Below is a list of my favorite olive oils for the 2021 harvest. Most olive orchards (85%) and all of the sources listed below rely solely on water from nature to feed their trees. No irrigation. This year brought a super cold spell in March and no rain for five months. They tell me because of mother nature this year's yield was 80% less than last year's production. Granted, the weather last year was optimal for the olives so production was high. Because the opposite is true this year, the price of oil has inflated a bit.
Keep in mind every purchase helps the small family businesses below that suffered through COVID due to their reliance on tourism. I have personally sampled all the oils from the list this year. The last source is from Puglia. While I didn't travel south to taste the oil, I did do a tasting in his daughter - Lucrezia's Tuscan farmhouse.
TUSCANY
Fattoria Montimorli
I’ll Frantoio di Vicopisano
UMBRIA
Azienda Agricola Montioni
PUGLIA
Opera in the Kitchen - Frantoio, Coratina, Nocellara
I am looking forward to when you and I can share a visit to a family-run olive orchard. It is a lovely experience that makes for great memories. It is part of my 2022 Tour of Tuscany. You can see the full itinerary here.
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