When November the Maremma illuminates in the last warm days of sunshine in bright autumn colors, the olive harvest of the “best olive oil in the world”, the Maremma Gold begins. The beginning and end of each harvest is strongly dependent on the weather. They try to conclude the expensive extraction to Christmas. In some years, but pulls their work well into January. Furthermore, income and quality are very dependent on the weather. Tuscany has a long tradition in the production of high quality olive oil. Also Roccatederighi has a long tradition of olive cultivation. In Roccatederighi you can actively participate in this millennia-kept tradition. Not picked by machines, because the olives are less damaged and that the oil is better. Everywhere in the rolling hills below the village you can now see the locals tied with wicker baskets around the hips, shouldered with ladders and drag huge nets among the poor in the olive groves. Typical of the area: the fruits are picked by hand. From a distance you can hear the hearty laughter and songs and you have a lot to tell . In small communities like Roccatederighi the harvest is an important social event: Families get together to pick the olives. They eat together at home or in the field and then bring the olives to the mill. There are over 700 different varieties of olives. To distinguish them all is difficult. One has to examine the fruits, the seeds and flowers of trees. In the region mainly 3 varieties are grown, which then yield the final product in differing mixture: Frantoio , Leccino and Moraiolo . These classic olive varieties found in the interaction with the Maremma climate the spicy, savory and gently bitter taste, selling green gras, which is characteristic of the Maremma oil along with the emerald green color. Some farmers also bottle only one sort of olives for their oil, for example Frantoio. But the real feast is only served once they toast a piece of salt-free bread, sprinkle it with some garlic and can drizzle the freshly pressed oil: the best bruschetta of the year, of course, especially when your own hands involved in the manufacture were. Or Pinzimonio, the first pressed oil in its unparalleled color, made of fresh raw vegetables such as fennel, carrots or celery, such a simple poem for every gourmet. So awesome that e.g. a variation of the Pinzimonio of Alain Ducasse is administered in his Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo. I ‘ve tried both and guarantee you locally in Roccatederighi it is “simply better”.
In the last big international oil test in 2014 – already the twelfth edition – German Magazin “Der Feinschmecker”, what means “The Gourmet” to the 700 olive oils from around the world. They stood in the finals of the international jury for tasting. Behind the results of this olive oil testing puts a week of hard work – twelve professionals have tasted for 700 olive oils from around the world. Thus, the GOURMET olive oil test of Europe’s largest of its kind. Here you will find the latest original reporting in english. Among the top 50 are 8 olive oils from Tuscany, including 2 of Maremma. All winners are accessible from Guarda Mare in max. 1.5 hours. But believe me, there is a small area below Roccatederighi, where there is an oil that everything suggests what you have so far tried to olive oil. We will show you the place.
Following the winners:
Olivetto Fonte di Foiano – Loc. Fonte di Foiano 148 – 57022 Castagneto Carducci (Li)
Agriturismo Poggio al Vento – Loc. Poggio al Vento – 53023 Castiglione d’Orcia (Si)
Tenuta Cantagallo – Via Valicarda 35 – 50056 Capraia e Limite (Fi)
Azienda Chiarentana di Donata Origo – Strada della Vittoria 61 – 53042 Chianciano Terme (Si)
Fattoria di Fubbiano – 55010 San Gennaro (Lu)
Azienda Il Casalone Vignoli – Via di Faltignano 43 – San Casciano Val di Pesa (Fi)
