Very often the comparison with wine can be intimidating for olive oil. Indeed, in view of the increasing popularity of wine, it is often difficult to emphasize the quality of oil in restaurants worldwide, including those in our country. If wine has the gift of harmoniously complementing a dish, telling us something about the territory, inspiring and moving us, of becoming in brief the ambassador of a land’s history and tradition, oil is by no means less important. To consider it a simple dressing is belittling. Oil is a precious source of nourishment, and can give personality to a dish, enhancing its flavour while contributing to our health. As for wine, its place of origin is important, but equally critical is the care put into its production and preservation. Oil is a very general term, one should speak of oils, as they are the expression of a territory, and reflect its specific identity. The famous Italian journalist Luigi Veronelli once wrote “Many years ago, an innkeeper on the shores of Lake Garda (oh! many years ago, I remember neither name nor place) would always state that ‘fish should swim three times: in water, in oil and in wine’. He was right: his Garda oil – just like the fish and wine he served – was both fresh and luscious.”
