How to give value to real olive oil and rural authenticity in adverse conditions INTERNATIONALMAGAZINE #11 #12
THE 21ST CENTURY CASTLE by Charlotte Horton Castello di Potentino
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astello di Potentino lies in a secret valley under Monte Amiata. It is surrounded by a rich green landscape which we fondly call the green sea. This is a vital landscape which has never been impacted by modern farming practices. There is no monoculture, no long term, widespread use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Instead it is made up of small plots of land with strong polyculture - a bountiful mix of olives, vines, fruit and nut trees. Bees, birds and wild flowers abound. There are even freshwater crabs in the river. It makes you feel at home - one of the etymologies for Amiata is the Indo-European term Heimat which means motherland. The first written mention of the Castle dates back to 1042 but it undoubtedly has Etruscan foundations. Many terracotta artefacts from Potentino are in the museum at Grosseto. Some of these are clearly containers for wine and oil. So, what we see in this environment is really the continuous, uninterrupted tradition of cultivation of vines and olives for over 2,500 years. There are some interesting bio-types of Sangiovese in the small vineyards in front of the castle which attest to a long history of grafting and viticultural expertise developed over millennia. Some of the olive trees we have are over 1,000 years old and are of the Olivastra Seggianese cultivar which is indigenous to this specific area. This variety is well known for its ability to adapt and survive with a little bit of help from some positive human intervention. The valley has a unique microclimate with most of the land being at 350 m above sea level. However, it benefits from higher altitude conditions as it is directly below Monte Amiata, the highest mountain in Tuscany and an ex-volcano. At night, during the summer, the vineyards and olive groves are cooled by the mountain air and very well ventilated by dry, hot air drawn off the sea and coastal plains during the day - extreme changes in temperature - perfect for growing fruit. Known locally as the ‘Conca D’Oro’, the valley itself is shaped like a basin and very well protected. This crucible-like form has ensured that, unlike other
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areas of the Amiata where there has been erosion, volcanic matter has been gathered and blended, not washed away and it has collected in the bowllike valley. The soil is mixed volcanic - marly schist, calcite, and quartz on a bed of metamorphic marine clay which is amazingly enough a natural fossil fertilizer. With this mineral-rich, geologically-new volcanic soil and extreme changes in temperature, Potentino is the ideal location for photosynthesis and the concentration of the natural sugars needed to make both a fine elegant wine and a delicate yet persistent and complex olive oil. It is no wonder then that this magic valley attracted the Etruscans thousands of years ago. This natural fertility generated civilization and community around it. Although this is an article in a magazine about olive oil, I would like to talk systemically about the confrontations and solutions surrounding the delicious golden liquid which is one of the staples of nutrition and pleasure in the modern world not only in the Mediterranean - or should we now be branding it as the Made In Terranean?! Since I first moved to Italy 30 years ago, I have noticed a gradual change which initially puzzled me. It took me some time to discern what that was. This is what I realized - it is the sense of place that is disappearing. Distinctions and traditions which characterize it are being eroded by homogenization and mass consumerism. There is loss of the appreciation of quality; quality that is the essence or special nature of a thing. Characteristics are formed by a series of unique relationships between the climate, the earth, the vegetation, individual sensibility and the past. They are directly reflected in the produce or cultural expression of specific natural environments, such that place makes a qualitative difference. The importance of place in the flavour of an olive oil, wine or in fresh ricotta is paramount and, in order to preserve that, both producers and consumers must resist the desire to have more, have cheaper and then waste. This change is becoming more pressing and critical as now climate change, pollution and population displacement are undeniable problems.
The land around Potentino is full of abandoned olive groves and vines and fruit trees. This is no surprise when fraudulent olive oil finds its way on to the supermarket shelves at €1 or €2 euros per litre. In the area surrounding the Amiata where we live and work, I was lucky enough to discover that many local traditions and practices have survived. It represented to me a model of ‘place’. The Potentino project aims to promote, protect and capitalize on local tradition and the natural environment whilst maintaining the highest standards that are needed for an international demand. This means quality not quantity and involves a great deal of educational work teaching people the difference between a good oil and a bad or false oil. Likewise with wine or cheese or bread or prosciutto and so on. Castello di Potentino’s production tries to be representative of the delicate relationship between nature and the human, earth and the climate; a symbiosis based on observation and respect, sensibility and discipline. Our olive oil is made from a blend of Olivastra Seggianese, Frantoio, Pendolino and Leccino olives. All are picked while the olives are still green or just as they are turning black at the end of October and in early November each year. We take all our olives to the press as soon as we can to ensure the highest quality oil. The olives are pressed at the award-winning Frantoio Franci oil mill where they cold press all the olives in separate batches. So where are we now? What happens at the castle in the 21st century? How do we create a dynamic for the present and the future to help promote rurality and actually sell its produce effectively? This is the challenge for many small producers all over Italy who are making genuine local products from their own land. How do you manage to sell olive oil and wine at a price that is economically sustainable but cannot possibly be competitive with rapidly descending supermarket prices? For us the strategy is conservation, diversification, outreach and a lot of hard work.
