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Salvatore Mirisola
About 10 kilometers from Sicily's southern seacoast, on the breezy highland called Milinciana, Salvatore Mirisola's olive trees thrive. These trees descend from those that came to Sicily with the Greeks more than two millennia ago. Like their ancient forebears, they too seem to enjoy the favor and protection of the god Zeus Morios, for they produce fruit of exceptional quality from which comes an oil that is nothing short of divine. Of course, we have not only the gods to thank for this beautiful oil. Signore Mirisola, his son Tito, and his skilled workers have much to do with its realization also. Taking maximum advantage of a microclimate that is unfailingly sunny, warm, and breezy, and chalky soils ideal for olive tree growth, the Mirisolas cultivate their groves in strict accordance with the European Union's organic farming requirements. They harvest the fruit by hand at the moment of perfect ripeness, and crush and press it within 2 to 6 hours of harvest. The result is absolutely pure, impeccably fresh, perfectly balanced organic extra virgin oil full of flavors and aromas that speak of the land and people from which it came. As one would expect from a food that is so simple and natural, the character of the oil varies a bit from harvest to harvest.
A few words about Olive Oil quality in the USA... and why Mirisola oil is so special... The laws in Europe are clear, but here, they are not. So... CAVAET EMPTOR!!! A lot of inferior olive oil is sold here as Extra Virgin - it would not come close to meeting that standard in Europe. In fact, when Salvatore Mirisola was inquiring about labeling here, the FDA told him "you can label it pretty much as you wish - there is nothing in our law which requires anything." We label our products with information as would be required in Europe. And then we add some more. We believe the more information, presented in an understandable fashion will help people understand our products - and why they are more costly than the oils on grocery store shelves. A word about the terms "Extra Virgin" ... "Virgin" ... "Olive Oil" and "light olive oil." The term "Extra Virgin" is the internationally recognized designation for the top grade of food-quality olive oil. Most nations involved in the production of olive oil are parties to an agreement setting certain high standards that all true "extra virgin" oils must meet. Unfortunately, the U.S. is not a signatory to this agreement, and there are no federal regulations governing the use of the "Extra Virgin" designation in the domestic marketplace. Consequently, the American consumer is offered a huge assortment of so-called "Extra Virgin" oils, many of which most definitely are not. What is true Extra virgin olive oil? It is the cold-pressed, chemical-free result of the first (and normally only) pressing of the olives, in Europe, "EVOO" is only 0.8 percent acid. The best extra virgin oils are much lower in acid, with the lower quality oils at the top of the limit. Extra Virgin is the finest and fruitiest of the olive oils and is therefore also the most expensive. After extra virgin, olive oils are classified in order of ascending acidity. Mirisola Oil normally ranges in acidity from 0.25 to 0.4 in acidity - very low! Virgin olive oil is also first-press oil, with a slightly higher level of acidity of between 0.8 and 3 percent. Products labeled simply olive oil (once called pure olive oil) contain a combination of chemically refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin oil. The new light olive oil contains the same amount of monounsaturated fat as regular olive oil... and it also has exactly the same number of calories. What the term "light" refers to is that - because of an extremely fine filtration process - this olive oil is lighter in both color and fragrance, and has little of the classic olive-oil flavor. Use it for frying. Typically, purveyors of bogus "Extra Virgin" will start with a base of cheap, chemically refined oil. To this they will add a small percentage of true "Extra Virgin, " thereby lowering the lesser-quality oil's acid content and improving its taste and body. Often they will also add chlorophyll or another coloring agent to achieve a robust green color that, though mistakenly believed by many to be the hallmark of real extra virgin, is almost never seen in the authentic item. Unadulterated extra virgin oil is, with few exceptions, primarily golden in color. The green hue naturally present in new-pressed oil fades as the oil "knits together" and its sediment settles. How can a consumer identify bogus extra virgin? Until the U.S. signs the international olive oil agreement, or adopts its own domestic regulations, the task will be a tricky one. There are certain clues to keep in mind, however: Does the price seem low? Top quality oil is a handcrafted