usability for the final consumer who is not always used to the particularly intense bitter and spicy notes and the strong and decisive flavor that we Tuscans like so much.
What advice can we give to people who want to buy a quality, guaranteed extra virgin olive oil that has the characteristics of freshness and the presence of polyphenols?
First of all, quality means working with a fresh product. Processing the fresh fruit means that in the space of one day you have to collect the olives and take them to the mill to be processed immediately or in any case within a very short time of receipt. These operations require a logistical organization made in such a way that both the olive grower who produces the olives is able to transport them in a very short time to the mill and that the mill is able to process the olives in the shortest time and in the appropriate manner.
What is the difference between oil produced in a mill and oil produced on an industrial scale
The consumer has tools to choose a quality oil. In the first place, an oil that has a particularly low price in the supermarket or elsewhere should raise some doubts in the final consumer, why producing quality oil costs money.
The quality of the oil is given both by the time that elapses between the olive harvest and processing, but also by the quality of the fruit itself which must be healthy, picked at the right degree of ripeness, which also differs according to the variety of olives of which we have more than 500 in Italy.
The price is therefore certainly an indicator, if it is true that a high price is not a guarantee of quality and certainly true that a low price means a low quality product.
Il bottle color it is another indicator, for example a transparent bottle does not protect the oil from light and oxidation, when the oil oxidizes it becomes rancid and therefore has defects.
La designation of origin DOP and IGP it also denotes attention to the product and the manufacturing process which, even if it does not guarantee quality, should denote production work done with care and wisdom.
Saving the label some oil is appropriate look at the year of manufacture e the suggested date for the consumption of the product. Usually 18 months are counted from the date of bottling.
The fresher the oil, the more it maintains its nutritional and organoleptic characteristics.
Ultimately it is the consumer who decides which is a quality product, so it matters to the consumers learn to taste the oil and to recognize its strengths and weaknesses. The consumer should be able to recognize products of different quality.
It is true that the consumer's ability to recognize quality oil has grown a lot in the last period, there is much more attention to this product by consumers and those who try a quality oil are unlikely to go back.
Hardly anyone who tries a quality oil then goes back.
Filippo