Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Colline di Romagna

Just a little way inland from the Riviera di Rimini, you will find the region of Malatesta & Montefeltro, and it is in this small area that about half the production of extra-virgin olive oil from the entire Emilia-Romagna region is produced on a total of about 3,500 hectares, about 60% of which are found in the province of Rimini. As a matter of fact, the “olive heritage” of Rimini includes 375,000 trees (of 600,000 in the entire region) and of a production of 30,000 quintals of olives (of 60,000 quintals in the region).

There are thousands of olive trees in the landscape of the hills of the Malatesta [&] Montefeltro region that are more than a century old: testimonies of the age-old tradition of olive cultivation in this area and the deeply-rooted interest of the local people in this plant.

Olio Extravergine d’Oliva D.O.P. “Colline di Romagna”, thus the full name in Italian, is produced according in ideal agricultural surroundings. The oil is produced with agricultural methods that do not alter the organoleptic characteristics of the olives, and allows for a medium fruity taste, occasionally tending towards light when traces of fresh leaves and green almonds are added.

Where can you find it? In addition to the standard places of purchase, there are also many oil mills that directly sell to the public, as well as farms and “Agriturismo” boarding house-cum-farm establishments that offer olive oil as well as other produce from their own farms.

In autumn there are several fairs and parish festivals in the small towns in the hills. One of the most striking features is the all pervading fragrance of extra-virgin olive oil just pressed in the mills. It is definitely worth a visit!