Irpinia - Colline dell'Ufita (extra virgin olive oil)

History and origin

Olives have been grown in Irpinia at least since Roman times, as many finds show: the Romans built the first tools for pressing olives and refined the ways of storing oil. According to the Campania Region the crop reached its greatest spread under the Angevins, grew further under the Aragonese and became firmly established in the 19th century.

The star of this story is Ravece, a variety of unknown origin found almost only in the area between the Ufita valley and Ariano. It is mentioned in 16th-century documents, such as the Platea of Bishop Diomede Carafa of 1517 and a text by Bishop Donato de Laurentiis from around 1580, and in the 19th century Father Nicola Flammia described its growth. In his history of Ariano, Flammia counted 29 trappeti, or olive mills, in the town, while twelve horse-driven mills were recorded there in 1794.

The olive tree shaped the rural economy of the area, whose diet rests on the trio of bread, wine and oil. European recognition as a PDO came in 2010.

Sources: Qualigeo — Irpinia - Colline dell'Ufita DOP · Regione Campania — Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP · eAmbrosia — Irpinia - Colline dell'Ufita (PDO-IT-0500)

Area and method of production

The area matches the growing area of Ravece and covers 38 municipalities in the Ufita valley and the middle Calore valley, in the province of Avellino: among them Ariano Irpino, Grottaminarda, Flumeri, Mirabella Eclano, Gesualdo, Frigento, Taurasi and Villamaina.

The oil must come from at least 60% Ravece; up to 40% may come from the local varieties Ogliarola, Marinese, Olivella, Ruveia and Vigna della Corte, and up to 10% from Leccino and Frantoio. The Region notes that in new groves the share of Ravece rises to 85%.

Harvest takes place by 31 December, by hand or by machine, as long as the olives do not lie on the ground: nets or other catching systems are used, and olives that have fallen naturally to the ground or onto permanent nets may not be picked up. Milling must take place within 48 hours, and the specification also allows organic methods.

Sources: Qualigeo — Irpinia - Colline dell'Ufita DOP · Regione Campania — Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

How to recognise it

Its colour ranges from straw yellow to green of varying depth, greener when the oil is young. On the nose it is fruity, with grassy notes and a clear hint of unripe tomato that returns in the mouth. The taste is harmonious, with intense but balanced bitterness and pungency, in line with its high polyphenol content.

The Campania Region highlights its very low acidity, no more than 0.50%, and a panel test score of at least 7. Its qualities come from the microclimate, the soil, farming techniques handed down for centuries and above all from Ravece.

It is sold in dark glass bottles, ceramic and glazed terracotta, or tin containers of up to five litres, sealed and labelled, and also in 10-millilitre single-serve sachets; the label carries the designation's logo. Like every extra virgin oil it should be kept cool, between 14 and 18 degrees, away from light, and is best within four to six months of pressing.

Sources: Qualigeo — Irpinia - Colline dell'Ufita DOP · Regione Campania — Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

In the kitchen

Its intense fruitiness and aromas make this oil the choice for hearty dishes. The Campania Region lists pulse soups, pasta dishes of Irpinian tradition, soups, bruschetta and grilled meat; Qualivita adds minestrone, boiled and grilled vegetables and salads.

It is the oil of an area where, the Region notes, the Mediterranean diet rests on the trio of bread, wine and oil. A slice of toasted bread with a drizzle of new oil is the most direct way to recognise its tomato note and pleasant pungency.

The same hills produce other traditional foods that find their natural dressing in this oil: for Grottaminarda, Sistema Irpinia mentions ciambottella, a vegetable stew, and Ufita garlic.

Sources: Qualigeo — Irpinia - Colline dell'Ufita DOP · Regione Campania — Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

Where to taste it

The land of this oil is eastern Irpinia, between the Ufita valley, the Baronia and the middle Calore valley. According to the Region, the heart of Irpinian olive growing is the hill country around Ariano, with its wide stretches of centuries-old olive trees: at Ariano Irpino the sanctuary of San Liberatore stands on a knoll surrounded by olive groves, and the exhibition centre hosts the Fiera del Gusto Mediterraneo, a food and wine fair, in October.

At Flumeri, a member of the Città dell'olio association, the Ravece cultivar is a local pride; at Grottaminarda the large Fiera dell'Immacolata fills the streets of the centre with hundreds of stalls on 8 December.

The 38 municipalities of the designation also include Taurasi and Villamaina: visitors to these Irpinian destinations are travelling inside the production area. New oil is available between late autumn and winter, as the harvest closes in December.

Sources: Regione Campania — Irpinia Colline dell'Ufita (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP · Sistema Irpinia (Provincia di Avellino) — Ariano Irpino · Sistema Irpinia (Provincia di Avellino) — Grottaminarda · Sistema Irpinia (Provincia di Avellino) — Flumeri

Protection

• Protected designation of origin (PDO) — PDO-IT-0500 (eAmbrosia — Irpinia - Colline dell'Ufita (PDO-IT-0500))

When

• The sources consulted give no months.

Where

Campania