Tradition, Technology Yield Winning Results for Southern Italian Producers

Producers from Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Campania overcame extreme weather, drought and pests to win awards at the World Competition.

Producers from Puglia were among the biggest winners from southern Italy, which is far from surprising since it is the country’s most significant olive oil-producing region.

Among the Apulian winners was Azienda Agricola Sanarica, which earned a Gold Award for its Ulivè Grand Cru.  The young company attributed its success to the family’s century-old tradition of olive growing. 

Owner Emmanuel Sanarica said entering the competition is important for any producer to compare their quality with the best in the world. “Winning a Gold Award fills us with pride,” he told Olive Oil Times.

Sanarica described Ulivè as a medium-intensity blend of 10 different varieties. “It is crafted to be a trigger of flavors, which also means that it will not overwhelm different foods but will exalt them,” he said.

Not far from Sanarica’s family farm, the producers behind the Albori project also celebrated a Gold Award for their Peranzana extra virgin olive oil produced in Foggia, the northernmost province of Puglia.

Albori comprises a network of small growers working to produce high-quality olive oil. The project has been around for two seasons before winning the award.

Azienda Agricola Case d'Alto in Irpinia, Campania, won a Gold Award for its organic Coevo Ravece, a delicious and spicy extra virgin olive oil from one of the oldest varieties farmed there.

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