A growing area like no other
Sicily is not just the largest island in the Mediterranean: it is an exceptional olive-growing area, able to combine factors that are hard to find together anywhere else. The hot, dry Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and bright summers, gives the olives a slow, gradual ripening that concentrates aromas and health-promoting compounds in the fruit to an unusual degree.
The variety of Sicilian soils – clay, limestone, volcanic – helps create aromatic profiles that are diverse and complex, and that make each Sicilian oil one of a kind. There is no single “Sicilian oil”: there are dozens of expressions of it, each the product of the microclimate and the soil composition in which the trees put down their roots.
Native cultivars: the DNA of Sicilian olive oil
The secret of Sicilian extra virgin olive oil lies largely in its native cultivars – olive varieties that grow only in Sicily and that over the centuries have adapted perfectly to the ground they grow in. The three main varieties are Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla and Cerasuola, each with a distinct and recognisable sensory profile.
- Nocellara del Belice is probably the best known: it produces an oil of medium to intense fruity character, with pronounced herbaceous notes, hints of fresh tomato and artichoke, and a pleasant persistence of bitter and pungent.
- Biancolilla is more delicate and smoother, with light fruity character and a floral profile that makes it ideal for anyone who prefers less assertive oils that are every bit as good.
- Cerasuola is the most robust of the three: intense, with notes of aromatic herbs and a pronounced pungency that makes it perfect with red meat and soups.
When these three cultivars are selected and blended with care, as we do at Oleum Sicilia, the result is a blend that holds together and expresses the full complexity of the island's ground.
The numbers speak for themselves
Sicily produces around 20% of Italy's extra virgin olive oil each year, volumes that place it among the country's leading olive-growing regions. But quantity is not everything: international awards confirm the excellence.
Sicilian olive oils collect prizes every year at the world's most prestigious competitions – from the NYIOOC (New York International Olive Oil Competition) to Marco Oreggia's Flos Olei. It is no accident: the combination of climate, native cultivars and production know-how creates a product that is hard to replicate anywhere else.
Certifications: the guarantee that makes the difference
A quality Sicilian extra virgin olive oil never turns up without its credentials. The PDO and PGI certifications are the proof that the oil in your glass is authentically Sicilian, produced according to rigorous product specifications checked by independent third-party bodies.
Sicilia PGI guarantees that the olives were grown and processed on the island, in accordance with precise agronomic and organoleptic standards. Val di Mazara PDO goes further still, certifying specific geographical origin in central-western Sicily, long considered the “cradle” of Sicilian olive growing at its best.
Why choose it every day
Certified Sicilian extra virgin olive oil is not just an ingredient: it is an informed choice. Choosing it means bringing to the table a product that is good for the palate, good for your health thanks to its antioxidant and health-promoting compounds, and good for the region, supporting the thousands of Sicilian olive-growing families who produce it every year with passion.
In a market where counterfeiting is frequent and labels are often misleading, certified Sicilian oil is the simplest and most effective answer for anyone who wants to know exactly what they are putting on the table. And it is also the most delicious answer.
