点评:The Pruneti brothers (Gianni and Paolo) are the fourth generation of a family that has been growing olives and producing oil for over 160 years. They have over 30 K trees in their orchards and combine the family’s production secrets with continuous research of new technology. They use sustainable organic farming methods to grow the famous Tuscan Frantoio olive that’s highly valued for its distinctive flavor and high oil content.
While visiting their factory and observing production processes, we learned the nuances of producing excellent and healthy extra virgin oil. Afterward, we sat down to a flight of a half dozen varieties of olive oil produced by the Pruneti’s. They ranged from pur Frantoio olives to blends with other varieties, such as the Leccino, to create balanced olive oils.
You actually drink the olive oil to catch the taste on the tip of your tongue until it passes by your throat and down the esophagus. Frantoio olives are known for their fruity taste, often characterized by a clean bitterness and a peppery finish. Gianni is the “hands-on” person responsible for field maintenance, production, and blending. He is the artisan craftsman in the family while Paolo is the salesman entrepreneur and marketeer. He’s also responsible for meeting government standards and certifications of their products.
Olive oil like any food production is highly regulated and products have to meet extraordinary standards to be classified IGP or DOC. Italian standards exceed those of all other European Union countries and are considered “Summum Bonum” as striving to meet the ultimate goal or supreme good. It is the fundamental standard to which all others strive to achieve. The Pruneti brothers have multiple generations of experience in meeting this end.
翻译:普鲁内蒂兄弟(吉安尼和保罗)是一个家族的第四代传人,这个家族种植橄榄并生产橄榄油已逾160年。他们的果园中种植着超过3万棵橄榄树,他们既传承了家族特有的生产秘诀,又不断研究新技术。他们采用可持续的有机耕作方式种植享有盛誉的托斯卡纳弗拉托伊奥橄榄,这种橄榄因其独特的风味和高含油量而备受青睐。
在参观他们的工厂并观察生产流程时,我们了解了如何生产出品质上乘且健康的特级初榨橄榄油。之后,我们品尝了Pruneti家族生产的六七种不同种类的橄榄油。这些橄榄油有的由纯Frantoio橄榄制成,有的则是将Frantoio橄榄与其他品种如Leccino混合而成,以调制出口感均衡的橄榄油。
实际上,品鉴橄榄油时需要将油喝下,让它的味道在舌尖停留片刻,随后才顺着喉咙滑入食道。Frantoio橄榄以带有浓郁果香而著称。通常具有清新的苦味以及带有一丝辛辣感的余味。Gianni是负责田间管理、生产和调配的“实干型”人物。他是家族中的工艺大师,而Paolo则是擅长销售、创业和市场营销的人。此外,他还负责确保产品符合政府的各项标准和认证要求。
与其他食品生产一样,橄榄油生产也受到严格监管,其产品唯有达到极高的标准才能被授予IGP或DOC认证。意大利的标准超越了所有其他欧盟国家,被视为实现最终目标或至高善境的典范。它是所有其他标准努力效仿的根本准则。普鲁内蒂兄弟家族世代致力于达成这一目标,拥有丰富的经验。