Monte Etna

Extra virgin olive oil produced on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, made predominantly from the native 'Nocellara Etnea' variety. Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-0060, it is subject to mandatory chemical and organoleptic standards and must be packaged within the defined geographical area.

About this designation

Monte Etna designates an extra virgin olive oil produced exclusively within a defined set of municipalities in the Catania, Enna, and Messina provinces of Sicily, all falling within the administrative boundaries of the Region of Sicily. The specification requires that 'Nocellara Etnea' accounts for at least 65 % of the olives in any grove supplying the designation; the remaining 35 % may consist of other native Sicilian cultivars. All stages of production — cultivation, harvesting, and oil extraction — must take place within the defined geographical area, as must packaging. The oil must be marketed in glass or tin containers, or other receptacles suitable for preserving oil, with a capacity of no more than five litres. Chemical requirements at release for consumption include a maximum acidity of 0.5 % expressed as oleic acid, a peroxide value of no more than 12 mEq O₂ per kg, linoleic acid content of no more than 13.50 %, linolenic acid content of no more than 0.9 %, and total polyphenols above 120 ppm. Organoleptic assessment requires median scores within specified minimum and maximum intervals for ripely fruity, greenly fruity, notes of grass and/or tomato and/or artichoke, bitter, and pungent attributes; no organoleptic defects are permitted. The label must state the olive-growing season in which the olives were grown. The designation is protected under EU No PDO-IT-0060, with EU protection granted on 19 November 2002. The applicant body is the Consorzio di tutela dell'olio extravergine di oliva DOP Monte Etna, headquartered in Catania.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 19 November 2002 under file number PDO-IT-0060 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013277).
• The 'Nocellara Etnea' variety must account for at least 65 % of the crop in any supplying grove; no other single variety is mandated.
• Total polyphenols must exceed 120 ppm and no organoleptic defects are permitted at release for consumption.
• Packaging must occur within the geographical area and containers may not exceed five litres in capacity.

Tasting notes

Sicilian EVOO from Etna volcano slopes, predominantly Nocellara Etnea, Brandofino, Tonda Iblea cultivars. Medium-intense fruity, balanced robust profile, distinctive notes of tomato, fresh almond, herbaceous and slightly mineral character from volcanic soils.

HoReCa use

Finishing oil on Sicilian seafood, pasta alla Norma, grilled vegetables, and raw with ricotta salata.

Packaging

• glass-bottle-500ml
• glass-bottle-750ml
• tin-3L
• tin-5L

Seasonality