Gambero Rosso introduces you the Puglia IGP olive oils beneath the Il Vicolo restaurant, in Paris

During the 2024 edition of Wine Paris fair, Gambero Rosso‘s Tre Bicchieri world tour stopped off in Paris to offer a prestigious tasting featuring the best wines selected in the Vini d’Italia guide. This tasting allowed to discover a selection of high-end Italian wines from 52 wineries, ranging from the northern regions of Italy to the southern reaches. Participants were able to appreciate a wide range of indigenous grape varieties, traditional wines but also vintages from emerging winemakers, chosen by Gambero Rosso experts for their exceptional quality. The event mainly brought together wineries awarded the prestigious Tre Bicchieri title, the highest distinction awarded by the 2024 guide.

This label is a true quality benchmark in the world of wine, guaranteeing products of unparalleled excellence. This tasting allowed wine lovers to discover exceptional wine creations, but also here olive oils from IGP Puglia in Paris, presented in Il Vicolo restaurant, both in terms of terroir and styles. By AP

This year, Gambero Rosso structure also chose as its partner the PGI oil from Puglia, a flagship product that embodies the richness of the olive culture of this region of southern Italy. At this occasion, the PGI extra virgin Olio di Puglia olive oil was honored at the event. This product is the result of a collective approach aimed at strengthening the identity of the Puglia olive sector. From production to bottling, each step complies with rigorous specifications, guaranteeing an oil of exceptional quality. Therefore, the PGI extra virgin olive oil of Puglia is distinguished by a wide variety of sensory characteristics, the result of the many indigenous cultivars, grown throughout the region (photo credits: IGP Puglia). 

This event was also an opportunity to discover the PGI olive oil from Puglia in perfect harmony with a fine selection of dishes, prepared in the Parisian Italian themed Il Vicolo restaurant, located on Rue Mazarine, in the heart of the Latin Quarter. This restaurant, run by Loredana Schettino, of Tuscan and Neapolitan origin, in collaboration with her sons Luca and Francesco, offers refined traditional Italian cuisine. Supported by chef Maurizio Carlucci, as well originally from Puglia, brilliantly combines local products and Mediterranean flavors to offer a modern interpretation of Italian cuisine. The menu at Il Vicolo reflects this fusion of land and sea, and the pairing of wines and olive oils was carefully designed to enhance each dish.

The event provided an opportunity to taste several exceptional olive oils, including the PGI Puglia‘s Frantoio Guglielmi oil, a product of incomparable quality. This extra virgin oil has a bitter and spicy taste that brings out all the power of the Puglia terroir. With a low acidity (0.22%), it stands out for its balance between aromas of fresh grass, artichoke and tomato, and its velvety texture obtained by cold extraction. This oil was served with black-eyed white beans, flavored with some shellfish essence, thus offering a unique savorful experience.

Another star oil of this tasting, the Le 4 Contrade oil embodies the joy of a sunny afternoon in Puglia. Its taste profile, fruity with notes of tomato and cut grass, makes it an ideal accompaniment to light dishes such as burrata or seafood.

As far as we know, the October 2024 harvest captured the intensity of Mediterranean flavors, and this oil was served with cuttlefish tagliolini, bathed into an almond broth, fermented Jerusalem artichoke and lemon, a perfect marriage of freshness and complexity.

Adding to this, De Carlo’s IGP Puglia extra virgin oil, on the other hand, is a true invitation to discover the soul of the Puglia region. Made from a blend of olive varieties, such as Coratina, Ogliarola Barese, Leccino and Peranzana, this oil has a fresh aroma with hints of grass and almond. Its mild and balanced taste, with subtle bitter and spicy notes, makes it a versatile product in the kitchen, perfect to accompany fish based specialities, but also bruschetta or legumes. In this tasting time, this item was harmoniously paired with orecchiette, married with chilli pepper and roasted turnip cymette, highlighting the authenticity of another Italian cuisine.

Finally, the IGP Olio di Puglia oil by Nicola Pantaleo was also highlighted, with its unique sensory characteristics, again from the olive groves of Puglia. For your information, cold extracted, it offers a perfectly balanced spicy and bitter taste, ideal for use raw on vegetables or fish. This olive oil was accompanied by yellowtail confit, of course drown into oil, fresh oregano, nearby caper foam, roasted artichokes and lovage sauce, for a delicate and refined combination.

The event concluded with a sweet touch once again with Le 4 Contrade oil, used to accompany a dessert of panna cotta, flavored this time with smoked cardamom, accompanied with blood orange and caramelized hazelnuts. A perfect example of the versatility of these olive oils, associated here in refined gastronomic pairings. As you can see, this event was a unique opportunity to discover the richness of Puglia‘s wines and olive oils, in an intimate and prestigious setting. It highlighted the excellence of illustrious Italian products, both in the wine and olive sectors, thus offering a true gustative experience.

More details on Gambero Rosso and Il Vicolo restaurant’s official websites.