Moraiolo oil – the typical monocultivar of central Italy
o c u l t i v a r o f c e n t r a l I t a l y
The art of extra virgin olive oil in Italy
Italy is one of the most valuable countries for cultivating olive trees and especially for producing extra virgin olive oil. Thanks to our territory, which is well suited to this type of cultivation, and the ancient tradition of the art of oil.
For this reason, in our Bel Paese, we can boast more than 540 oil varieties, each different from the other by cultivar (cultivated variety) and cultivation habitat (soil, cultivation type, squeezing, etc.), which determine its quality, taste, aroma, and much more.
It goes without saying that Italy’s best extra virgin olive oil does not exist. Each cultivar, cultivation method, and territory offer us different oil varieties, each with precise and defined organoleptic properties.
Monocultivar Oil VS Blend
However, among oil connoisseurs, there has always been an ongoing contrast between monovarietal oil (monocultivar oil, 100% composed of a single olive variety) and oil obtained from the creative art of blending (mixing different monovarietal oils). Which is more precious, tastier, and more appreciable?
Oil made from monocultivar olive varieties has chemical-physical properties extremely tied to the territory, as well as the organoleptic qualities of the product. The nuances of taste stand out clearly and as a result, the specific variety can be easily recognized.
On the other hand, oil processed through the blending process is obtained by mixing oils from different olive trees, not 100% the same olive variety, although the starting point is a monovarietal oil, which is skilfully mixed with another olive oil to get the desired taste – often rounder and softer – also according to the food market.
Monovarietal Moraiolo Oil
In this article, we will talk about one of the most renowned and precious monovarieties, a dominant cultivar of Central Italy – Umbria, Marche, and Tuscany – which is the Moraiolo olive variety.
In our Montioni oil mill, we produce two varieties of extra virgin olive oil; the first from 100% Moraiolo olive variety, whereas the second from 50% Frantoio olive variety and 50% Moraiolo olive variety, as a result of the blending process.
Central Italy is the most suitable area for growing the Moraiolo olive tree since it absolutely needs a hilly terrain, typical of this area, to grow and bear fruit.
This is the reason why the Montioni oil mill, located at 450 meters above sea level in the hilly area of Montefalco (PG), in Umbria, has an ideal area for this cultivar.
What are the peculiarities of Moraiolo oil?
Taste: a perfect combination and balance between bitter and spicy make Moraiolo extra virgin olive oil suitable for many dishes and for adapting to different flavours.
Aroma: Moraiolo olive oil recalls notes of fresh aromatic herbs and vegetable hints, specifically almond, artichoke, and hazelnuts.
Organoleptic properties: the Moraiolo cultivar has a medium-high level of polyphenols, as well as vegetable squalene, both beneficial substances for the human body due to their antioxidant qualities, also effective against free radicals.
Pairings: certainly, Moraiolo oil best pairs with dishes such as roasted meats, soups, legumes, bruschetta, and is an excellent seasoning for grilled vegetables. However, it can be easily matched with many other dishes, both for cooking and for seasoning raw.
> Click here to try the 100% Moraiolo extra virgin olive oil from the Montioni oil mill!
2) Aggiungere un cucchiaino di lievito per dolci, quindi amalgamare.
3) Foderare una teglia con carta da forno
4) Fare con l’impasto dei rotolini e poi unire i due estremi di ciascun rotolino per formare una ciambellina.
5) Ripassare la ciambellina nello zucchero, avanti e dietro, poi disporre sulla teglia.
6) Infornare le ciambelline a 190° per 7 minuti
Ed ecco pronte le nostre ciambelline al Sagrantino Passito Montioni!
L’abbinamento che vi consigliamo? Ovviamente un calice di Sagrantino Passito Montioni o, in alternativa, il nostro vino più amato ovvero il Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG Montioni!
Alla prossima ricetta del blog dell’Azienda Agricola Montioni, Tra Cucina e Cantina!
On occasion, the winemaker may decide to leave them in if the grapes themselves contain less tannin than desired. This is more acceptable if the stems have ‘ripened’ and started to turn brown. If increased skin extraction is desired, a winemaker might choose to crush the grapes after destemming.
Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.
Removal of stems first means no stem tannin can be extracted. In these cases the grapes pass between two rollers which squeeze the grapes enough to separate the skin and pulp, but not so much as to cause excessive shearing or tearing of the skin tissues. In some cases, notably with “delicate” red varietals such as Pinot noir or Syrah, all or part of the grapes might be left uncrushed (called “whole berry”) to encourage the retention of fruity aromas through partial carbonic maceration.
The Grapes
The quality of the grapes determines the quality of the wine more than any other factor. Grape quality is affected by variety as well as weather during the growing season, soil minerals and acidity, time of harvest, and pruning method. The combination of these effects is often referred to as the grape’s terroir.
Grapes are usually harvested from the vineyard from early September until early November in the northern hemisphere, and mid February until early March in the southern hemisphere.
In some cool areas in the southern hemisphere, for example Tasmania, harvesting extends into May. The most common species of wine grape is Vitis Vinifera, which includes nearly all varieties of European origin. The most common species of wine grape is Vitis Vinifera, which includes nearly all varieties of European origin.
Manual harvesting is the hand-picking of grape clusters from the grapevines. In the United States, some grapes are picked into one- or two-ton bins for transport back to the winery. Manual harvesting has the advantage of using knowledgeable labor to not only pick the ripe clusters but also to leave behind the clusters that are not ripe or contain bunch rot or other defects. This can be an effective first line of defense to prevent inferior quality fruit from contaminating a lot or tank of wine.
Destemming is the process of separating stems from the grapes. Depending on the winemaking procedure, this process may be undertaken before crushing with the purpose of lowering the development of tannins and vegetal flavors in the resulting wine. Single berry harvesting, as is done with some German Trockenbeerenauslese, avoids this step altogether with the grapes being individually selected.
Crushing is the process when gently squeezing the berries and breaking the skins to start to liberate the contents of the berries. Destemming is the process of removing the grapes from the rachis (the stem which holds the grapes).
In traditional and smaller-scale wine making, the harvested grapes are sometimes crushed by trampling them barefoot or by the use of inexpensive small scale crushers. These can also destem at the same time. However, in larger wineries, a mechanical crusher/destemmer is used. The decision about destemming is different for red and white wine making. Generally when making white wine the fruit is only crushed, the stems are then placed in the press with the berries. The presence of stems in the mix facilitates pressing by allowing juice to flow past flattened skins.
Katerina Monroe
@katerinam • More Posts by Katerina
Congratulations on the award, it's well deserved! You guys definitely know what you're doing. Looking forward to my next visit to the winery!
