Extra virgin olive oil is, after salt, the most fundamental ingredient in the culinary world.  It is the queen of the Italian pantry and the backbone of the Mediterranean diet.  Olive oil is the perfect bridge between tradition and innovation, connecting us to a deeper sense of history, culture and gastronomy.  In the southeastern region of Italy, third generation Pugliese producer Giuseppe Ciccolella oversees 8,000 Ogliarola and Coratina olive trees with a rarified commitment to quality.

    With sixty million olive trees spanning the region north to south, Puglia routinely produces 50% of all Italian olive oil.  Ciccolella’s strategic location 3 km from the Adriatic Sea helps mitigates temperatures and consistently preserve their fruit year after year.  The Coratina olive originated in Puglia but due to its high antioxidants is cultivated throughout the world.  Its assertive flavor adds vibrancy to blends, or can be savored as an inimitable monocultivar.

    This early harvest filtered monocultivar Coratina oil smells like a lush forest of herbs and freshly ripped green leaves.  It hits the mouth with a punch of grass, vibrant bitterness and trails off with a persistence of black pepper in the throat.  This peppery sensation – considered an attractive attribute of high-quality extra virgin olive oil – is produced by oleocanthal, a natural phenolic compound with both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  This style of oil enlivens tomato sauces, grilled meats, beans, soups, or charred octopus, but we also recommend you smell and then taste it – on its own, independent of other foods – so that you can experience and then analyze its viscosity and flavor profile.

    The wine zones of Puglia are vast and much of the region is covered mountain to valley with indigenous grapevines.  Castel del Monte DOC is a large area just nearby Molfetta.  In this sleepy area, producers craft artisanal wines from grapes such as Bombino Bianco, Nero di Troia, and Aglianico.  For the most unique and geo-specific, try the red wines produced from the grape, Nero di Troia – they resemble full-bodied wines with dark and rich brambly fruit flavors.  If you’re looking for dessert wines, the neighboring wine zone, Moscato di Trani DOC, is an excellent choice to find sweet nectar-like wines with velvety textures deep in amber orange colors loaded with notes of tangerine, candied orange, and allspice.