Towns inside a protected oil zone
Inside a DOP or IGP olive-oil zone under EU law: the oil made here carries the name.
8 lists
The best olive oil towns within two hours of ParmaDrive south from Parma over the Cisa pass and the land turns to terraced olive groves, chestnut woods and stone villages of the Lunigiana, where the oil is pressed within the boundaries of a protected denomination. Towns worth a detour for the November harvest, the mills and the sandstone hill villages above them.
The best olive oil towns within 90 minutes of PisaNorth of Pisa, the Apuan foothills and the Lunigiana valleys press an olive oil that is green, peppery and thin on the tongue, made in stone villages between chestnut woods and marble quarries. Late autumn is the season, when the mills run and the new oil goes onto grilled bread.
The best olive oil towns within 90 minutes of AnconaBetween the Gran Sasso and the Adriatic, the hills of the Teramo side of Abruzzo press an olive oil with a green, peppery bite, and the towns inside its protected zone sit within easy driving distance of Ancona.
The best olive oil towns within two hours of SalernoInland from Salerno, in the hills of Irpinia and the far north of Campania, olive groves climb behind stone villages that press their own protected oil each autumn. These are towns where the harvest still sets the calendar, and where the mill is a short walk from the piazza.
The best olive oil towns within 45 minutes of CataniaOn the black volcanic soil east of Etna, olive groves run down towards the Ionian between vineyards and citrus, and the oil pressed here is peppery, grassy and bottled under a protected name. Towns from the lava terraces to the fishing harbours all sit inside that production zone.
The best olive oil towns within two hours of NaplesInland from Naples, the hills of Irpinia, the Molise uplands and the Aurunci foothills press olives protected under their own denominations, in stone towns where the mills run through late autumn.
The best olive oil towns within two hours of TurinSouth of Turin the road drops through the Apennine passes into Liguria, where the Taggiasca olive grows on dry stone terraces above the sea. These towns all sit inside the production zone of a protected Riviera Ligure oil, close enough for a weekend from the city.
The best olive oil towns within 45 minutes of GenoaThe coast either side of Genoa sits inside the Riviera Ligure protected olive oil zone, where terraced Taggiasca groves run down to the sea and the mills press through late autumn. Towns where the oil is local, the focaccia is buttery with it, and the water is close enough to swim before lunch.