Extra Virgin Olive Oil, PDO Umbria

Umbrian PDO Olive Oil, produced with strictly traditional methods by the many oil mills located in the villages of the Union of the Land of Oil and Sagrantino, is considered one of the finest oils in Italy and the world due to its exceptional organoleptic qualities, very low acidity, and high polyphenol content. Umbria is the first Italian region to have obtained PDO recognition across its entire territory, a testament to its high-quality standards, with five subzones that must be explicitly indicated on the label.

Umbrian PDO Olive Oil – Colli Assisi-Spoleto

This oil is produced in the villages of Trevi and Campello sul Clitunno. The PDO designation requires that it be made from the following olive varieties:

Moraiolo: no less than 60%
Leccino and Frantoio: alone or together, up to a maximum of 30%
Other varieties: up to a maximum of 10%

Ideal Pairings: Perfect with raw meat carpaccio, boiled legumes, and vegetable soups.

Umbrian PDO Olive Oil – Colli Martani

This oil is produced in the villages of Massa Martana, Castel Ritaldi, Giano dell’Umbria, Montefalco, Gualdo Cattaneo, and Bevagna. Here too, the PDO designation is reserved for extra virgin olive oil made from specific olive varieties:

Moraiolo: no less than 20%
S. Felice, Leccino, and Frantoio: alone or together, up to a maximum of 80%
Other varieties: up to a maximum of 10%

Ideal Pairings: Delicious on bruschetta, salads, and hard cheeses.

Notable Areas: Trevi and Campello sul Clitunno

The olive-covered hills of Trevi and Campello sul Clitunno fall within the prestigious natural area known as the Olive Belt of Assisi-Spoleto. Recognized in 2018 as a Historic Rural Landscape by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the FAO, this area is of exceptional value.

Single Cultivar of San Felice

Only a very small percentage of the oils produced in Italy are monovarietal (extra virgin olive oil made from a single olive variety). Monocultivar oil is therefore perceived by connoisseurs as a rare and precious oil, with a strong personality, deeply characteristic and representative of the territory where it is produced. It has the ability to impart a unique and exquisite flavor to any dish.

Just like the San Felice, a harmonious, pleasant, and universal monovarietal olive oil suitable for all foods, deeply connected to the Benedictine Abbey of the same name, which stands at the foot of the Monti Martani, surrounded by centuries-old olive and holm oak trees. Starting from the 12th century, in Umbria as in the rest of Italy, monastic orders played a key role in revitalizing olive cultivation and olive oil production. The Benedictine monks of San Felice were no exception; faithful to their rule “ora et labora” (pray and work), they replanted olive trees to restore abandoned lands. One particular olive variety, later named Cultivar San Felice, took root immediately and spread to select areas, producing olives of exceptional quality.

Today, the San Felice variety contributes to defining the PDO Umbria, specifically the subzone “Colli Martani,” alongside Moraiolo (the most widespread variety in the region’s hills) and other cultivars such as Leccino, Frantoio, and, to a lesser extent, Rajo and Vocio. The combination of these varieties and the particularly favorable microclimatic environment ensures the organoleptic quality and uniqueness of the olive oil produced in Giano dell’Umbria.