Olio Nuovo! It’s the very first pressing of the olives, and it’s a big thing to food-friendly Italians. If you were there in the fall, you’d be enjoying that peppery-hot first press, the intensely fruity quality, possibly rubbing it into bruschetta with garlic and some sea salt from the waters just down the street. Oh! You’d be in Heaven!
You know, until you saw the cost of the hotel. You don’t know anyone in Italy, right? Yeah, that’s what we figured. Oh, and don’t forget the tourist visas and the plane ride and all the people who want souvenirs and that extra charge for the full bags on the ride home and… can’t afford it? But how then will you enjoy the olio nuovo?
Oh, sure, we know a guy. Fella named Frantoio Olivestri, who grabbed some bottles and freighted them right from the Lago Trasimeno hills. They’re the very first press, haven’t even had time to mellow. You’ll enjoy the fresh intensity, the smell of new cut grass and the flavor of untamed olives that have just turned ripe. It’s so good that earlier bottles have won Gold at the L.A. County Fair, which is apparently the most serious olive oil competition in the country. And what’s even better? It’s gonna come right to your door.
We’re not stupid enough to imply that the Olivestri Siloro olio nuovo 750ml Bottle is better than being in Italy on the day of the first press. But for people who can’t drop a few thousand bucks to fly around the world for a week? Hey, this Olivestri Siloro olio nuovo 750ml Bottle is as close as it’s possible to get.
750ml bottle, Olivestri Siloro olio nuovo
This olio nuovo has a very special character. The color is intensely green and the aroma and taste are like fresh olives. Soft and creamy, elegant and supple, the finish has a complex nutty quality with a good kick without being bitter. This nuovo is very versatile; you can even use it as is on salads, just as the chefs did at the dinner they prepared in Umbria for the Vestri family and friends. Or use this rare treat on roasted & grilled meats & fish, sautéed vegetables, hearty soups, earthy cheeses, & of course, in all your pasta sauces.
The oil is named Siloro and is made by Frantoio Olivestri, in the small town of Petrignano del Lago in Umbria. Olivestri is a tiny, artisanal producer of extreme care and quality. The olives are picked by hand within 24 hours of being crushed, insuring only fresh undamaged fruit is used.
This zone for the oil is Colli del Trasimeno (the hills west of Lake Trasimeno), right on the Tuscan border and just below Cortona and east of Montepulciano. The characteristic of oil from this region is very creamy and elegant, not at all bitter. So while the olio nuovo is very big and brassy, it is still suitable for use on salads and many applications where you want the flavor of the oil to stand out. It is not at all jarring or offensive.
This is called olio nuovo, literally “new oil.” One of the great pleasures of being in Italy in November and December is tasting the oil just as it comes from the press. A great tradition in Umbria and Tuscany is to venture into the countryside and attend the new oil festa at the local frantoio (olive press/factory) where they serve bruschetta, crusty bread grilled, rubbed with garlic, and doused with the olio nuovo, then sprinkled with sea salt. All of Italy celebrates the olio nuovo with bottles of the intense nectar in every restaurant.
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