When we think of the Sorrento Peninsula we think of lemons, but walking the trails towards Punta Campanella we realised that olive trees are everywhere, on terraces overlooking the sea. From those trees comes Penisola Sorrentina DOP extra virgin olive oil.
The production area
The oil has been a Protected Designation of Origin since 1997. The area covers the Sorrento Peninsula, in the province of Naples, with towns such as Massa Lubrense, Sorrento, Sant'Agnello, Piano di Sorrento, Meta and Vico Equense. It is a landscape of small terraced plots, often planted together with citrus and walnut trees.
Minucciola
The signature variety is Minucciola, also called Ogliarola, an oil olive typical of this area. The product specification requires at least 65% of it; the rest can come from varieties such as Rotondella, Frantoio and Leccino. According to tradition Minucciola was introduced by the Greeks, and over the centuries several ecotypes have been selected.
Harvest and quality
The olives are picked straight from the tree, by hand or mechanically, by 31 December, with a possible extension in exceptional years. Milling must take place within two days. The maximum permitted acidity is 0.8 grams per 100 grams of oil.
What it is like on the plate
The colour ranges from green to straw yellow. The aroma is fruity and the taste harmonious, with light bitterness and pungency. It is precisely this delicacy that makes us love it on fish and raw vegetables; we recommend trying it on a caprese, with tomato and mozzarella.
A little history
Olive growing here dates back to Magna Graecia. On the headland of Punta Campanella stood the sanctuary dedicated to Athena, the Romans' Minerva: according to tradition, pilgrims bought oil along the way to offer to the goddess. Today the headland is a marine protected area and a popular hiking destination.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
From Massa Lubrense you can walk to The Bay of Ieranto, among olive trees and Mediterranean scrub. In Sorrento, The Ancient Walls of Sorrento and our guide Sorrento: what to see await you. For the peninsula's other flavours, read Limone di Sorrento IGP and Provolone del Monaco DOP, and for a classic pairing, La caprese. All the designations are in Campania's DOP and IGP products, and the province in Naples and its surroundings.
Sources: Qualigeo – Penisola Sorrentina DOP; European Commission – eAmbrosia.
Photo at top (Massa Lubrense): Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
