Coratina’s Cultivar

Land Of History And Cultivation Of Coratina

The cultivation of the olive oil production has very ancient origins, pre-Christian, and is closely related to the history and culture, not only cultural but also culinary and technical and scientific cooperation in the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Each of these would have the right to be mentioned in a hypothetical history of olive oil for both individual quality for each specificity.
In the decisive years for the unification of Italy north of Bari in Puglia, namely between Andria and Cerignola territory characterized by a harsh climate and clay soils and harsh, stony and calcareous stood out of course, among other varieties like the sweetest Ogliarola Bari, the variety of olive Coratina (name that many traced back to its origin to the territory of Corato).
The olive tree from which it was born had emerged as the strongest and the most durable and able to cope with and benefit from the special soil and climate.
Today, this cultivar has spread over the entire district Federiciano which took its name from Castel del Monte, built by Emperor Frederick II, who is in the territory of the city of Andria.
The olive Coratina or Racioppa or Cima di Corato, was already present on the territory of North Barese, as evidenced by some plants and some even centuries-old ancient as the one known as "The Patriarch coratino" that some sources date back to the time of Charlemagne.
Other individual plants often located at the edge of the tracks of the ancient Roman roads, scattered in the territories of Andria, Barletta, Canosa, Corato remain the only witnesses, together with the various archaeological finds, of a past rich in tradition and culture of olive.
The first documented information on Coratina, identified with one of its synonyms, date back to the late eighteenth century and come from the publications of Giovanni Presta
- Memory around sixty-two different assays of oil presented the Majesty of Ferdinand IV, King of the Two Sicilies, and critical examination of the ancient mill with Stabia found (1788
- Of the olive trees and the way to tear out the oil, 1794.
The first and more specific detection technique is provided by Prof. Jerome Caruso in 1872 who claims to have found, for the first time in Barletta.
The Paolillo, again in 1872, the new flag as calling it Olea Europea Change racemosissima always charged.

General Cultivar Coratina

Tree: Medium sized wide crown tending to globular form with leaves of dark green, elliptic lanceolate green on top and gray underneath. ending with a slight mucro.
Vigor with medium pendulous habit that is well adapted to various soils (pure limestone and stony), also by virtue of a good capacity rizogena, but the optimal environment for cultivation is irrigated and fertile hill.
Moderately resistant to all diseases like Verticillium (dahliae), it also adapts well to organic production. The inflorescence typically grow in clusters; abortion ovarian content (10-15%). The fruiting branches are short and slender.
Fruit: Plant typical of Puglia of medium-large large drupe (4-5 g) in oval-elongated and slightly asymmetrical.
Productivity is good but sometimes alternating
Maturation medium-late (November to January) with fruits harvested when they are blacks apex.
High yield to the mill (21-26%) and a very fruity oil rich in polyphenols (natural antioxidants present in plants and may be useful in "seize" the free radicals and prevent aging), with low values ​​of peroxides and lowly of acidity (<0.2%) is a yellow-green oil taste very intense and fruity, slightly bitter to the high concentration of oleuropein and typically spicy for the high concentration of polyphenols.
Agronomic traits: self-sterile cultivar, consistently high productivity, little interest ovary abortion (about 15%).
Pollinators of choice: Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino.
Resistant to drought, cold, peacock eye and generally to other parasites.
Considerations: It is characterized by an early entry into production, Coratina cultivar is of great adaptability to different soils and environments in the olive Italians.
The oil obtained has smell of olive net, that is, maintaining a clear memory of the raw fruit that unites decided hints of fresh green almond.
The taste is rather sweet with a firm bitter-spicy notes and aftertaste of artichoke and cardoon.