Olive Oil Tasting in Tuscany
Culinary Holidays at Villa Campestri Hotel
If you thought olive oil was just, well, oil – think again. Olive oil is a complex product, rather like wine. Its taste and quality is affected by climate, soil, weather conditions - and by the manner in which it is produced and stored. Yet, while there are plenty of wine tasting holidays and courses around, it’s not been so easy to learn about olive oil. Until recently, that is. Now, however, Villa Campestri in Tuscany has opened an olive oil centre and is offering special 'olive oil experience' culinary breaks. It’s a great introduction to this vital Italian ingredient.
Villa Campestri's Oleoteca
Villa Campestri (T. 055 849 0107, Via di Campestri, Vicchio di Mugello) is a wonderfully elegant hotel, a former aristocratic villa that dates back to the 13th-century. It’s situated in the Mugello region of Tuscany, under an hour’s drive from Florence, and is perfect for a short culinary break. The owner, Paolo Pasquali, is quite an authority on olive oil and is so keen to share his knowledge that he’s opened an Oleoteca, or olive oil centre, in the villa’s cellar. In it he runs olive oil tasting courses, which last for about 90 minutes (cost 50 euros per person). “There are three enemies of olive oil,” he says, holding out a tasting measure of deliciously fresh oil. “They are oxygen, light and temperature.” Essentially you want to keep your oil stored in an airtight bottle, in darkness (no clear glass), and neither too hot nor too cold, ideally about 14-22 C. Oil should also be used as fresh as possible – it’s not like wine, in that it doesn’t improve with age.
Tour the Olive Press
The history of olive oil stretches back 6,000 years and there are around 850 different species of olive tree. Paolo Pasquali says that around 80 species of olive are grown in Tuscany alone. Growing conditions affect the taste, so the oil produced in Puglia in southern Italy will be different to that from Liguria in the north. Villa Campestri, which is set in tranquil grounds, has its own olive groves and an olive press. You can take a tour of the press if you’re keen to learn more about the production process of this culinary staple.
Summery Sicilian Olive Oil
If you’re only interested in tasting the oil (nothing wrong with that) then make sure you have dinner in the restaurant at Villa Campestri. There’s a clever machine that keeps olive oil in optimum conditions. The waiter can dispense the oil into small round glasses, each of which comes with a little copper cover to protect it from the air. He then lets you try three different oils, which you soak up with good Tuscan bread. “Cup your hand around the glass,” he says. “It will gently warm the oil.” The range in taste is amazing. A Sicilian oil is light, yellowy-green in colour and has a delicate flowery taste. Villa Campestri’s own Tuscan oil is a beautiful deep green, with a smooth texture and a rich, summery scent. The third oil is from Arezzo. It smells particularly fresh and has a slight peppery tang that hits the back of your throat.
Bruschetta - and Chocolate Souffle
The menu in the restaurant also reflects Villa Campestri’s focus on olive oil. For starters you can, for example, sometimes taste three different dishes in which tomatoes are traditionally combined with olive oil: bruschetta, pappa al pomodoro and panzanella. And a real surprise is dessert – which might include a chocolate soufflé with an olive oil and chocolate filling. It’s served with ice cream and tastes delicious.
Villa Campestri olive oil experience breaks include 2 nights’ accommodation, a cooking course, tutored tasting and two four course meals in the restaurant. Price from 679 euros for 2 people sharing.
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