Extra Virgin Olive Oil Veneto DOP Slow Food Presidium 500ml Limited Edition

This oil is a testament to love. In the early 1960s, Cavalier Gentile Bizzotto and his wife Elisa chose to open the new headquarters of their textile mill in Pove del Grappa, a town in the province of Vicenza renowned for its favorable microclimate. They chose the land partly because it includes an olive grove filled with centuries-old trees, some three centuries old or more. In the area surrounding our olive grove, we harvest and select the olives from the centuries-old trees of the native "Frantoio Povese" variety. Pressed purely, they yield this extra virgin olive oil, golden green in color, intense in aroma, and balanced on the palate.

Here comes a limited selection of DOP extra virgin olive oil dedicated to a local figure who blends history and legend: CAIUS VETTONIUS MAXIMUS. A tribute to our tradition and its rich human heritage. For this limited selection of Veneto del Grappa DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil in half-liter bottles, all rigorously hand-numbered and certified by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF), we have created custom packaging. Our limited-edition Oro de Poe CAIUS VETTONIUS MAXIMUS Veneto del Grappa DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been included in the "Slow Food Presidium Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil" project.

The Presidia are Slow Food communities that work daily to save native breeds, vegetable and fruit varieties, breads, cheeses, cured meats, and traditional desserts from extinction. They are committed to passing down production techniques and crafts, as well as caring for the environment and promoting landscapes, territories, and cultures. Approximately 600 Presidia involve farmers, artisans, shepherds, fishermen, and winemakers from 70 countries. The oil undergoes chemical analysis to determine the organoleptic properties that guarantee its quality, verifying that it meets the parameters of the Veneto del Grappa DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil production specification.

This is also accompanied by a sensory analysis using a method called Panel Test, where specially trained and highly experienced tasters provide sensory evaluations during tasting (spicy, fruity, sweet, bitter, etc.). The combination of the results of these analyses and tastings will form the basis for evaluating the oil. Why is Oro de Pòe unique? First and foremost, the geographical area where Tenuta Gentile is located must be considered: one of the northernmost places in Europe where olive trees grow and bear fruit. The Pove del Grappa area lies in a natural basin at the foot of Monte Grappa and is characterized by a mild, breezy climate, thus relatively low humidity.

This is why it is called the "Valley of Olives." The high quality of the product is also due to the composition of the growing soil, which, located in what was once the widened bed of the Brenta River, is alluvial morainic, interspersed with sandy and marly-clayey layers. Then, the type of olive trees must be considered. The native "Frantoio Povese" variety, first and foremost, is abundant in both the centuries-old trees and the younger ones. It produces olives with an oil that is much more delicate than that produced by other varieties. Hence its inimitable flavor. Finally, the cultivation methods play a key role. Under the expert guidance of agronomist Stefano Farronato, the olive trees are treated by combining ancient, traditional methods tied to the cycles of nature with modern techniques and techniques.

All these characteristics make Oro de Pòe an oil full of personality. We respect our olive trees, both in terms of their morphology and physiology. We perform pruning to facilitate full-canopy management, encouraging alternate branch production, an important characteristic of olive trees. The fertilizers used are organic and strictly comply with the national PAN guidelines for integrated olive disease control, including the use of biological traps to monitor insects in the grove. The olive grove is completely grassed, and the composition of the permanent meadow is rich in aromatic essences, whose scents are then found in the fruity/herbaceous aroma that characterizes our oil. In early September, we begin checking the ripeness of the olives based on the different varieties of trees present in our olive grove. Based on these analyses, we decide the date and the areas of the grove where to begin the harvest (generally in the second ten days of October).

We harvest by hand and with the help of manual harvesters, always respecting the trees and their fruit. The olives, thus intact and healthy, are brought to the mill on the same day, with the goal of synchronizing harvesting and pressing as closely as possible: the goal is to ensure the preservation of the product's unique characteristics. Milling takes place within hours of harvest at a mill that uses a continuous-cycle pressing system to capture and retain the finest organoleptic properties the olives can impart to the oil. Stability of its characteristics, favored by a high peroxide content, and richness in polyphenols are among the key quality parameters of extra virgin olive oil.