Panel Test: What It Is and How It Works.

 

The Tasting Glasses

 

Once again the purpose and the procedures of the Panel Tests are codifed by the International Olive Oil Council.

As stated in the COI/T.20/Doc. No 15/Rev. 10 2018:

“The purpose of this international method is to determine the procedure for assessing the organoleptic characteristics of virgin olive oil and to establish the method for its classification on the basis of those characteristics. (…) The method described is only applicable to virgin olive oils and to the classification of such oils according to the intensity of the defects perceived and of the fruitiness, as determined by a group of tasters selected, trained and monitored as a panel.”.

 

The IOC describes and codes every detail of the way a Panel Test has to be conducted: from the glasses to be used (their shape, colour dimensions ect), to the Test Room Installation, to the temperature of the oils tasted, the temperature of the room and so on.

 

All these details have the scope of standardizing as much as possible the evaluation process.

For example the IOC states that ideally the test should be held in the morning between 10 am and 12 am (although this rule in particular is in my experience rarely respected, due to working issues of the panel members).

Among the detailed codes of conduct for the tasters: “They must remain silent while performing their tasks.” and “They must keep their mobile phone switched off at all times to avoid interfering with the concentration and work of their colleagues.”

The Tasters as well as the panel leader are selected and trained according to a standardized method.

The Tasting room is standardized as well as the number of tasters componing a Panel (“Between 8 and 12 tasters are required for each test, although it is wise to keep some extra tasters in reserve to cover possible absences.”).

The key concept is that the IOC aims at reducing all the chances of human subjectiveness when it comes to judging a virgin olive oil.

So if you were to observe an official tasting session, it would really appear quite "dull". Each taster sits in silence in his/her cubicle. In the cubicle he/she will find the coded glasses containing the olive oil samples, the tasting sheets, a pen, paper napkins, a spittoon, sparkling water and possibly slices of green apple to bite if needed between each tasted sample. The panel leader controls that every thing takes place regularly and gathers the tasting sheets at the end of the session.Only when all tasters have concluded and handed in their tasting sheets will they speak and make comments among each other.

If you are interested in all the details of the Organoleptic analysis, here is the link to the documents of the IOC.



Extra Virgin Olive Oils of Tuscany: IGP and DOPs

Tuscany Map

 

 

Today I want to speak about the Land I have elected as Home: Tuscany.

Tuscan EVOOS are probably the most famous Italian Oils. However, only little more than 8% of all Italian Olive-Grove-Surface lies in within its boarders.

Tuscany is characterized by small olive producers. On a total of about 100.000 hectares of olive-grove surface (distributed for the most part within the provinces of Florence, Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo), about 60% of the olive farms are smaller than 2 hectares. On average in thelast10 years, a little less than 3 % of all Italian EVOO was made in Tuscany (http://www.regione.toscana.it/web/toscana-notizie/dettaglio-notizia/-/asset_publisher/mk54xJn9fxJF/content/olivo-in-toscana-100-mila-ettari-e-15-milioni-di-piante;jsessionid=44ED5083DC3AC56C8EDB8449404125A4.web-rt-as01-p1).

This “small” amount makes it for me, if possible, even more valuable. And it makes it even more important for the consumers to learn to distinguish a real Tuscan EVOO from a fake.

The type of agricolutre in Tuscany is mostly traditional and only 10% of all Tuscan Olive Groves are intensive.

 
Tuscany boasts 5 geographic certifications of quality: 1 IGP and 4 DOPs.

The IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva “Toscano” embraces the EVOOs produced from Olives grown and harvested within Tuscany. The Certification IGP Toscano is given by the Consortium for the Protection of Tuscan EVOO . The disciplinary not only limits the production to the Tuscan borders but also states that the EVOOs have to be made for at least 95% of spedific cultivars which are traditionally Tuscan(Americano, Arancino, Ciliegino, Frantoio, Grappolo, Gremignolo, Grossolana, Larcianese, Lazzero, Leccino, Leccio del Corno, Leccione, Madonna dell’Impruneta, Mar­zio, Maurino, Melaiolo, Mignolo, Moraiolo, Morchiaio, Olivastra Seggianese, Pendolino, Pesciatino, Piangente, Punteruolo, Razzaio, Rossellino, Rossello, San Francesco, Santa Caterina, Scarlinese, Tondella) . The ones I wrote in bold are the most diffused cultivars.

Tuscan IGP Zones Map

 

As shown in the map above, within the certification IGP Toscano, a producer can decide whether to just ask for the generic “IGP Toscano” or can decide to add the area of production within Tuscany.

IGP Toscano is divided in 8 under-zones. Each of these 8 zones has an addition in the disciplinary that limits (obviously) the production to the boarders of the zone and also adds certain typical cultivars. For example the IGP Toscano “Seggiano” has to be made from at least 95% of the Cultivar “Olivastra Seggianese”.

Regarding the 4 DOPs: these are:

DOP LUCCA

DOP CHIANTI CLASSICO

DOP TERRE DI SIENA

DOP SEGGIANO.

