About D.O.P.
D.O.P. Extra Virgin olive oil is the best there is. It is guaranteed by the European Union as being produced in a well defined geographical area and containing less than 1% acidity. There are over 520 D.O.P. designations, with over 100 of these in Italy, and they are split into the categories of cheese, vegetables, salami, olive oils and other products. The designation defines not only a geographic area or origin, but also specifics about how it is made and its character. For instance, for a D.O.P. designation of olive oil, it will specify the varietals that must be used and the methods of production. In essence, it is both a guarantee of quality and a system for preserving traditional preparations.
D.O.P. stands for 'Denominazione d'Origine Protetta'. Denomination of Protected Origin by the European Community. The mark is guaranteed by the European Union and was created to promote the authenticity and artisan characteristics of certain food and agricultural products.
All D.O.P. products are linked to their place of origin. For instance, A D.O.P. Umbria designation guarantees that all of the olives used to produce the oil come the geographically designated area (in this case, one of five small regions within Umbria). The olives must come from olive groves that have been D.O.P. Umbria approved. The cultivation must be carried out according to well defined procedures. The pressing must be done in selected mills. Finally, the olive oil must pass further careful evaluations.
This D.O.P. is strictly controlled to insure a special, identifiable character of the region: the mix and percentage of olive types is tightly controlled (For D.O.P. Umbria, Colli del Trasimeno, for instance, Moraiolo must make up at least 15%, Frantoio and Leccino combined must not exceed 65%). Color, aroma, acidity and more are all controlled to insure the highest quality.
Among Casa de Case olive oils, some instances of D.O.P. certified olive oils are Frantoio Olivestri designated Umbria. Colli del Trasimeno, the area dominated by the lake of the same name and Oleificio Basiricò Principe di Malumeri is designated D.O.P. Valli Trapanesi from the area of Sicily surrounding Trapani.