But I only buy Italian olive oil.....

Posted by Al Pryzbylski on January 19, 2014 0 Comments

This is one of the most common phrases I hear so many times during customer visits to the store, and also one of the biggest hurdles I have had trying to explain why this is not one of the best mandates to have. 

I also love Italian olive oil,  - and Greek, Spanish, Australian, Chilean..... but I choose my olive oil use based on the freshest available. There are 2 polar opposite growing seasons for olives. In November and December the Northern Hemisphere countries of Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Tunisia, USA (California) crush their olive crop. In late April to June the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina crush their olive crops.

It is also common knowledge that Italy imports more olives than they grow, just to support the "Made in Italy" marketing machine for olive oil. Without the certified data of what olive type and location along with the chemistry of those olives at time of crush - you are just getting a mixed bag of oils from fruits that have no traceability. Ask for the specific location of where the olives were grown for your single varietal oils.

The beneficial properties of olive oil are absolutely at their peak with fresh olive oil. The heart healthy anti-oxidants and "good fats" are available by using only fresh olive oil. The benefits of olive oil dissipate over time, so we need to catch them at their peak.

That is why you will see oils in our Fusti's (steel vats) that represent the freshest available options at different times of the year. The recent crush from the Northern Hemisphere is not yet in the US (except California oil). we will be evaluating our single estate options very soon to offer you the best of this years crops. Our seasonal options will soon be migrating over to Northern Hemisphere options.

So please have an open mind and go outside your comfort zone to try some of these wonderful single varietal olive oils that are the freshest available in North America.

And remember, our single varietal oils are estate grown and crushed at a single location. These are not co-ops which get masses of olives of all varieties and mix them together. The chemistry analysis on our oil is the sole benchmark which validates the quality of our fruit at press time.