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The olive harvest on Lake Garda is an eagerly awaited event for growers and lovers of high-quality olive oil. This area, renowned for the production of excellent extra virgin olive oils, is home to several cultivars that give the final product unique and unmistakable characteristics.
These include Casaliva and Drizzar, native Garda varieties, alongside Leccino and Moraiolo, which complete an olive-growing panorama of rare beauty and value.
Casaliva together with the Drizzar variety is particularly appreciated for its fruity and light aroma, Leccino, with its unmistakable sweet note, and Moraiolo, with its spicy and bitter taste, further enrich the range of flavours available on Lake Garda.
This year, however, producers had to reckon with a rather low average pressing yield of around 9 per cent. A surprisingly low figure compared to the typical yields to which the Garda area has accustomed us in recent decades. Despite this, the quality of the oil produced remains unequalled, testifying to the dedication and passion that characterise the olive growers of this area.
This year we are coming from a very critical olive-growing year 2023 on Lake Garda and in general throughout northern Italy in which no olives were harvested and oil production was practically zero.
This crisis was caused by adverse weather conditions that severely affected the flowering and ripening of the olives. Extreme weather events, such as late frosts and heavy rains, caused significant damage to olive groves.
As a result, many producers found themselves unable to harvest, leading to an extremely poor or non-existent production season. This situation had a major impact on the local economy and raised concerns about the future sustainability of olive cultivation in the region.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of farms in the area that have chosen to convert their production to organic cultivation. This positive trend is fundamental to preserving the health of an area that, unfortunately, is often threatened by urban and tourist aggression that in recent years has reached levels that are hardly sustainable. The choice of sustainable cultivation methods not only contributes to the protection of the environment, but also guarantees a healthier and more genuine olive oil for consumers, promoting the well-being of each individual.
Lake Garda, with its olive-growing tradition and increasing attention to environmentally friendly farming practices, is a virtuous example of how to combine quality and sustainability. Choosing an organic extra virgin olive oil means not only enjoying a product of the highest quality, but also supporting a production model that respects and enhances the land and the people who inhabit it.
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