Each of these is protected by its Consortium of Producers.

Map of the Tuscan DOPs

 

The COnsortiums of IGP and DOP producers control the Whole production process: from the growing of the olives on the trees to the harvest to the actual tasting of the Olive Oil produced. The warranty seals on the bottles are numbered and the Consortiums commission the locl official Panel Tests to taste the Oil and assess their organoleptic quality. For example, the two Panel of Siena, which I'm part of, is in charge of tasting the IGP Toscano and the DOP Terre di Siena.

TASTE:

Apart from the Extra Virgin Olive Oils made in the area around Lucca - which tend to be very mildly bitter in general if compared to the rest of Tuscany – most Tuscan EVOOs tend to be medium or robust both in Bitterness and in Fruity.

Some of the scents which very often characterize Tuscan EVOOs are artichoke , thistle, as well as green grass and green almonds.

Since the Fruity level of Tuscan Oils tends on average to be comprised between “medium” and “robust”, as a rule of thumb they tend to spouse very well with intense and tasty foods. If you choose regional tuscan recepies you certainly won't go wrong.

So some great pairings can be with: Bean Soups, Chickpeas, the “Zuppa Senese” (Sienese Soup with beans and Kale), the “Ribollita” (the traditional soup made from old bread, vegetables and beans), grilled red meat.

Wheras the “sweeter” EVOOs from the Lucca zone are great with more delicate foods such as grilled fish, grilled white meat.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and I hope I inspired some of you to go and try out some certified Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

Remember to watch our for the numbered  Collar or the numbered warranty seal on the Bottles that identify the authenticity of the content! In the image below is the Tuscan IGP warranty collar:

IGP Toscano warranty collar

Happy Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tastings!





Extra Virgin Olive Oil's Positive Attributes

Today I'm talking about my favourite part of an Olive Juice; the part which makes me smile! Its positive attributes.

As you can see from the Tasting Sheet below (it's the same as the one of the previous post), they are three: “Fruity” (which is perceived through olfactory and retrolfactory sense), Bitter and Pungeant.



Once again, for the precise definition of the Attributes, I quote from the glossary of the IOOC :

Fruity: “Set of olfactory sensations characteristic of the oil which depends on the variety and comes from sound, fresh olives, either ripe or unripe. It is perceived directly and/or through the back of the nose.”

Within the Attribute of Fruity we can define "Green" (if the sensation reminds us of unripe olives) ore "Ripe" (ripe olives). It is not so uncommon that an Olive Juice presents both Green and Ripe flavours. Moreover there is a whole variety of descriptors of fruitiness (artichoke, green grass, ect.) which we will hint to in the following posts.

Pungent “Biting tactile sensation characteristic of oils produced at the start of the crop year, primarily from olives that are still unripe. It can be perceived throughout the whole of the mouth cavity, particularly in the throat.”

To this definition the only thing I need to add is that the type of "Pungeancy" that I personally prefer... that I consider most harmonic, is the one that covers the Whole top of the tongue, rather than the throat.

Bitter “Characteristic primary taste of oil obtained from green olives or olives turning
colour. It is perceived in the circumvallate papillae on the “V” region of the tongue.” ... Regarding Bitterness, I find that this attribute deserves some extra attention.


ALL Extra Virgin Olive Oils present some level of Bitterness measured in at least 1.
All too often I still hear people say things like “I tasted an EVOO that was no good because it was bitter”. These sorts of phrases make the hairs at the back of my neck stand up! A Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil has to have some level of Bitterness. Why? Because Extra Vrgin Olive Oil is nothing else than Olive Juice. And if you ever taste a Fresh Olive.... you will immediately notice that fresh Olives ARE a BITTER FRUIT.

I will never repeat this enough. EVOO has to be at least a little bit BITTER.

If the median of the Bitterness is comprised between 1 and 2 we can say that the olive oil is MILD or “SWEET” (but please notice its just away of speech... virgin olive oils are NEVER actually sweet.).
Between 3 and 6 we say that a EVOO is MEDIUM.


From 6 and above we say that it is “INTENSE” or “ROBUST”.

Again, independently from whether you like it or not, Bitterness is a positive attribute. And it is also (often) an indicator of the amount of Polyphenlos contained in the Olive Oil.


 
Moreover, Personal TASTE has to be distininguished from the Positive Attributes, we are talking about.

In fact, an EVOO might have high scores in all its positive attributes and might be completely free of defects, but it still might not be of your taste.

Personal subjective taste is different from the objective description which comes out as a result of a panel test.

 

Once you have identitfied the quality of an Olive Juice, by detecting and by measuring its Positive Attributes and (if any at all) its defects, then you are completely free to like it or not.

I am personally fond of Robust EVOOs. I love the way they enhance certain types of regional Italian recepies and I look forward to posting on possible pairings between Extra Virgin Olive Oils and food!
 
I hope you enjoyed reading and
Happy Tasting!!