More gold for Fontclara extra virgin olive oil

The wonderful Fontclara EVOOs have been recognised by the prestigious ZHAW — Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

Roland Zanotelli, his team and their wonderful Fontclara EVOOs have been recognised with new awards, particularly emotional ones this time round. Specifically, while the Fontclara Argudell oil earned a Gold medal, the Arbequina was awarded Bronze by an independent panel of experts from ZHAW's Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management, the Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, and the Sensory Technology research group. All of them use scientific methods to run tests proving which oils can truly be described as "excellent".

Many factors determine whether an olive oil earns such awards: the olives must be picked at the optimal moment, pressed immediately using the most modern systems, and filtered and bottled away from light and oxygen. Only those who work to the highest standards, with passion and precision, can expect the finest quality. The fact that the estate operates solely to organic standards is a requirement set by Roland Zanotelli, owner of the estate established at Fontclara, in the very heart of the Empordà.

This award has been especially rewarding for Roland Zanotelli, who is Swiss, from Basel to be precise. He was the one who discovered Fontclara decades ago, a place he fell in love with and where he decided to carry out his most cherished project: caring for the land, growing olives sustainably and organically, and producing the finest olive oil in the world. Today, the estate spans more than 60 hectares and over 12,500 olive trees.

Roland Zanotelli, delighted that his work is bearing fruit, has said: "As a businessman, you strive to turn a profit quickly. Working with olive trees, some of which are very old, has taught me that the best results take time, heart and soul."