Cultivar

Different olive types possess distinct characteristics that change based on their location and region. Italy boasts the largest number of olive tree cultivars globally, with over 500 varieties, making up approximately 42% of the world's olive cultivars. Conversely, Spain and Greece, both significant olive oil producers, cultivate far fewer varieties of olives.

CULTIVAR:

Moraiolo and Frantoio are the celebrated olive varieties of Tuscan oil. Frantoio Franci creates its extra virgin olive oil using a blend of olives, including Moraiolo, Frantoio, Leccino, and Olivastra Seggianese. This Tuscan oil is known for its light, delicate fruity flavor and has been recognized by Flos Olei for its superior olive oil extraction method.

Dievole, renowned for its wine, also produces olive oils using Leccino, Moraiolo, and Frantoio olives. Its monocultivar extra virgin oil, made exclusively from the Coratina olive variety, has received the prestigious Tuscan Golden Oil award.


Nocellara del Belice is the most renowned olive variety in Sicily, alongside Nocellara Etnea. Sicilian oil is also produced from other premium cultivars such as Biancolilla, Moresca, and Ogliarola. In some instances, like the distinguished DOP Sicilian extra virgin oil from Titone, oils are blended from various Sicilian olive varieties.

Tonda Iblea deserves a special mention; the superb Primo DOP Monti Iblei extra virgin oil is derived from this variety by Frantoi Cutrera in southeastern Sicily.

Additionally, Cutrera produces a range of monocultivar Sicilian oils. Noteworthy among these is the exceptional monocultivar Nocellara del Belice oil, known for its robust fruity taste, the Gran Cru Biancolilla monocultivar, and the Gran Cru Cerasuola extra virgin oil, which is noted for its delicate, slightly fruity flavor.

Puglia is home to a variety of olives, including Coratina, Ogliarola, Leccese, and Cellina. The most well-known are likely Leccina and Coratina.

The region boasts a rich tradition of olive cultivation, and its olive oil producers are celebrated globally. Producers like Muraglia, with a mill in Andria, and Galantino are noted for both their superb extra virgin olive oils and their beautifully crafted bottles.

De Carlo, located near Bari, is also distinguished. Its Coratina Tenuta Torre di Mossa monocultivar has been recognized as the world's best monocultivar oil.

Equally commendable is the Coratina Bio Tenuta Arcamone monocultivar, which has garnered multiple international accolades and received three leaves from the esteemed Gambero Rosso food and wine guide. For aficionados of the Coratina olive, known for its robust fruity taste, sampling the exquisite oils from Le Tre Colonne mill is essential.


Lake Garda's Olive Oils: Casaliva

Lake Garda's olive oil production, spanning Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto, and Lombardy, is renowned for its high quality. The Casaliva olive is the signature variety of these regions, although Frantoio and Leccino varieties are also cultivated.

Agraria Riva del Garda stands out among the olive oil producers, with its extra virgin olive oil 46° Parallelo, particularly the Casaliva monovarietal version, being exceptional. Another distinguished extra virgin olive oil from the Garda DOP by the same producer is Uliva 1111, a monocultivar Casaliva that has garnered multiple awards for its outstanding quality.


Taggiasca: The Ligurian Oil Cultivar

Taggiasca is the predominant olive variety used in the production of Ligurian oil, renowned for its superior quality in both oil and table olives. Interested in sampling Ligurian oil derived from this cultivar? We have two recommendations for you today.

The first is Cassini's monocultivar Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil. This oil features a light fruity taste, a low acidity of 0.29%, and is abundant in polyphenols. It boasts a yellow hue with green tints and is produced using a hand bruising method, followed by a continuous two-phase cycle.

The second is Anfosso's DOP Riviera Ligure monocultivar Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil. This oil also offers a light fruity flavor and is made using a continuous cycle mill, processing Taggiasca olives that are hand-picked with care.

The diversity of olive trees, especially considering the extensive range of Italian cultivars, is quite broad. However, the question of whether there is a superior olive variety for oil production remains.


From a flavor standpoint, the matter is certainly subjective. Each variety yields an oil with unique flavor profiles. For instance, oil from Leccino olives has a distinct taste compared to that from Nocellara del Belice or Biancolilla olives.

Nevertheless, some cultivars offer better yields, producing more extra virgin olive oil than others. The actual yield from olives largely depends on climatic conditions, with rainfall and temperature playing crucial roles.

For instance, yields are lower in hot and dry seasons. Harvest timing also impacts yield, with better results when olives are fully ripe. The cultivars known for the highest oil production yields include:

- Leccino

- Leccio del Corno

- Carolea


The type of olive has a significant impact on the fruit's characteristics, affecting size, flesh-to-pit ratio, and maturation; the compounds within also vary among different olive types. Typically, an olive tree yields 30 to 60 kg of olives annually, and approximately 7 kg of olives are needed to produce one liter of extra virgin oil.

The pursuit of extra virgin oils with superior organoleptic and nutritional qualities has prompted a renewed appreciation for our native cultivars. Cultivating diverse olive tree types is now considered a defining factor in producing high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Thus, while there is no definitive best olive variety for oil, it is the indigenous olive varieties that contribute to the renown of Italian extra virgin oil as the finest in the world.