Extra virgin olive oil | Nocellara del Belice DOP

Extra virgin olive oil Monocultivar Nocellara del Belice from Campobello di Mazara and Castelvetrano.

Originating from Sicily, in particular the Belice Valley, from 100% Nocellara del Belice olives, only selected green olives.

Nocellara del Belice is a variety that dominates the market for premium products: from olives to extra virgin olive oil, this cultivar best expresses the character of its land of origin, Sicily.

Organoleptic characteristics
Nocellara del Belice extra virgin olive oil has an intense green colour with golden highlights and a freshly crushed olive fragrance with hints of grass. An oil with an interesting fragrance and a particularly intense and full-bodied taste, its flavour is medium-intense fruity, with hints of artichoke, tomato and almond on the nose. On the palate it reveals balanced bitter and spicy sensations of medium intensity.

Origins
Renamed for the production of table olives, the Nocellara del Belice owes its name to the shape of the fruit, spherical, and to its area of origin: the Belice Valley (Sicily, Trapani Province). Nocellara del Belice is a highly prized Sicilian cultivar that represents one of the region's most popular native varieties. This variety has been found in Sicily for several centuries. The first cultivations date back to the era of Magna Graecia; it was the Greek colony of Selinunte, in fact, that introduced it into the territory during the 7th century BC. This variety found wide diffusion in the province of Trapani, especially from 1600 onwards. Nocellara del Belice is produced from the cultivar of the same name in the Belice Valley, mainly in the area between Santa Margherita di Belice, Montevago, Castelvetrano, Santa Ninfa, Gibellina, Campobello di Mazara, Poggioreale and Salaparuta.

Production method
Harvesting is done by hand by ‘brucatura’, generally between October and November. Transport takes place in netted crates or trellises where the fruit is arranged in layers of no more than 20 cm. Processing starts no later than 24 hours after picking. After being carefully checked, the processing begins with defoliation and washing by immersion and sprinkling. This is followed by hammer crushing, kneading and centrifugal extraction to separate the two phases (liquid and solid). Extra virgin olive oil is thus obtained.