Luigi's Olive Farm
One of Luigi's olive trees.
On Tuesday, May 17, 2011, after the tour of Biogem, a genetic research institute in Ariano Irpino, Italy, we took a harrowing van ride in the mountains. We thought that our destination was an olive oil factory. We were very surprised when we pulled up into the yard of an Italian olive farmer named Luigi. The home was a small, dingy white house surrounded by acres of olive trees and vineyards. Luigi was very hospitable and seemed happy to have company, especially the company of seven women! He led us to the tiny cellar of his home where an olive oil and wine tasting was set up on a small table. The cellar was crammed with wine-making equipment, barrels and bottles, and was dark, damp and chilly. We squeezed together and politely gave our attention to our host. Through an interpreter, Luigi described the science of growing olives and how to harvest them. We learned how his olives were gathered and sent to a factory, where the olives were pressed and the oil bottled. He explained the process with pride and held up a bottle of olive oil, ravece variety (this turned out to be my favorite). Then, with the flair of a sommelier, Luigi demonstrated the art of olive oil tasting:
- Pour a small amount of olive oil into a small, dark glass (he insists the glass must be dark!).
- Place a hand on the top of the glass and hold the glass in your hands to warm and swirl the oil.
- Put the glass to your nose and smell the oil (only once!)
- Sip a little bit of olive oil onto the tip of your tongue, and hold it there until you get a peppery taste sensation.
Drizzle, don't dip.
Here's Luigi slicing salami for our lunch. That's Dr. Russo of the CNR "supervising" the set-up.
After our taste tasting in the cellar, Luigi invited us up to his home for lunch. He prepared quite a spread for us. We feasted on sliced Italian bread drizzled with olive oil (we were taught to drizzle olive oil onto bread, never dip!), salami, prosciutto, and provolone cheese, drizzled with honey. And, of course, he served red wine.