Rare Italian Olive Variety Leads to World Class Oil

A Coroncina monovarietal extra virgin olive oil milled from 65 ancient olive trees spanning a single hectare earned a Gold Award in its World Competition debut . There’s still so much to uncover in the quest for excellence.

Extra virgin olive oil can bring out something deep, even primordial. But it is precisely in that harsh terroir that the plant finds its fullest expression.” The fascinating history of the Coroncina cultivar complements its award-winning flavors. “I found a municipal ordinance from 1453 that required those who owned small plots of land to plant two-thirds with Coroncina olive trees and one-third with fig trees,” Biagioli recalled. “And they did that for a reason.

They believed the figs would attract the olive fruit fly to protect the olives.” (Photo: Biagioli Farm) “They show that even in ancient times, people here were already looking for quality olives,” Biagioli told reporters. Coroncina farmers count on the thick skin of the drupes, which makes it far more difficult for the olive fruit fly to colonize an orchard.

According to Biagioli, the balance between nature and tradition, modern technique and historical memory, defines the quality of his award-winning olive oil. “I don’t use any chemical treatments. I had the soil analyzed before starting to ensure no pesticide residues. It’s land that has never seen anything foreign to its natural cycle,” he explained.

The orchard itself required a long wait and a bit of luck. “It took me 15 years to find the right plot. Those who own these olive trees hold on to them tightly.

It’s like waiting for a front-row spot at the beach resort. When the owner finally decided to sell, she informed me: ‘I’m not giving away my father’s olive grove to just anyone.’” This is why Biagioli hopes to widen the production area in the coming years, though he is not entirely optimistic about it. “I’d love to acquire another olive grove, but you have to win the owners’ trust,” he explained. “It’s not a matter of money.

There’s an nearly religious attachment to these trees. Having been featured on the world stage, olive oil is also attracting international diners. “I shipped a few bottles to Norway.

I was impressed by the attention Northern Europeans give to olive oil’s quality and health aspects. There, it’s seen not just as an ingredient but as a health ally,” Biagioli observed.

Coroncina seems to lose its soul outside this tiny region, Biagioli believes. “Taken from here and grown elsewhere, its oil becomes something else. Moving it means canceling what makes it unique,” he said. Per to Biagioli, producing olive oil means telling a story. “There’s still so much to uncover in the quest for excellence.

Extra virgin olive oil can bring out something deep, even primordial.