Are we very confident of being able to recognize an excellent oil from a smelly and defective oil? The path is steep and the “pilgrims” in love with this nectar who want to know the truth, must arm themselves with patience and curiosity. But after that, the satisfaction will be forever fulfilled, because we finally will emerge from a tunnel made of ignorance and utter confusion, crafted by the world oil system that does not want to give us the chance to understand the true taste of each variety from all the Italian regions. We like to talk about oil, as we were taught a few decades ago by Gino Veronelli, talking about olive-growing regions, but mainly talking about suited growing areas. Even better if the lucky owner of olive groves is able to identify the cru or the perfect area giving, as a final and perfective step, a name to that particular oil through the identification of those olives: cultivars, crasis of the Anglo-Saxon phrase ‘cultivated variety’.

In a really far from our imagination olive distributional area, closer to the Slovenian border than to our country, there is a family that produces olive oil of excellent quality: the Starec’s. As if they were a tribe of fans of the earth, Paolo and Roberto, together with their families, have a single creed: excellence. From Tergeste PDO with introduction of Bianchera, Belica and Maurino varieties, till mono-variety stoned Leccino in order to let you know all the flavours of the pulp. It is just after these tastings that we understand that there is no more or less strong oil, delicate oil from the coast or the spicy oil from the hill. Ridiculous clichés that must be exploded and removed for good, as it has been done for wine during 50 years of aware tastings. Open these bottles and you will smell vegetal and balsamic aromas of fresh herbs and olive, the mouth will be surprised by bitter and spicy jumps, incredibly long and fresh. Then buy a one litre oil bottle in transparent glass of any one brand, compare the two oil and now you have unknowingly started the first lesson to the discovery of the oil of excellence.