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Tuscan extra virgin olive oils have long been prized for their distinctive character. Peppery, fruity and aromatic varieties are favored. Positioned at the northernmost tip of the olive-friendly Mediterranean basin, Tuscany experiences a harsher climate than southern olive districts. Olive trees in this region, scarred by frost, are shorter and yield less fruit than their siblings to the south. Shorter tree facilitate hand-picking so that only selected olives are harvested. And while the harvest can be up to ten times smaller than that produced in southern Italian groves, the resulting oil is highly flavored, generally ore nuanced with layers of taste components. For these reasons, Tuscan oils have been commanding higher prices in the marketplace since the 1300s.
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