Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Lake Garda and DOP Certification

Garda olive oil, produced in the most northerly region of Lake Garda, a Mediterranean micro-climate with mild temperatures and perfect humidity render the area almost always immune to parasites of the olive which need much warmer temperatures for their reproductive cycle. It is so called ‘green gold’ and has been produced for generations according to antique techniques: hand-picked, before milling allowed to rest for 24-48 hours on crates through which air can circulate, cold-pressed then filtered through cotton cloths before being bottled. ‘Garda’ olive oil is light and fruity, and leaves an almond after taste. It’s a mild oil, thus well suited to many uses in cooking and even baking. It is easily digestible, rich in antioxidants, chlorophyll content and low in acidity. 

DOP or Denomination Origin Protected is a recognition from the European community for foods of exceptionally high quality due to a particular geographic setting, with the natural and human factors inherent to it, and which production phases take place entirely in a defined geographic area. (Olivarama, 2013) This of course lends a certain prestige to oils produced under the DOP standards, of which some olive oils from Lake Garda are issued with the certification. The rigorous specifications that are to be met ensure the high quality and guarantee the origin and peculiarities that sets this oil apart from the rest. 

Garda oils with DOP account for just 1% of Italian olive oil production. Thus making it a rare commodity.