Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

Olive oil tasters. A physiological fitness course is underway

(by Angela Sciortino) Tasters of virgin and extra virgin olive oils. To become one, you need a broad knowledge of olive cultivation techniques and above all those of oil extraction and conservation. But also and above all a lot of training of the sense ofsmell and taste.

To begin the complex path that leads to becoming tasters we start with a course that lasts 36 hours. Like the one planned from 17 to 20 September, intended for university students and technicians from the world of business and public bodies, and organized byRegional Institute of Wine and Oil (Irvo) together with Stal, the Department of Agri-food Sciences and Technologies of the University of Palermo and atRegional Agriculture Department, Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries.

«The University of Palermo and Irvo boast a consolidated experience - He says Paolo Inglese of the Department of Agri-food Sciences and Technologies – they manage to train many young people and not, aimed at the first approach in the recognition of quality olive oils, thus also meeting the needs of the sector which needs to train experts in the oil sector to improve and refine the techniques that lead to quality improvement of extra virgin olive oils from Sicily». 

«This type of training activity – he adds Vincenzo Cusumano, general director of Irvo – they are extremely important for the certification activities carried out by the Institute which needs professionals to verify the quality of Sicilian oils with the Dop and Igp brands. The involvement of numerous industry experts with many years of experience will make the lessons interesting and stimulating for young people approaching the world of extra virgin olive oil».

Students, officials and enthusiasts of the olive growing world will participate in the course, now in its eighth edition, which takes place at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Sciences of the University of Palermo. The course program will be divided into theoretical lessons and practical tests, aimed at providing participants with a broad framework of knowledge, especially in aspects related to the evaluation of virgin and extra virgin olive oils. At the end of the four days in which they will be engaged for nine hours, the aspiring tasters of virgin and extra virgin olive oils, if they pass the final test, will obtain the physiological suitability for tasting.

Among the teachers there are university professors such as Paolo Inglese, Tiziano Caruso And Pietro Catania, experts in the sector such as Maria Concetta Borgese of theIcqrf and Vincenzo Cusumano of Irvo, and long-time olive oil tasters such as Leonardo Catagnano, Giuseppe Cicero and Damiano Licata.

The director of the course will be Giuseppe Cicero, panel leader of the professional oil tasting committee operating within the Regional Institute of Wine and Oil and who has been designated for the sensorial evaluation of the extra virgin olive oils “Igp Sicilia” and “Dop Valdemone”.