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TUSCANY IN A BOTTLE
Organic & Biodynamic produce of Tuscany
Shipping of high
quality wines and cold press extra virgin olive oils from Tuscany
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Classifications
OLIVE OIL |
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WINES |
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OTHER |
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Reading the label DOP and IGP Designations Chianti Classico Terre di Siena
Olio Toscano
Reading the label in the US
- "Imported from Italy" produces an impression that the olives were grown in Italy, although in fact it only means that the oil was bottled there. A corner of the same label may note that the oil was packed in Italy with olives grown in Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Tunisia instead of Italy.
- "100% Pure Olive Oil" is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have "virgin" on the label.
- "Made from refined olive oils" suggests that the essence was captured, but in fact means that the taste and acidity were chemically produced.
- "Light olive oil" refers to a lighter color, not a lower fat content. All olive oil—which is, after all, fat—has 120 calories per tablespoon (33 kJ/mL).
- "From hand-picked olives" may indicate that the oil is of better quality, since producers harvesting olives by mechanical methods are inclined to leave olives to over-ripen in order to increase yield.
- "First cold press" means that the oil in bottles with this label is the first oil that came from the first press of the olives. The word "cold" is important because if heat is used, the olive oil's chemistry is changed.
- "D.O.P." when applied to Italian olive oil, denotes that the oil is made from olives that are typical of the region from which the oil derives, therefore may have a more characteristic taste than blended oils.
The DOP Designation and Other Certifications
Italy has a well-known system of classifying wines -- the D.O.C. designation. Olive oil is now treated with the same standards of classification in a program carrying the designation D.O.P. In order to earn this designation, the producer must apply for and pass certification standards that control the origin of the oil. In addition, some regions have a regional certification, such as that of Toscana, which further control standards for quality. So, here are the ones regarding Tuscany:
The Chianti Classico zone in central Tuscany has long been noted for the exceptional quality of its extra virgin olive oil as well as its famous wine. Nearly all the numerous wine estates cultivate olives and many sell the oil under their own labels. These estate oils are usually bright green immediately after pressing. In time, they turn a clean yellow with greenish reflections. They have distinctive odours and flavours that are attenuated somewhat by heat so they are almost always used as a condiment in dressing salads and adding a further touch of class to raw or cooked vegetables, soups and pastas. The oil is pressed from four principal varieties, alone or together: Frantoio, Correggiolo, Moraiolo and Leccino (a minimum of 80%) and other olives cultivated in the zone (a maximum of 20%). The production area coincides with the zone delimited for Chianti wine by Grand Duke Cosimo III in 1716. The maximum permitted acidity of this DOP olive oil is 0.5%, as expressed in oleic acid. The fruit must be picked directly from the tree and stored in baskets that are perforated on five sides and are no more than 12 inches deep. The regulations limit storage to a maximum of three days and the fruit must be crushed within 24 hours of consignment to the press, which must be located in the production zone. After they are washed with water at room temperature, the fruit is pressed solely with the use of mechanical and physical methods. The temperature of the olive paste during manipulation must not exceed 82.4° F. The Chianti Classico denomination can never be attributed to oils resulting from a mixture with other oils, even extra virgin, that are produced outside the production zone or extracted in the same zone but in preceding years or from batches of olives picked after the date of harvesting stipulated on December 31 of each year. Production of oil cannot exceed 579 pounds an acre in olive orchards with a density of at least 200 trees. The year of production must be clearly indicated on the label.
Central Tuscany has been noted for its production of fine olive oil for hundreds of years. The Etruscans were apparently the first in the region to cultivate the tree and press oil from its fruit. The Romans improved and expanded cultivation and extraction but orchards shrank and competence declined in the period following the collapse of their empire in the West. The sector slowly revived and today plays a major role in the region’s agricultural production. The oil is produced in an extensive area in a strip of hills to the north and south of Siena. It includes all or parts of the territories of 33 communes. At least two of four varieties of olives, Frantoio, Correggiolo, Leccino and Moraiolo, must be used in producing the oil. The minimum ratio for each is at least 10% of the mixture. However, these varieties must account altogether for at least 85% of the total. Other varieties may be added but their ratio must not exceed 15%. They are Pendolino, Maurino, Olivastra, Morchiaio, Pitursello, Americano, Arancino, Ciliegi
no, Filare, Gremignolo, Maremmano, Mignolo and Olivo Bufalo. The olives used in Terre di Siena oil must be grown in hilly areas of the province of Siena and pressed in the production zone. Output cannot exceed 66 pounds per tree or 10,688 pounds of olives per acre. The fruit from newly planted orchards can be used in the production of Terre di Siena oil only at the beginning of the third growing season. The olives must be fully ripe when harvested. Picking can get under way in October and must be completed no later than December 31. The olives must be collected directly from the trees and they can be stored in proper conditions for no more than three days before pressing. The fruit cannot be transported in sacks or bales. Crushing must occur within 24 hours of their consignment to the pressing facility. The fruit is washed in water at room temperature and the oil is extracted solely through mechanical and physical processes. The yield in oil must not exceed 22% of the total weight of the olives. In colour, Terre di Siena oil ranges from green to yellow over time. The odour is fruity and the flavour features bitterish and piquant tones. Maximum acidity, expressed in oleic acid, is 0.5%. The oil is particularly good with salads and raw vegetables in general and it can be marketed in glass or metal containers with maximum capacities of five litres. The date of the olives’ production must be indicated on the label.
There is evidence that olive-growing in Tuscany was practised in the middle of the seventh century B.C. The cultivation of the olive in Tuscany has a significance that transcends purely economic and commercial considerations. The olive is an essential aspect of the environment, society and culture of the region. The deep-rooted culture of the Tuscan olive as well as its excellent quality mean that the name of Tuscany has long been associated by Italians and foreigner alike with olive oil. The production zone for this oil includes the entire region of Tuscany. The rules of manufacture stipulate that all the phases of the production cycle must be carried out within the zone. Accordingly, the picking of the olives (which must be gathered directly from the trees), the pressing and the bottling of the oil must all take place within the region of Tuscany. Olio Extravergine di Oliva Toscano has a maximum acidity of 0.6 percent. It is green to golden yellow in colour with chromatic tones that change over time. The scent is fruity with strong tones of almond, artichoke, ripened fruit and green leaf. The oil has a markedly fruity taste.
Problematic: reading the label in the US
Most of the governments in the world are members of the International Olive Oil Council, which requires member governments to promulgate laws making olive oil labels conform to the IOOC standards.
The United States, however, is not a member of the IOOC (it is the only major oil-producing or oil-consuming country that is not), and therefore the retail grades listed above have no legal meaning in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which controls this aspect of labeling, currently lists four grades of olive oil: "Fancy," "Choice," "Standard," "Substandard." These were established in 1948. [4] The grades are based on acidity, absence of defects, odor and flavor. While the USDA is considering adopting labeling rules that parallel the international standards, until they do so terms such as "extra virgin" may be applied to any grade of oil, making the term of dubious usefulness.
Therefore, U.S. consumers should be wary of labels, especially ones that say "extra virgin." It is best to purchase olive oil for cooking from the lowest cost source (the supermarket, for example), but then to buy extra virgin oils for finishing, dipping, and dressings from a trusted specialty retailer.
See recent article on fraud of olive oil