Try the Guacamole sauce with our “Le Colline” extra virgin olive oil
The extraordinary organoleptic properties that make Garda DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil unique come from Lake Garda’s particular microclimate and our use of the most modern harvesting and milling techniques.
Description
Garda Extra Virgin Olive Oil, certified “GARDA DOP”, the Protected Designation of Origin attesting to production and quality standards and complying with specific production regulations, is Olearia del Garda’s flagship product, part of a wide range of products developed to satisfy every need and palate.
- Origin: Italy
- Production Area: Province of Verona (Bardolino, Malcesine, Torri del Benaco, Caprino Veronese, Valeggio sul Mincio) and Mantua (Castiglione delle Stiviere, Solferino, Gonzaga)
- Cultivar composition: Casaliva, Frantoio and Leccino at least 55% + Favarol, Trepp, Pendolino, Rossanel, Race, Fort, Morcai (alone or together) no more than 45%.
- Harvesting: olive harvest compulsory by 15 January - max 6,000 kg per hectare - maximum olive yield 25% (real average 16%) – olives harvested from the trees by hand or mechanically.
- Extraction method: to be carried out obligatorily using the "cold" method within 5 days of harvesting the olives
- Formats available: 500ml / 750ml
Combinations/uses
A highly versatile cooking oil, to be consumed raw or cooked. Due to its lightness, it goes with all meat, fish and cheese dishes and is also perfect for preparing desserts.
Particularly pleasant to the palate, Garda Extra Virgin Olive Oil stands out for its very low acidity (maximum acidity in oleic acid 0.5%), excellent digestibility and a delicate, fruity taste with a hint of sweet almond. The high chlorophyll content, which gives it its typical green-golden to yellow colour, helps preserve its freshness.
The origins of Garda DOP Oil
Since ancient times, the Lake Garda area has been known for its extraordinary climate.
The lake, with its enormous water mass, and the surrounding mountains, which act as a barrier against the coldest currents, give rise to a mild climate that favours the development of some typically Mediterranean tree species such as the olive.
The Garda area, in fact, is the northernmost olive growing area in Europe. For centuries, this stone fruit plant of great quality has grown on the sunny terraces of the moraine hills surrounding Lake Garda.
The cultivation of olive trees in the area seems to date back to Roman times, as archaeological findings testify.
With the fall of the Roman Empire and the barbarian invasions that followed, however, the countryside fell into a state of neglect.
It was not until the early Middle Ages that cultivation of this noble plant was resumed; monks, in particular, played a key role in the development of agriculture and the production of oil, which was used for religious rites as well as food. During the Renaissance, a period that saw a surge in oil consumption, olive cultivation was reorganised with a system of terraces overlooking the lake.
The most widespread varieties of olive trees in the Garda area are: Casaliva (a variety native to Lake Garda) Frantoio and Leccino. Today, Garda DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil is appreciated all over the world and is one of the top 5 Italian DOP olive oils.
In 1997, Garda Extra Virgin Olive Oil was granted Protected Designation of Origin status by the European Union. The PDO mark (DOP in Italian) which certifies its origin and high production standards, is a guarantee for the consumer.
Recipes & advice
Simple but tasty recipes, easy to prepare with a special ingredient: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, capable of making every dish light, healthy and fragrant.