product and the price will reflect that. A large quantity/low price ratio is almost a guarantee that something is amiss. Does the oil's color seem right? As mentioned before, deep green oil has often been treated with coloring agents. Mirisola Oil is totally natural in color. Nothing is added. Does the label indicate that the oil is "estate-grown"? Although this is not an absolute quality guarantee, it is a good indication that the olives used were from a single source. Bogus extra virgins are often blends of various olives from different regions, or even countries, harvested at different times under wildly varying conditions. Salvatore Mirisola's oils are all produced from organic olives from his small 4000-tree estate. Is the oil harvest-dated? This too is a good indication that the oil comes from the fruit of a single grower. The best oils show an expiration date, as well. Mirisola Oils are all harvest dated, with a clearly identified expiration date. Is the grower identified? Most growers will not put their name on an inferior product. It's a question of pride. How does the oil taste? Honest extra virgin olive oil is alive, full of fresh aromas and flavors. It feels light and clean in the mouth... never dull, never greasy. Mirisola Oil is fresh and smooth, with a wonderfully "polyphenols filled" after taste - it explodes the flavors in foods - with less oil than normally would be used. Salvatore Mirisola's Extra Virgin Olive Oil is certified organic by the European Union European Union requirements for organic food certification are quite strict. Only fertilizers that are 100% natural in origin, such as the compost of natural matter, may be used. (Commercially produced nitrogen fertilizer is strictly forbidden). In addition, all chemical pesticides are banned. On the Mirisola and Oliveira estates, insect control is managed through the use of traps, and by nature: many of the trees are high in windy places. EU regulations also specify acceptable harvesting practices and stipulate that organic food can only be processed in certified sanitary facilities. In both Italy and in Portugal, farms and processing facilities are subject to inspection by the national agricultural ministries, working with the European Commission in Brussels. As a final safeguard, The Organic Olive Oil subjects its products to review by an independent Italian laboratory that specializes in vegetable oil analysis. Few growers practice organic farming for an obvious economic reason: organic methods greatly reduce a crop's yield (and consequently the farmer's profit). In the case of olives, an organic farmer's harvest, on a per-tree basis, is typically just 1/8th that of the non-organic farmer. Clearly, it's a special person who chooses to farm organically - people like Salvatore Mirisola, who see their oils as gifts from nature, helped a bit along the way by human hands. 2008 Salvatore Mirisola Olive Oil Characteristics This simple and natural food from Salvatore Mirisola is carefully prepared from each year's crop. Like only a few of the rare, high-polyphenol oils of Sicily, Mirisola oils last a long time.
"I have been growing trees to make olive oil since 1973, and through the years, I have learned a great deal about how to improve the quality of my oil. After studying different cultivation methods, and learning about different soils and microclimates I decided in 1980 to buy additional olive groves and plots of land with the attributes I needed. It was hard at first but now, with my son Tito, and the experience we have gained through years of organic farming, I believe we make some of the best olive oil in Italy, if not the world. I must also say that much of what we have done would not have been possible without the help of the men who work with my son and me in the groves. Two of them, Giuseppe Cammarata and Pietro Licata have been with me from the beginning. To them, and to all our friends who have helped so much, I am deeply grateful. With organic farming, quantity is really sacrificed (we only make about 1 liter of oil per tree), but the quality is exceptional, and we are now ready to share with you our little jewel. The flavors of my oil enhance the taste of cold dishes like salads and carpaccio and really add to a traditional tomato and basil sauce... also to vegetable soups and oven-cooked foods. The oil is perfect for bruschette, meat, and game. Really, I believe it is a prerequisite for great cuisine. I even used to sit on a stone and enjoy it with my workers at breakfast, spoonfuls of it with some dried oregano and warm homemade bread..." |
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We asked Signore Mirisola to write down some thoughts about his oil and his life
as an olive grower. He was happy to oblige ...in Italian. So, what follows is
a translation. The meaning is here but, alas, the music of his beautiful native
language is not.