Nocellara del Belice

Nocellara del Belice is a PDO-protected table olive produced in the municipalities of Castelvetrano, Campobello di Mazara, and Partanna in the province of Trapani, Sicily. The designation covers both black and green table olives of the traditional two types, harvested by hand and processed using the local fermentation method known as conciatura.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 21 January 1998 under file number PDO-IT-1551 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013332), Nocellara del Belice covers table olives produced within a delimited zone comprising the municipalities of Castelvetrano, Campobello di Mazara, and Partanna in the province of Trapani, in western Sicily. The specification recognises two traditional types: black and green table olives, corresponding respectively to fully ripened and not fully ripened fruit. The production method is described as traditional, adapted to the characteristics of the variety. Harvest is carried out by hand-picking, and processing — referred to in the specification as conciatura — must begin as soon as possible after harvest. The conciatura consists of a fermentation process conducted with a mixture of spices. The soil and climate of the Belice valley are characterised as typical of a Mediterranean environment, with mild winters and warm summers, conditions described in the specification as particularly suited to the production of table stone fruit. Labelling must state the year of production and carry the designation Nocellara del Belice — Denominazione d'origine Protetta. The competent control authority is the Italian Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Resources, which may engage a producer organisation in oversight. The applicant group at the time of registration was the Associazione culturale "Cultori della Nocellara del Belice", based in Castelvetrano.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 January 1998 under file number PDO-IT-1551, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013332.
• The delimited production area is restricted to the municipalities of Castelvetrano, Campobello di Mazara, and Partanna in the province of Trapani.
• The specification requires harvest by hand-picking and mandates that the traditional fermentation process, conciatura, begin as soon as possible after harvest.
• The designation covers two traditional types only: green (not fully ripened) and black (fully ripened) table olives.

Tasting notes

Sicilian table olive from Belice valley, prized for both oil and table use. Bright green to dark purple-black depending on harvest stage, large round shape, firm crisp flesh, sweet mild flavor with delicate fruity notes.

HoReCa use

Premium aperitivo olive on antipasto boards; used in Sicilian preparations such as caponata and pasta with olives; served on cheese platters and as a cocktail garnish.

Packaging

• jar-glass-300g-brine
• jar-glass-500g-brine
• vacuum-pack-200g
• tin-200g
• bucket-2kg-brine
• bucket-5kg-brine