Cagnara – Terra di Bari PDO Olive Oil

Cagnara – Terra di Bari DOP Bitonto

For Cagnara, Terra di Bari PDO olive oil, from Olio Ciccolella in Puglia, only the best olives of the iconic Coratina variety, grown in the Terra di Bari region of Bitonto, are used. You will experience a brilliant green with golden hues in its color. The aroma features intense notes of fresh olives, as if they had just been pressed, cut grass, and flavors of almond and artichoke. It has a strong, distinctive flavor, pairing well with bean cream, arugula salad, pumpkin soup, bruschetta with dark bread, orecchiette made from roasted wheat, red meat, roasts, and aged cheese.

Coratina Olive Oil from Olio Ciccolella

This special olive oil is a monovarietal, extra virgin olive oil from the Terra di Bari DOP Bitonto region and embodies the philosophy of Olio Ciccolella: high quality and enhancement of the territory. Only a small percentage of Italian olive oils are produced from a single olive variety; most oils are blends of different varieties. Producing a monovarietal olive oil requires a lot of experience and know-how, but in the pursuit of excellence, single-variety olive oil represents a milestone. With single-variety olive oil, the varietal character can be particularly well expressed, but any flaws, such as too early or too late a harvest, would also be immediately noticeable.

Country of Origin Italy – Harvest October 2025 – 100% Coratina – Acidity 0.25% – Polyphenols 855mg/Kg

What does the DOP designation mean for olive oils?

The DOP designation is an abbreviation for Denominazione d'Origine Protetta, which means Protected Designation of Origin. The DOP designation guarantees that all production steps, from cultivation to processing to production, originate from a single region. It signifies an olive oil of exceptional quality, as it is always an extra virgin olive oil. The designation of origin for olive oil is comparable to the mention of a specific location on a wine label, e.g., Nierstein Riesling.

What is Terra di Bari DOP?

An olive oil bearing the designation Terra di Bari DOP is, according to legal requirements, always an extra virgin olive oil from a defined area around the city of Bari. There are four "sub-growing areas" that are accompanied by an additional geographical indication: Castel del Monte, Bitonto, Murgia dei Trulli, and delle Grotte. The permitted olive varieties are: Coratina, Cima di Bitonto or Ogliarola Barese, and Cima di Mola, depending on the respective geographical indication. Both the cultivation of the olive trees, the processing, and the packaging of the extra virgin olive oil Terra di Bari DOP must take place within the administrative territory of the provinces of Bari and Barletta-Andria-Trani in the Puglia region. The olive harvest can take place until January 30th at the latest. Olives harvested later may no longer be processed into Terra di Bari DOP olive oil. The harvest can be done either by machine or by hand and must be milled into oil within two days. The extra virgin olive oil Terra di Bari DOP is characterized by a maximum total acidity varying between 0.5 and 0.6 g per 100 g of oil, and a sensory panel test score of at least 7. However, these are only the minimum requirements, which a good olive grower like Olio Ciccolella can, of course, exceed.

Award-winning from Puglia

• Ercole Olivario – best intensely fruity DOP oil 2022
• Flos Olei – 96/100 points
• best DOP oil of Puglia according to AIRO 2023
• Winner Sirena D'Oro Award 2023

Ciccolella – Coratina Olive Oil from Puglia

The Ciccolella family has owned large estates in the province of Bari in southern Italy since 1878. With approximately 8,000 olive trees of the Coratina and Ogliarola Barese varieties, the olive groves of Azienda Olio Ciccolella cover a large area between the towns of Giovinazzo and Molfetta, both directly on the sea, and Terlizzi inland. Here, in the north of Terra di Bari, lies the heart of Apulian olive production.

For over 4 generations, the Ciccolellas have passionately dedicated themselves to tending the olive trees, hand-harvesting the olives, and gentle pressing in their own mill in Molfetta, and bottling in aroma-protective dark glass bottles to create a 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil.

Under the leadership of Giuseppe Ciccolella, who has expanded the knowledge of the Apulian oil tradition with technological innovations, the company became a fully organic enterprise in 2021. "From day one, we have committed ourselves to applying agricultural techniques that are oriented towards respecting the environment," Giuseppe explains the company philosophy to us. Thanks to a photovoltaic system that allows the company to be self-sufficient for 9 months of the year, the Azienda only purchases clean energy during the three months of milling to cover the increased demand. The pomace is reapplied to the fields as organic fertilizer. The packaging that protects Olio Ciccolella is also sustainable: a dark, recyclable glass bottle, a recyclable aluminum cap, and a paper label make it possible to avoid the use of plastic in all production processes.