Sinopolese: The High-Polyphenol Calabrian Olive Built for Cooking
A native variety from Reggio Calabria with a November harvest window, 609 mg/kg polyphenols, and a balanced flavor profile that holds under heat. The only high-polyphenol cooking oil in the Deliba lineup — and the one most people underestimate.
Sinopolese is a native olive cultivar indigenous to the province of Reggio Calabria in Southern Italy, taking its name from the town of Sinopoli in the Aspromonte foothills. It ripens later than Ottobratica — typically from mid-November through December — producing an oil with a balanced, fruity profile and high phenolic density suited to both raw and cooked applications.
Sinopolese is classified as a high-polyphenol cultivar. Deliba's 2025/26 harvest tests at 609 mg/kg total polyphenols, independently certified — more than three times the minimum threshold for EU health claim authorization (250 mg/kg) and significantly above most commercial EVOOs sold in the US market.
Named After a Village: The Geography of Sinopolese
Where Ottobratica takes its name from a month, Sinopolese takes its name from a place: Sinopoli, a small municipality in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, located in the Aspromonte foothills at around 350 meters above sea level. The cultivar originated in this area and spread across the surrounding valleys, where it has been cultivated for centuries alongside Ottobratica.
The two varieties are geographical neighbors and agronomic complements. On the Cosmano estate in Molochio, they grow on the same hillsides, separated by harvest window rather than by location. Ottobratica ripens in October, Sinopolese follows in November and December — giving the estate two distinct harvests, two distinct oil profiles, and a combined production window of nearly two months.
This sequential harvest is not incidental — it is part of why the estate can produce both a raw finishing oil and a high-polyphenol cooking oil from the same land, pressing each within 4 hours of picking.
Why a November Harvest Still Produces 609 mg/kg
The conventional wisdom is that later harvest equals lower polyphenols. This is true for many varieties — but Sinopolese is an exception. The cultivar maintains elevated phenolic synthesis deeper into the ripening cycle than most comparably timed varieties, which means it can be harvested in November while still delivering polyphenol concentrations well above 600 mg/kg.
The 2025/26 harvest ran from November 14 to December 1. The final certified figure: 609 mg/kg total polyphenols, with an acidity of 0.19% and a peroxide value of 4.8 meq O₂/kg — all well within extra virgin classification and indicative of fruit in excellent condition at pressing.
The extraction yield for Sinopolese is 11.3% — higher than Ottobratica's 9% because the fruit is more mature at harvest. This is the natural trade-off: slightly more oil per kilo of olives, slightly lower peak polyphenol concentration. Still exceptional by any external benchmark.
2025/26 harvest. Independently certified by accredited Italian laboratory. View lab certificate →
Flavor Profile — Balanced, Fruity, and Built to Survive Heat
Sinopolese produces oil that is structurally different from Ottobratica — less aggressive, more integrated, with a softer bitter note and a pepper finish that is present but not dominant. Where Ottobratico announces itself immediately, Sinopolese works alongside food rather than over it.
This balance is what makes it the right choice for cooking. The fruity mid-palate holds under moderate heat. The polyphenols — oleocanthal, oleuropein, and hydroxytyrosol — are stable enough at cooking temperatures to survive sautéing and gentle frying, which means you are not destroying the oil's biological activity when you cook with it.
High-Polyphenol Oil That You Can Actually Cook With
Most people who invest in high-polyphenol EVOO treat it like a precious finishing oil — they reserve it for salads and raw applications, and reach for cheap refined oil when they cook. Sinopolese is the answer to that compromise.
EVOO has a smoke point of approximately 375–405°F (190–207°C) — well above the temperature of most home cooking. The polyphenols in Sinopolese are thermally stable at these temperatures, meaning sautéing, roasting at moderate heat, and pan-frying with this oil preserves a significant portion of its phenolic content. You are not degrading it into a neutral fat. You are cooking with bioactive oil.
- Sautéing vegetables and aromatics
- Pasta sauce bases (soffritto)
- Roasting at 180–200°C / 350–400°F
- Pan-frying fish and white meat
- Braising legumes (fava, lentils)
- Finishing soups and stews
- Raw over grilled vegetables
- Raw drizzle over finished dishes
- Bruschetta and bread dipping
- Cold salad dressings
- Directly off a spoon
- Carpaccio and crudo
- Tasting and gifting
Ottobratica and Sinopolese — Two Oils, One Estate, One System
The two varieties are not competitors. They are a system — designed by the estate's geography and harvest calendar to cover the full range of kitchen applications without compromise. This is why Deliba sells them as a Duo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sinopolese
609 mg/kg. November Harvest.
Pressed in 4 Hours.
The 2025/26 Sinopolese is in bottles now. Independently certified. Harvest-dated November 2025. The high-polyphenol oil you can cook with every day.