As you may have already figured out, Mike and I like to explore local towns and learn about their history and their uniqueness. So, when the opportunity to attend an olive oil tasting near the town of Penne presented itself, we signed up straight-away.
A woman named Tanya Eldridge organized this event. She’s an expat who is passionate about all things Abruzzi. And she takes every chance she can to promote local businesses. One of her favorites is Goccia d'Oro d'Abruzzo, a family-owned business that’s won awards for its olive oil almost every year since it began. The business grew over the last 30 years as they produced oil for friends and family, then friends of friends until they finally had to invest in enough equipment to meet the demand.
Our friend Monica Dalton Izzo, who lives near us in Silvi, also wanted to go and she rode with us. She has friends who live in Penne and had driven there several times before. Her guidance was particularly helpful as we navigated narrow winding roads. Penne is a hill town about 30 kilometers from us. It took us about 45 minutes to get there.
A number of people had already arrived. It was fun to meet new people. I still haven’t learned how to remember people’s names. I was so glad I wasn’t challenged! As at other events for English-speaking people, several of the attendees were not permanent residents – they had homes in Abruzzo, but only stayed part of the year or did the Schengen Shuffle (90 days in, 90 days out).
Tanya introduced us to the owners, Mauro and his father. Mauro then took us in to where the olives are processed. He apologized for it being messy, as the processing season is only October and November, so the room had become more of a storage room than a work area.
He carefully described the milling process, with Tanya translating. You can read about it below. I found it very interesting that his father had kept a bottle of oil from his first year and a bottle every year since. Here’s a photo:
Then we were escorted into a lovely tasting room. Mauro showed us a short film about this region and the oil mill. He then explained the way in which oil is graded and how best to taste oils. He himself is a certified olive oil expert what would be equivalent to a sommelier in the wine industry and participates in oil judging.
Mauro and his family have their own olive groves, and they occasionally buy olives from select groves. They are very particular about which olives they buy. When I told him we used rakes to shake down the olives from our trees in Casalanguida, he shook his head. He said the olives get bruised and they are not as good.
Each of us had three tastings: His own Drop of Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil DOP Aprutino Pescarese, Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Pepita”, and a surprise oil. It was very interesting and fun to taste these oils. One was more peppery, one more bitter. The surprise oil was from an orchard that had been neglected for several years. It was fruitier and more had a more oily texture.
We all talked about what we thought of the different oils. Not everyone was in agreement!
Then, as if the tasting wasn’t enough, Mauro brought out a tray of sandwiches. The bread had been made at a local bakery that day with oil from his mill. The mortadella had been made that afternoon by a local macellaio (butcher). A tray of fresh tomatoes was passed around, and, naturally, olive oil. He also served local white wine. What fun!
Mike and I bought a bottle of the Drop of Gold oil and three small bottles of the Pepita oil.
It was after 10:00 p.m. when we left. We drove home through a couple of small towns. They were all popping full of people out and about! Late evening get-togethers and parties are the norm here. We are still getting used the Italian hours.
Don't miss our photos -- click here.
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If you are interested, here’s an excerpt from their web page about how Goccia d'Oro d'Abruzzo processes its oil:
Milling is the mechanical process that has the purpose of extracting oil from the fruit of the olive tree, called drupe. This process begins with the olive harvest that takes place in a period that goes from October to November in the area of Penne (Pe), it is done by hand with the help of large nets that are placed on the ground to collect the olives, which are then placed in food-grade plastic containers and taken to the mill for milling.
The olives are processed within 24 hours of being harvested.
When the olives arrive at the mill, they are defoliated using a defoliator, which eliminates the residues of branches and leaves. In the first phase of milling, the olives are washed from all the impurities present at the time of harvest (earth, insects) using a special washing machine. The olives are weighed with an electronic weighing system and placed in ventilated boxes.
Once washed and cleaned, the olives are crushed with a hammer mill and kneaded in stainless steel tanks at a low temperature (23°) for 10 minutes to ensure that the paste mixes well.
The next phase of milling is the most important. The olive paste is fed into a modern machine built entirely of stainless steel. The oil is extracted by low-speed centrifugation using a centripetal pump, rather than centrifugal force. In particular, the oil is extracted by suction from the core of the oil pocket formed inside the machine. Here the oil is clearer and more refined and less strained. A unique machine in Abruzzo and the heart of our plant.
The oil obtained can be directly consumed, without further steps that would make the oil less dense and impoverish its flavor.
A process that respects the traditions and the artisan and peasant virtues, following the rule of always improving, to obtain the best without ever stopping learning.
And this is how we do things at the Oleificio Goccia d'Oro in Penne, in a land of olive trees and oil.
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