“Pettinarli ogni anno” (comb them each year). This old local saying refers to the importance of careful grooming of olive trees to enhance yields. This is what we do in our “Oliveto della Riviera Ligure”(Olive Grove of the Riviera Ligure): 136 healthy plants, 7 years of commitment and testing, 7 years of rather constant harvesting, an average 2,072 kg of olives yearly. The result is a PDO Riviera Ligure EVO, subarea Riviera dei Fiori, each bottle complete with the label of the Consortium, reserved for institutional uses. Harvesting took place also in the 2019-2020 season, although its reputation as a low-yield year. Precautions paid. Fertilization in April, close to a humid period, using a complex rich in nitrogen and potassium, in order to revitalize the bacterial flora of the soil and help the root system. Mowing took place twice. April was also the month of pruning, aimed at cleaning and identifying productive branches. Chopping pruning waste on site with a shredding machine provide both protection from weeds and nourishment. The threat of olive fruit fly was fought with prevention. Harvesting took place in early December (3rd-5th) 2019. As for quantities, 2,658 kg is not too far from the 2,805 kg of the previous season. Despite the heavy rains of late November, oil yield was – all in all – good. Olives were pressed immediately: the resulting oil was the object of study and analysis of values: fruity 4.4, high sweet, 5.2, bitter 1.5, pungent 1.7 – to sum up, an iconic and mellow “taggiasco”. Acidity 0.25 and peroxides 8, as per standards.
The President of the Consortium, Carlo Siffredi (who lives in Lucinasco) underlines: “The aim of our activity in the Oliveto is, among others, to maintain quantities steady year after year – regardless of the low/high yield cycle – thanks to careful farming processes and techniques. The adoption of these best practices would favour the whole territory. Cost analysis – which has always been monitored through time – shows that producing in Liguria implies an elevated economic commitment, as we act like the keepers of a difficult land: nevertheless, we produce a certified and guaranteed excellence whose value is to be acknowledged at all levels”.
