“Oil as a cultural product. More than a condiment, more than a food: because the identity of a territory is enclosed in those unique and unrepeatable aromas and flavours”.
Paolo Softoni, president of the PDO Umbria Evo Oil Road Association thus intended to summarize the message to journalists, chefs, restaurateurs and sector operators who attended a special event "Preview" dedicated to knowledge and tastings to learn about biodiversity, cultivars and the territory of origin. “The real cultural revolution in the oil sector – he added – will only be fully accomplished when this product definitively leaves the ambit of insiders and becomes a cultural product linked to the hedonistic act of eating. When it will become an experience to sell on the tourist market and a heritage of knowledge, for those looking for quality food that is also sustainable and healthy. Preview DOP was born to push this new oil season to the end”.
The beautiful town of Todi was the setting for this appointment in which it wanted to present itself the new Dop Umbria vintage celebrating this year i 25 years since its official recognition, the first with a regional dimension, divided into five subzones which, as mentioned by Angela Channel – panel leader and reference figure of Umbrian olive growing – each express their own peculiar sensory characteristic (Amerini hills, Assisi-Spoleto hills, Martani hills, Orvieto hills, Trasimeno hills).
“Oil – underlined the Vice President of the Region and Councilor for Agriculture Roberto Morroni – characterizes the cultural and landscape identity of our territory. We have invested to have state-of-the-art mills, to develop a union of intents between producers and develop the short supply chain. What very few enlightened entrepreneurs initially had the audacity to do, that is, to treat oil as a cultural driving force for the territory and for tourism - he added -, as a regional administration we have also tried to get it done to the rest of the oil companies in Umbria, also thanks to the study of a disciplinary on oil tourism, because in addition to production, this is the new frontier on which to aim, making the oil mills like cellars, welcoming places. These and others are the reasons why today Umbria is to be considered a real “laboratory” and incubator for the promotion of oil and oil tourism”.
Circa 40.000 quintals of extra virgin olive oil produced this year, slightly below the average despite the many concerns related to heat and drought. To tell the characteristics of the oil campaign, Federico Mariotti, key manager of the 3A-PTA Certification of the Agri-food Technology Park: a campaign that for the Pdo Umbria is characterized by a strong consolidation and improvement compared to the previous one. The production data extrapolated from the SIAN show how the pressed Umbrian olives and the oil suitable for becoming DOP Umbria, compared to the previous oil campaign, marks a + 66%. To date, 111 withdrawals have been made which have allowed the certification already of around 300.000 liters of PDO Umbria; if we consider the fact that 2021 were certified in the entire 326.000 oil campaign, it is reasonable to assume that the quantity of the previous oil campaign will be equaled nine months in advance. As regards the chemical-physical and organoleptic characteristics of the oils of the 2022 campaign, there is an improvement compared to the previous year for the chemical part, as well as a splendid balance of the organoleptic characteristics in terms of fruity, bitter and spicy. In particular, "as an average figure, we have the following results: B.C. % 0,19; NP 3,9; PFT 543; B.C. Oleic% 74,3; color green, fruity green, Mfruity 3,9; Mamaro 4,0, Mspiccante 4,2”. Ultimately it is reasonable to say that the peculiarities of the 2022 oil campaign represent an element of great attraction for the market, a market that underlines the great interest in the region's "green gold", represented by the DOP Umbria.
For more information: www.previewoliodopumbria.it
