2021 Harvest is On!
Olives harvested at La Magnanerie a few days ago © La Magnanerie
Thirty or forty years ago, the olive harvest did not begin until late November or early December in the Mediterranean area, even for the “early” olive varieties. Producers waited until the olives were black and full of oil, or even until they fell to the ground, before harvesting. The logic of maximising quantity, inherited from centuries of subsistence economy, still prevailed.
Today, with the emphasis on greater quality, the harvest begins as early as mid-September while olives are still very green and continues until mid-December. The exact harvest dates vary depending on the olive variety, the region, the weather and the fruitiness sought by the producer.
The harvest period is as much eagerly expected as it is dreaded by producers. Every day, the harvested olives are brought to the mill in the evening for prompt extraction of the oil, in order to ensure maximum freshness. The work at the mill continues until late at night, after an exhausting day on the groves. And so it goes on every day for several weeks, with !
At the beginning of October, how are the producers partnering with Olive Groves doing? Eric Martin (La Magnanerie) has been harvesting in Ardèche for more than ten days, while the seven producers of Dehesa de la Sabina, in Andalusia, will only start around October 25, even for green fruitiness oils. Their Picual is a strong tasting variety that takes longer to ripen.
This year, the harvest is usually delayed by a week due to the drought which has slowed down the ripening process. Here is the programme in more detail:
La Magnanerie (Ardèche, France): harvesting began on 4 October with the Bouteillan variety and will end in early November with the Leccio del Corno.
Marco Rizzo (Campania, Italy): the harvest has just begun and will continue until the end of November.
Stoica (Umbria, Italy): the harvest started with the Leccino variety and should be completed in the first weeks of November with the Moraiolo.
Dehesa de la Sabina (Andalusia, Spain): harvest launch scheduled for October 25 for the green fruitiness oil, ripe fruitiness oils will follow from mid-November.
Le 4 Contrade (Apulia, Italy): like the Picual, the Coratina is a late ripening variety, so harvesting will only start around 20 October for about six weeks.
We look forward to tasting the first oils in December!