The Frantoio olive is a hardy Italian variety, hailing from the rolling hills of Tuscany. Frantoio is an outstanding oil producing variety and is well know for producing oil with a rich, fruity flavour balanced by an aromatic, grassy nose. In addition to being a superb oil variety, Frantoio also makes a great table olive.
The flavour of Frantoio oil is largely dictated by the ripeness as the time of picking and pressing. Olives that are picked earlier in the season, when they are a greenish purple, will have a zestier flavour and nose. Olives that are picked closer to full maturity, when they are a dark purple in colour will have a slightly softer, fuller fruit flavour. Frantoio extra virgin olive oil is from the first pressing of the fruit and is a lustrous pale green in colour.
Many Australian oil producers grow Frantoio in their groves, however it is often blended with other varieties to produce a blended “Extra Virgin Olive Oil”. This is done to ‘smooth out’ the flavour profile, and give a more predictable, blanced flavour which is desirable for many mainstream consumers. A bottle of single varietal Frantoio oil retains all of it’s unique characteristics and charm and can really stand out from the crowd of regular olive oils.
Frantoio oil is ideal for those occasions when you want the flavour of the oil to shine. Some great example of this might be:
A basic oil and lemon dressing for a fresh cos lettuce salad
Drizzles over burrata
Foudjou – a soft cheese stored in olive oil with herbs
Simply served alongside a good crusty bread for dipping
If you would like to try a bottle of single varietal Frantoio olive oil for yourself, visit our shop and grab a bottle of our 2017.