The Ducal Palace of Lucca will host a two-day exposition of select Italian extra virgin olive oils.
On February 17 and 18, the magnificent frescoed halls of the Ducal Palace in Piazza Napoleone will be the setting for a trade show, ExtraLucca, that will present a collection of high-quality Italian extra virgin olive oils.
After six years of ExtraLucca, I can say that the borderless appeal of extra virgin olive oil is a reality.- Fausto Borella, ExtraLucca
The fair will give enthusiasts and experts in the sector the opportunity to discover and taste some of the best national products of the season like Frantoio Marsicani from Campania, Fattoria Ramerino and La Ranocchiaia from Tuscany, Azienda Agricola Mandranova from Sicily, NYIOOC 2017 Best in Class winner Donato Conserva from Puglia, Giulia Cappelli from Lazio, Olio Cru from Trentino Alto Adige and many others Italian companies of excellence.
“Since the beginning of this adventure, my challenge as a communicator and ambassador of extra virgin olive oil was to be able to bring Italian producers and their oils to a small, although very beautiful, city,” Fausto Borella, the creator of the event revealed. “And then, they participated with motivation and enthusiasm, aware that this is a cultural event and also an excellent occasion to show off and introduce their products to national and international consumers. After six years of ExtraLucca, I can say that the borderless appeal of extra virgin olive oil is a reality.”
The Ademollo room, decorated with wonderful wall paintings, will host a guided blind tasting for one hundred participants who will have the opportunity to experience fifteen extra virgin olive oils led by Borella and other experts, including Sonia Donati and Fiammetta Nizzi Griffi.
“The attention paid to this kind of events demonstrates that the culture of high-quality extra virgin olive oil is rising. People enjoy tasting, discovering and also pairing EVOOs with food — that is what will happen at our event,” Borella said.
The fair will be preceded by the Maestrod’olio Crowns award ceremony for the best extra virgin olive oils, and the launch of the guide Terred’Olio 2018 in the theatre of San Girolamo. For this edition, a crown was designed by the Tuscan sculptor Andrea Roggi, who created an artwork in bronze and copper that will go to the best companies presented in the guide.
The two-day exhibition at the Ducal Palace will be accompanied by book readings, exhibitions of chefs and pastry chefs, talks by nutritionists and food and wine tastings open to experts, enthusiasts, children and newcomers.
On Saturday the 17th, the extra virgin olive oils will head to the kitchens with chefs including Giorgio Barchiesi, better known as Giorgione, and the pizza maker Gennaro Nasti. On Sunday, along with olive oil tastings, the public can learn the secrets of champagne with the ‘champagnist’ Samuel Cogliati and get closer to wine with the Grand Crus of the Tuscan Coast.
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