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GLOBETROTTER SERIES: ITALY
Olive Oil Obsession RARE OLIVE OIL PRODUCERS MAKE A COME BACK MARK RIDLEY INTERVIEW BY RACHEL VANCELET TE
90 | MetMagNY.com | 25AMagazine.com
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ust like champagne, fine wines and prosciutto di parma, the olive oil tasting trend is reaching new heights in Italy. People have believed for years that olive oil tasting is best in Fall months when the olives are harvested and new oil is pressed, but experts throughout the regions now say the rich distinct flavors and unique tastes are timeless and not season specific.
The famous Tuscany Hills still reign supreme for producing the best olive oil in the world, and I had the rare opportunity to sit down with grower and expert olive oil maker Colonel Mark Ridley, former commander in the Queen’s Household Calvary Mounted Regiment. Ridley dedicated himself, following a full military career, to Villa Montalbano on the Tuscan mountainside near Pistoia, Italy. Ridley is dedicated to the seasonal annual Italian olive oil harvest, following old Italian tradition. Visitors, friends and family all join the production festivities to help refine and bottle this rare delicious olive oil created by centuries’ old tradition. To gain further insight