No. 7,  January 2008

Happy New Year, everybody, and may 2008 be the best we've ever had. Who's to say it won't be, so let's look ahead with confidence and hope. Don't you just love winter? And spring is just a few months away and then glorious summer and another mellow autumn waiting in the wings. It will be a great year, perhaps even a momentous year - hopefully in a positive way. Just remember to keep things light, won't you. Attitude is so important. Happy New Year, dear ones! May your fondest dream come true.

Franco’s olive grove diary ------------------------------------ Do come in, but please be quiet. They are all resting after the hectic olive picking, pressing and bottling business, not to speak of the exhausting tour de force of the festive season (the world being the same all over).    Read more   Green gold indeed! ------------------------------------ So expensive. The price of olive oil has skyrocketed because of the weak dollar, but it was never cheap. And it seems appropriate to wonder if one can spend that kind of money on salad dressing ...    Read more   Chianti, how boring ------------------------------------ A few very good reasons for visiting Chianti that will convince even the jaded souls who have seen enough quaint medieval villages to last them a lifetime, thank you very much.   Read more

Olive oil test part 3 ---------------------------------- It's test time again! Have we managed to turn you into a full-fledged, five star and a half olive oil virtuoso yet? Try your hand at our wickedly tricky questions and find out. Read more   All about YOU ---------------------------------- If you live in the Chicago area there's an invitation for you! Read more   Grandma Lia's olive oil recipes ---------------------------------- We've chosen two very different dishes this time: one's a wholesome, warming chicken casserole and the other is pure indulgence. Traditionally only made from All Saints Day to Easter, farinata is a humble homage to winter (and a great appetizer).    Read more

 

 

 

 

 

Editor and copy: Francesca Boggio Robutti                        Download  version                           Back to Olive Oil website

 

© 2008 Az. Agricola Pornanino. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited. While we make every effort to provide accurate and reliable information, we cannot be held responsible for any mistakes that may occur.

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Franco’s olive grove diary

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Do come in, but please be quiet. They are all resting after the hectic olive picking, pressing and bottling business, not to speak of the exhausting tour de force of the festive season (the world being the same all over).

 

What a lovely month January is when you live in the country. Of course it's rather on the quiet side, with frost in the air and darkness creeping back as soon as the weak winter sun has taken his bow, after a token appearance. With nature sleeping all around, this is really the only break a respectable farmer is fully entitled to enjoy. After all, Franco had three fireplaces built in his home for the express purpose of lounging in front of them come winter, with a pile of books and a handy supply of bread slices for bruschetta.

 

What he probably hadn't bargained for while designing his fireplaces is that the R&R season is actually quite short, besides coming right after the most awfully busy time of the year. That means it takes the first half of January to realize the nightmare's over, and by the time you've gotten comfortable with the concept of being on holiday it's time to get back to work.

 

Oh well, you really can't complain when you have the privilege of living in wonderful Chianti and doing something you love, can you. Nope, you most definitely can't.  

 

So what do you think of the new oil? Have you tasted it yet? Franco is quite satisfied (not bad, he acknowledges, but with a glint in his eye that says he's actually rather proud of it …). We have to thank the heavens for sending us a good year weather-wise, and largely free of the extremes we are coming to fear world-wide.

 

For a natural product like ours this is really of paramount importance, because it takes perfect olives to get perfect oil the way we make it. This year the olives were just great, and since it was altogether mild all year we harvested them a little earlier than usual - in the first half of November. It was the usual scramble, although mercifully sunny and pleasantly warm, which is good as we get more enthusiastic friends volunteering to lend a hand! As you know we hand-pick every single fruit to make sure none are bruised or left lying around on the ground to get muddy and mouldy. Although the bulk of the harvesting is carried out by professionals, amateurs are more than welcome to tackle the time-consuming minor groves and scattered trees Franco and his family would otherwise have to see to themselves.

 

Then came the usual rush to get the harvest pressed within days, as fresh as possible, and bottled in time to ship to each and every one of you in time for Christmas! This year we turned out something like 6,000 bottles in less than a week and it was all done by hand (think bottling, sealing, wiping the glass clean of oily smears, sticking the labels on and boxing). The last hurdle, and no one's favourite for sure, is the huge amount of paperwork required to get the olive oil across the ocean to all of your homes! When we waved the DHL's last van goodbye with its precious cargo, there was a collective sigh of relief you could have heard your side of the Atlantic. It was the beginning of December.

 

You know how it is when you have accomplished something really difficult, working against time to reach an important goal and you've made it. You feel so elated and excited you can't relax, which is actually a boon when there's Christmas decorations to put up, and presents to be found, relatives to visit, dinner parties to attend (and host) - all wonderful things, but so exhausting!

 

January on the other hand is such a lovely month, don't you agree? Quiet, grey and boring. So relaxing.

 

 

The jaded traveler does have a point. Over the years Chianti has striven to meet the expectations of an ever-increasing number of foreign visitors who flock to this tiny part of Tuscany in order to enjoy the scenery, the art and the serene, laid-back lifestyle. And quite a number of quaint medieval villages of course.

