This region that has mountains, hills, sea, and great food produces also has the best Italian EVO

Abruzzo is an amazing region on the east coast of Italy, with an incredible variety of landscapes, all to be discovered. It is no coincidence that its coat of arm is divided into three transversal bands. White, like the peaks of its snow-capped mountains; green, like the gentle hills of its hinterland; and blue, like the Adriatic Sea. Here, between ski resorts and sandy beaches, among abandoned villages and castles, there are cultivations olive trees that produce some of the best extra virgin olive oil (EVO) in Italy.

The main areas for the production of extra virgin olive oil are in the Tordino valley, the Vomano, Tavo, and Chietino ones as well as in the Conca di Sulmona. These areas are mainly valleys rising from the Adriatic Sea into the rugged mountains of the region.

**One of the great Abruzzo EVOs is the ‘Aprutino Pescarese DOP’.
** Nearly 40 producers in more than 30 municipalities work together to produce this exceptional extra virgin olive oil using the three native cultivars. Dritta, Toccolana, and Leccino, together with others such as Cucco, Castiglionese, Gentile del Chieti. The result is one of the most precious expressions of such a wonderful territory.

Moreover, according to the ‘Oli d’Italia‘ guide, this region is home to the ‘mill of the year’. Frantoio Hermes, in the province of Pescara, received the award as Italy’s best mill for its high-quality EVOs.

From its 4,500 plants spread over 24 hectares of olive groves, largely organically farmed, the mill produces three outstanding, elegant and complex oils: ‘Venus Monocultivar Ascolana Tenera Bio’, a medium fruity balanced EVO; ‘Armonia’, a green and persistent extra virgin olive oil with balsamic nuances; and ‘Vesta Dop Aprutino Pescarese Monocultivar Dritta Bio‘, a medium green fruity with pronounced bitterness and a slightly more tenuous, yet persistent, spiciness.

Ilona Catani Scarlett