What are the best extra virgin olive oils in the world? And how does an oil have to be to be valued as the best? We have many answers for it and the contest gives them to us Dubai Olive Oil Competition 2022, held every year in the city of Dubai in search of the excellence of the best EVOO. Each new edition, this is the fourth, has two awards: one in February, for all early harvest olive oils, and another in June, for all olive oils in the world. In total, since its creation around 1,400 different producers have participated and 450 winners have been announced.
Smell, flavor, balance and intensity is everything that the jury of these international awards in which gold and silver medals are awarded, value. In this sense, the gold medal of this edition has been awarded to a Spanish oil: the Arbequina and Argudell EVOOs from the Fontclara estate in the Empordà.
"The slightly fruity Arbequina juice plays with green and velvety tones that create the elegance that is perceived in the mouth. We find in its wake a fruity aroma, fresh grass, apple, banana and almond. Fontclara Arbequina It is, therefore, a harmonious olive oil whose fresh, lively notes and intense fragrances complement and enhance both cold cooking and cooking.
hot. Its depth remains stable even during the cooking and frying process, so it can enhance countless dishes", Fontclara stresses.
As for the Argudell variety, they explain, it recalls the strong character of artichokes, arugula, dandelion, green figs, sage, fresh oregano and dried fruit. " Fontclara Argudell it is a harmonious olive oil, whose intense depth remains stable even during the cooking and frying process, so it can enhance many dishes."
It is, therefore, a fine oil, especially recommended for vegetables, mayonnaise, eggs, salads, fish and white meat . “For confectionery it is a perfect ingredient to replace butter, due to its incredible density and volume. It is versatile, does not mask the flavors of the dishes and is recommended for hot and cold cooking, both sweet and savory”.
This has not been the only award they have received, in fact in 2021 they already awarded the gold medal at the Japan Oil 2021, also the silver medal at the New York International Olive Oil Competition 2021 and the bronze at the Olive Oil Award. Zürich 2021.
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An oil for dipping bread.
THE STORY OF FONTCLARA
The history of Fontclara is that of Roland Zanotelli, passionate about botany, gastronomy and art, and about Emordà. One of his dreams was to create a project with all the essence of the Mediterranean, that is how he found some olive trees planted on the estate of the municipality of Palau Sator , where Flontclara was finally born.
The Finca Zanotelli de Fontclara is located in the heart of the Baix Empordà, between the medieval towns of Peratallada, Palau-Sator and Ullastret y Pals (popularly known as the golden triangle of the Empordà). “It is a privileged place on the Costa Brava, blessed by a microclimate on land with high production power: it is a kind of architectural and natural golden mile from which the best liquid treasure is born, Fontclara extra virgin olive oil”, they point out
The farm has a sustainable approach, it is produced in a respectful and ecological way, under the supervision of the Catalan Council for Organic Agricultural Production , which guarantees compliance with the required regulations. “All this supposes, for example, that in all the fields the spontaneous flowering of herbs and flowers under the olive trees is favored, to promote the balance of flora and fauna and create living ecosystems that favor pest control yes”.
Fontclara estate in the Empordà.
Its biodiversity is maintained thanks to groundwater that, from the construction of wells powered by solar energy, irrigate the subsoil through pipes that are underground, providing the exact amount of water needed by the roots of the olives , while keeping the field always green and in flower.
Some 8,000 olive trees are currently grown on 50 hectares of land, many of them ancient trees. “The olives of the Arbequina and Argudell varieties are harvested green at the end of September or the beginning of October. Only the best specimens are kept, after a meticulous manual selection process, to avoid any alteration in the nuances of flavors and aromas of the oil”.
In addition, they are processed immediately in the same oil mill on the farm with the windmill I died , from Italy, latest technology to optimize oil quality, where it is also stored in stainless steel tanks with controlled temperature, and the olive oil obtained is bottled only according to demand before its international distribution.
To make a liter of this extra virgin olive oil from the Arbequina and Argudell varieties, between eight and ten kg of olives are needed. Its harvesting takes place at the end of September.