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Over 10,000 visitors from around the world, 300 exhibitors and more then 90 different brands displayed and tasted by olive oil experts and enthusiasts. These are some of the figures from last year’s 8th edition of Olio Capitale, Italy’s most important exhibit fully dedicated to top-quality, extra virgin olive oil. And, organizers say, they are not going to decrease for the 9th edition, despite the unfortunate harvest.
The beautiful city of Trieste will again host the expo, from March. 7 to 10. In the welcoming location of the Stazione Marittima exhibitors will display their products: olive oil and table olives producers from Italy and throughout the Mediterranean basin, local governments promoting products and tourism, specialized publishing houses and many other services.
The maritime terminal, overlooking the gulf and easily accessible form the city’s center, welcomes producers, buyers, tasters as well as tourists and residents curious to learn more about extra virgin olive oils.
This year the fair will offer plenty of opportunities for everyone interested in extra virgin olive oil. The Olio Capitale Cooking School will involve many Italian chefs holding classes to show how to enhance both traditional and modern recipes matching the right olive oil to every dish, be it a classical or an unexpected pairing.
As usual, the Oil Bar will display all of the oils made by the exhibitors: expert tasters will lead visitors through guided tastings, explaining the specific features of every product. Those who want to join the popular jury will also be taught how to do a “professional” sensory analysis to choose their favorite oils; their votes will decide the winners of the Olio Capitale 2015 competition, together with the votes given by professional tasters and chefs.
The fair’s main target, however, still is the trade: buyers and business visitors from around the world will attend the event, that this year will be even more focused on quality and internationalization. For this reason, the exhibit’s dates have been changed shifting from the whole weekend to a Saturday-Tuesday formula, where the last two days are only open to business attendance. Professional visitors can also benefit form a tailor-made program of business meetings and events specifically set up for buyers.
“Over the last few years Olio Capitale was able to gain a key role in the Italian high quality extra virgin olive oil’s protection and promotion,” said Antonio Paoletti, chairman of Trieste’s Chamber of Commerce, one of the event main promoters. “The expo is a huge showcase for PDOs and quality certifications, that are becoming the most important way to safeguard the best Made in Italy food productions all over the world.”