 

As a result Chianti is extremely foreign visitor-friendly. First timers won't be disappointed by the taste of history hovering around the little cobbled streets, not to mention the al fresco dining and wining, the cooking schools and cantine (wineries), the stone farms perched high above the vineyards and olive groves. Returning guests sometimes find it a little too much - so quaint and folksy. Even slightly, though ever-so-tastefully, touristy. Chiantishire is country chic at its best, and worst.

 

Once you've done the mandatory round of the major sights (you know, the churches, museums, palaces and such) you do have a choice. You can either go with the flow of the guided tour crowd, or you can do some adventuring of your own. For this you'll need to rent a car, otherwise you're stuck and depending where you are staying you could be stranded in the tiniest of quaint (and boring) villages, or in the middle of nowhere and miles from the nearest shop.

 

Assuming you've done your homework and seen the sights, now you'll want to unwind and enjoy life at Chianti's snail pace. This is good, particularly with a good supply of wine and interesting local food you will have bought yourself in the course of the day's outing - otherwise where's the fun? Do choose your accommodation carefully. You'll be spending some quality time there, so you want it to be comfortable and pleasant. Self-catering might be best and there's no dearth of offer ranging from the basic to the unashamedly luxurious. Although you're likely to want to try as many irresistible little restaurants as you can, some hands-on cooking in your own kitchen might be a nice way of connecting with Italian culture (food is SO important to us!).

 

Now you have a car and a wonderful place to stay it's time to get control of your holiday - buy a map of central Italy and get ready to explore. No matter where you are based, you'll find there are many interesting places within easy driving distance of the Chianti. Head for the neighboring region of Umbria and the holy pilgrimage site of Assisi, with its stunning art, and have a look at nearby Spello, Gubbio and Perugia. Spend a pleasant day by Lake Trasimeno, and if you don't mind wandering further afield the town of Urbino (east of Florence) is a fairy-tale renaissance jewel absolutely worth a visit. Lucca, north of Florence, is a charming place; not so Pisa, where there is nothing at all apart from the famous leaning tower. Get a good guidebook and the sky's the limit (or rather the sea, since central Italy is quite narrow …).

 

Although Italy is jam-packed with attractions, perhaps you can put aside a day for shopping. Tuscany is home of several famous leather goods and clothes designers (Gucci and Prada come to mind, among the others), most of whom have factory outlet stores around Florence in the industrial area of the Arno river valley. Check your guidebook or ask the locals for tips. There are wonderful bargains to be made!

 

Outside of the Chianti area you'll find that most Italians are not really fluent in English, but don't let this intimidate you. Just relax, polish your sense of humor and don't worry. You'll do fine and make us all proud when you tell your jaded traveler friends how much fun you had in Chianti.

 

Olive oil tastes wonderful, but it's so thick I'm sure it must be more fattening than other shortenings. I only use it as a treat from time to time.

Goodness, this is WRONG! In terms of calories there is no difference whatsoever between seed oils, olive oil, butter or any other fat - they all contribute 9 calories per gram. But thanks to its distinctive flavor and body you can actually use less olive oil than you would any of its blander cousins. Also remember that it gets more fluid when heated, so you'll need less than you might think when cooking, as well.

Well, if you really care about your waistline you ought to buy light olive oil.

Nope, a lean fat has yet to be invented. The pale, bland liquid that's marketed as "light" olive oil is in fact a watered-down version of the genuine article that's only light in taste. You'll get the same calories for half the flavor, and it's most likely a blend with other far less respectable oils. In our opinion it's best left on the shelf - if it doesn't taste like olive oil, and it's been tampered with, why bother.

 

Really, you're carping on about olive oil as if it were champagne! Aren't you overemphasizing the issue? I think this must be just a passing fad.

You have a point there. That would be a terrible mistake. Olive oil is very much in demand right now, and quite fashionable in the right circles, which means there's a fair amount of purple prose about it around. As far as we are concerned this is what we do with passion and loving care, so you'll excuse us for being enthusiastic! To us olive oil is just like champagne, a gift from nature to be savoured and treasured. But, unlike champagne, it's good for the whole body, not just the taste buds. Oh, and it won't give you a hangover either ...

 

Ok, you have convinced me. From now on I'll only use olive oil

We are sorry to say that it would be wrong. You certainly ought to privilege olive oil, and are encouraged to by the World Health Organization and other leading authorities, but a well-balanced diet should contain a little of everything - including saturated fats like butter, although in moderation. Just avoid hydrogenated fats.

 

And of course I'll only buy Pornanino first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, because it's the best

How kind of you to say so. We can guarantee that our Pornanino olive oil is among the very best because it's lovingly made as it should be, which is unfortunately increasingly rare these days as it takes effort and won't make you rich … But we can't honestly claim to be the only ones. If you love olive oil you really should look around and shop for different flavors. Whether you try olive oil from other Italian regions, from France or Spain or California, do make sure that you know the producers. Olive oil is a very slippery business.

 

To tell good quality olive oil from bad you just have to look at it

Wish it were so easy, but it's not. < You can't tell good from bad by just looking at it, and should not be able to anyway, as it's supposed to be bottled in dark glass to keep it away from light. First rule, therefore, is never buy olive oil that is bottled in a clear container (or plastic of any hue). Second rule is look at the label and check that it says "first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil", as it's the purest, highest grade. Even then beware: if it's cheap it can't be the real thing, but being expensive is no guarantee either. The only way to tell is taste. .

 

Next time we'll talk about scams.