Inside the ICIF Italian Cooking School, in the old cellars of the castle, an Olive Oil Cellar was set up, where a selection of Italian extra-virgin olive oils is on display.
ICIF National Olive Oil cellar, established thanks also to the cooperation with the Oil Masters Association - the prestigious association grouping experts and lovers of this mythical product - is the first and up-to-now only initiative in the olive oil field offering an objective display of certified quality Italian extra virgin olive oils, the profile and culinary uses of which have been ascertained by an international panel test recognized by the International Olive Oil Council.
Only products having an Italian origin and possessing a DOP or IGP certification and from organic farming were therefore selected.
ICIF National Olive Oil Cellar represents an important and unique instrument for the promotion and for an in-depth knowledge of the best Italian extra-virgin olive oils, aimed at their best culinary uses.

Olive oil cellar: certifications
The meaning of the different typologies of extra virgin olive oils:

D.O.P. and I.G.P.

They are the acronyms identifying the Origin Denomination and the Geographic Indication of the agricultural products protected by the European Union for which there is a link between the product characteristics and its geographical origins. Thanks to their introduction the heterogeneity of national regulations are improved and the credibility of the products towards the consumers is increased. They must comply with production rules including the name of the product with its denomination of origin or geographic indication; the area boundaries; the product description with the indication relative to the raw materials and the main physical, chemical, microbiological and/or organoleptic characteristics; the production method; the information relative to the controlling bodies.

• I.G.P. products Protected Geographic Indication
  they indicate name and origin of a specific area or region and they can be bottled outside their production areas.
• D.O.P. products Denomination of Protected Origin
  they must be transformed and processed in a specific area and they must possess characteristics of typicality mainly due to the geographical environment and from the natural and human factors characterizing it.

ORGANIC FARMING

It groupes those foods made with farming techniques having as their productive base the fertility of the soil itself and which, while respecting the nature of plants, animals and landscape, optimize these interdependent factors.

Organic farming excludes the use of fertilizers, pesticides and chemical products. On the contrary, it uses the power of the natural laws to increase the jelds and the resistance to diseases.

A European regulation of 1991 with its subsequent modifications fixes the procedure to be followed for the organic production method. Eight are the controlling bodies authorized by the Ministry of Agricultural and Forests and active in the home territory.

The products included in this methodology must state in their label "From Organic farming", the name of the controlling body and the companys licence number.

The indexes relative to organoleptic, nutritional and health quality are not guaranteed by this kind of recognition.