Discovering the green gold of Garda
The extra virgin olive oil of Lake Garda, known throughout the world for its high quality, is one of the many reasons to visit the very rich Garda area, especially during the autumn months.
We are talking about a product known for its delicate flavor, with light and balanced aromas, used in the best local and international cuisines to accompany fish dishes, meat carpaccio, fresh vegetables and also desserts and sorbets.
The wording DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) that accompanies the Garda Oil indicates the total bond that this product has with the territory in which it is born, and, through specific production requirements and conditions, protects its original characteristics in respect of the natural and traditional context.
We have to go back several centuries to trace the birth of the oil tradition on the three shores of the lake, in order to discover a story that tells and draws the landscapes of this wonderful area.
As evidence of the ancient origins of this culture, we read of the importance of the olive tree already in the writings of the poets Catullus and Virgil, as well as in an edict of the distant 600 AD. which protected the plant of the Garda hills. Instead, the design of the terraced cultivation of olive trees supported by dry stone walls and useful for arranging the trees in rows, which still continue to gently shape the hills and slopes of our lake, dates back to the Renaissance. The well-known "Riviera degli Ulivi ", the eastern bank of the basin, takes its name from the importance of these crops overlooking the water.
The production process of Olio del Garda DOP is complex and is patiently followed in every phase, from cultivation to bottling, passing through a meticulous harvest of the fruit when it is ripe, which is held as a ritual every year starting from mid-October.
It's the best time for the curious and enthusiasts of authentic products to dedicate a day to discovering the flavors and knowledge of such a valuable product, visiting one of the many farms and oil mills that open their doors to talk about each other.
Real "oil lessons" are organized above all in the autumn months in various locations around Lake Garda, which start with guided tours inside the historic olive groves, to move on to observing the processes of milling, kneading, extraction and finally filtration of the oil.
The final tasting of this elixir known as "green gold", usually accompanied by a matching dish, teaches you to recognize its fruity aromas of apple and green almond, and the herbaceous flavor reminiscent of vegetable gardens and spring flowers, characteristics that define the freshness and quality of the final product.
It is not uncommon for the same tourist facilities, campsites and villages, to organize tours and tastings of an extra virgin olive oil of their own production, confirming the diffusion and importance of this ancient tradition in the area.
