Description
Olio di Puglia PGI extra virgin olive oil is obtained from the Cellina di Nardò, Cima di Bitonto, Cima di Melfi, Frantoio, Ogliarola salentina, Coratina, Favolosa, Leccino and Peranzana olive varieties and their synonyms, which must make up at least 70% of the groves, either individually or combined. Up to 30% of other Italian varieties can also be present.
Production Area
The production area of Olio di Puglia PGI is within the entire administrative territory of the Apulia region.
Production Method
The olives must be harvested between the onset of ripening and January 31st of the production year. They must be harvested directly from the tree, either by hand, mechanically or assisted, and it is prohibited to harvest olives which have fallen naturally to the ground or onto permanent nets. The maximum permitted production is 12 tonnes of olives per hectare, while the oil yield must not exceed 20%. The olives destined for the production of Olio di Puglia PGI extra virgin olive oil must be milled within and no later than 36 hours of harvesting.
Appearance and Flavour
Olio di Puglia PGI extra virgin olive oil ranges from green to straw-yellow, with chromatic variations over time. It has a clear fruity olive smell varying intensity, with evident vegetal notes of freshly mowed grass and/or leaves, fresh almond and/or artichoke. The flavour reveals hints of vegetables and bitter piquant notes of varying intensity that can be associated with notes of green almond and/or thistle, with an aftertaste of grass, artichoke and other vegetables, as well as faint hints of fresh almond.
History
The first discoveries relating to the cultivation of olive trees in Apulia date back to the Neolithic period (5000 BC), while information on the trading of Apulian oil can be found in historical documents dating back to 1792 and the 19th and 20th centuries, in which the quality of the product is recognised. This appreciation of its value is then reiterated by several invoices from the nineteen fifties, sixties, eighties and nineties, and by trade documents containing the indication Olio di Puglia.
Gastronomy
Extra virgin olive oil is a perishable food that needs to be stored correctly to keep its organoleptic properties intact. It is therefore advisable to store it in a cool environment at a temperature between 14 and 18 °C, away from direct light, heat sources and products that emit strong odours. It should be consumed within 4-6 months of pressing to fully appreciate its flavour. Olio di Puglia PGI expresses itself best in vegetable or legume-based first courses, on meat and fish main courses, or drizzled on a slice of Pane di Altamura PDO, for a tasty Apulian combination.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Olio di Puglia PGI and is sold in recipients suitable for the preservation of the product, with a capacity not exceeding 5 litres; if it is destined for the Hospitality Industry (hotels, restaurants, cafes), it can be packaged in recipients with a larger capacity. The labels must bear the name followed by the wording Protected Geographical Indication, the European symbol, product logo, month and year of the harvest, batch number, packaging date and eat-by date, which cannot exceed 20 months from the packaging date. There can be a reference to the oil being obtained by an organic production method.
Distinctive Features
Olio di Puglia PGI extra virgin olive oil is characterised by a maximum total acidity of 0.4 g per 100 g of oil, and for the bitter piquant values, between 2 and 7, which differentiate Olio di Puglia PGI extra virgin olive oil from the quality standard of the same type of products obtained outside the production area. Today the bitter piquant taste, given to the polyphenolic molecules, is an important element when ascertaining its freshness.
