The best olive oils from Puglia chosen by Gambero Rosso

May 27 2024, 13:32

The importance of Puglia in olive oil production is reflected significantly in the numbers. The region hosts nearly one olive tree for every Italian citizen, about 60 million, and it produces half of Italy’s extra virgin olive oil. Not just quantity, but numerous companies here are waving the flag of quality

The latest olive harvest reaffirmed Puglia as the queen of Italian extra virgin olive oil, both in terms of quantity, with half of the national oil produced here, and in terms of quality. This observation was confirmed during the tastings for the Gambero Rosso Oli d'Italia guide.

Numbers in the latest edition of Oli d'Italia

There were strong confirmations for the entire province of Bari and the BAT area (Barletta-Andria-Trani), with the Coratina variety dominating production (both in single-variety and blends) followed by Ogliarola barese and Peranzana. In recent years, there has also been a boom in quality production and presence in the guide in the Gargano area, where producers are making significant efforts to enhance their native varieties, starting with Ogliarola garganica. Moving south, many quality producers in Brindisi and Salento continue to fight against Xylella with new plantations and agronomic practices aimed at reviving the historic production of the heel of Italy. In total, 86 companies stood out for quality production in the Oli d'Italia 2024 guide, presenting a total of 144 oils, 44 of which received the Tre Foglie award.

The 2023/2024 olive oil campaign

The latest harvest marked an important recovery for Puglia’s olive cultivation, gaining ground compared to the last four years, although still below its potential. This year saw an increase of about 50% compared to the previous year, thanks primarily to the natural alternation of the olive tree, despite the spring’s unpredictable weather, summer heat, and late September hailstorms that did not favor the olive groves.