The decision to carry out a study of a large number of labelled commercial extra virgin olive oils was taken in order to provide the consumer with information about the chemical and sensory properties of extra virgin olive oils which are currently available on the Italian market. The commercial potential of the monovarietal oils can be exploited either in terms of purity, relying on the specific characteristics of the single cultivar, or mixing the monovarietal oilsfrom each cultivars as a “blend” based on the different typologies of Italian olive oil. For this purpose these oil typologies were assessed by clustering the collected olive oil data according to different sensory profiles. Descriptive analysis and hierarchical cluster analysisof sensory characters were performed. Monovarietal oils were clustered in six different sensory typologies emphasising the variability and the depth of aromas characterising Italian Monovarietal oils. Such classification of monovarietal oils typologies may help the consumer in making aninformed choice, and in matching more easily with the wide range of flavours found inItalian cuisine.
Typology 1
Sensory profile description Oils characterized by medium olive fruity intensity, with prevalent almond scent and light notes of grass/leaf and artichoke; pungent and bitter taste of medium-light intensity.
Belong to this typology: [CANINESE] [CARBONCELLA] [CARPELLESE] [CASTELNOVINA] [CIMA DI BITONTO] [CIMA DI MELFI] [CORNETTA] [DOLCE AGOGIA] [DOLCE DI ROSSANO] [DRITTA] [GENTILE DI CHIETI] [GENTILE DI LARINO] [LEA] [LECCINO] [LIMONCELLA] [NEBBIO] [NOCIARA] [OGLIAROLA] [OLIVOTTO] [PAESANA BIANCA] [PIANTONE DI MOGLIANO] [QUERCETANO] [RAGGIA] [RAIO] [RAJA] [RAZZOLA] [ROSCIOLA] [ROSCIOLA COLLI ESINI] [ROTONDELLA] [SALELLA] [SALVIANA] [SARGANO DI FERMO] [SBRESA] [TAGGIASCA] [TONDA DI STRONGOLI] [TONDINA (ROGGIANELLA)]
Typology 2
Sensory profile description Oils characterized by medium/high olive fruity intensity, with prevalent almond scent and light notes of grass/leaf and artichoke; pungent and bitter taste of medium/high intensity.
Belong to this typology: [ARANCINO] [CASALIVA] [CORATINA] [CORREGGIOLO] [CROGNALEGNA] [FRANTOIO] [MINUTA DI CHIUSI] [OGLIAROLA BARESE] [OGLIAROLA DEL BRADANO] [OGLIAROLA GARGANICA] [OLIVA NERA DI COLLETORTO] [OLIVASTRO DI BUCCHIANICO] [PENDOLINO] [PIANTONE DI FALERONE] [PROVENZALE] [RAGGIOLA] [RAGGIOLO] [RAZZO] [SAN FELICE] [SARGANO DI SAN BENEDETTO] [TORTIGLIONE]
Typology 3
Sensory profile description Oils characterized by medium olive fruity intensity, with peculiar soft fruits scent; pungency and bitter taste of medium intensity.
Belong to this typology: [CARPINETANA] [CELLINA DI NARDO] [MIGNOLA] [OGLIAROLA SALENTINA]
Typology 4
Sensory profile description Oils characterized by medium/high olive fruity intensity, with scent of grass, artichoke, fresh almond and tomato; pungency and bitter taste of medium intensity.
Belong to this typology: [BELLA DI CERIGNOLA] [BIANCOLILLA] [BOSANA] [CAROLEA] [CERASUOLA] [CORONCINA] [CUCCO] [LANTESCA] [MAJATICA DI FERRANDINA] [MAURINO] [NOCELLARA MESSINESE] [OLIVASTRA SEGGIANESE] [ORBETANA] [OTTOBRATICA] [PERANZANA] [PREMPESA] [RUSTICA] [SEMIDANA] [TERMITE DI BITETTO] [TOCCOLANA] [TONDA DEL MATESE] [VERDELLO]
Typology 5
Sensory profile description Oils characterized by medium/high olive fruity with grassy notes, tomato scent and light flavour of fresh almond and artichoke; pungency and bitter taste of medium intensity.
Belong to this typology: [ASCOLANA TENERA] [BORGIONA] [FARASANA] [GENTILE DELL AQUILA] [GENTILE DI MAFALDA] [GHIACCIOLO] [GIARRAFFA] [GRIGNANO] [GROSSA DI CASSANO] [ITRANA] [NERA DI OLIENA] [NERA DI VILLACIDRO] [NOCELLARA DEL BELICE] [NOCELLARA ETNEA] [ORFANA] [ORTICE] [RAVECE] [SPERONE DI GALLO] [TONDA IBLEA]
Typology 6
Sensory profile description Oils characterized by medium/high olive fruity with grass/leaf, fresh almond and artichoke notes, light flavor of tomato, medium/high intensity of bitter and pungency taste.
Belong to this typology: [ASCOLANA DURA] [BIANCHERA] [CIMA DI MOLA] [INTOSSO] [LECCIO DEL CORNO] [MORAIOLO] [NOSTRALE DI RIGALI] [NOSTRANA DI BRISIGHELLA] [OLIVA ROSSA] [PICHOLINE] [PISCIOTTANA] [ROSSELLINO]
You can find the cultivars not considered in the typologiy definitions below: [ASPRINIA] [AURINA DI VENAFRO] [BELLA DI SPAGNA] [CAMMAROTANA] [CASSANESE] [CASTIGLIONESE] [CAZZARELLA] [CAZZINICCHIA] [CELLINA DI ROTELLO] [CERASA DI MONTENERO] [CERASOLA] [CICINELLA] [CIERA DEI COLLI] [CIPRESSINO] [COLOMBAIA] [CORNIOLA] [FEMMINELLA] [FORT] [GARGNA] [GENTILE DI ANGHIARI] [GHIANNARA] [GORGAZZO] [GREMIGNO DI FAUGLIA] [LAVAGNINA] [LAZZERO] [LEUCOCARPA] [LIMONA] [MADONNA DELL IMPRUNETA] [MAJORCHINA] [MARINA] [MARINESE] [MARZEMINA] [MARZIO] [MATOSSO] [MERLINA] [MIGNOLO] [MINIOL] [MINUCCIOLA] [MINUTA NASITANA] [MINUTELLA] [MONICELLA] [MORCHIAIO] [MORCONA] [MORCONE] [NEBBIA] [NEBBIA DEL MENOCCHIA] [NEGREL] [NERA DI GONNOS] [NOSTRALE] [OGLIAROLA DEL VULTURE] [OGLIAROLA MESSINESE] [OGLIASTRINA] [OLIVASTRO] [OLIVASTRO DI APRILE] [OLIVASTRO DRITTO] [ORTOLANA] [PAESANA NERA] [PASOLA] [PIBIREDDU] [PINOLA] [POSOLA] [POSOLELLA] [RACIOPPA] [RACIOPPELLA] [RASARA] [RITORNELLA] [ROSSUOLA] [RUMIGNANA] [SAN BENEDETTO] [SANT’AGOSTINO] [SANTAGATESE] [SAVORGNANA] [SCARPETTA] [SELVATICO] [SIMONA] [SINOPOLESE] [SIVIGLIANA] [SPEZZANESE] [TENDELLONE] [TONDA DI CAGLIARI] [TREP] [ZAITUNA] [ZAMPELLO]