Pm
M ?'’«*'< -jf*
to conduct the tastings for this book, I solicited extra virgin olive oils directly from producers all over the world, from discriminating retailers, olive oil producer associations and councils, and from Internet sources. Many oils did not make the cut, and there are undoubtedly worthy oils that we didn’t get a chance to taste. Olive oil producers range from large to small and are found in a great many regions of the world. While we tried to get a good cross-section of producers, representing as many regions as possible, one visit to almost any specialty store showed us new gaps in our sourcing. It’s a huge subject, and while we followed up all the leads we could, it is a never-ending task to catalog all the great extra virgin olive oils available in the United States. When you encounter an oil that is not listed here, don’t assume it’s not a good oil—rather, assume it’s one we may have missed. Taste it for yourself, and then decide. All of the olive oils listed here we thought worthy of attention, and each is available from specialty stores as well as from the sources who supplied samples for the book or (in the case of some wholesalers) their designated retailer. (You’ll find more information about the suppliers in the Resources section.)
Outstanding oils are marked with an asterisk (*), and good values with a dollar sign ($). Mass-market blended oils are marked with a barrel symbol (©).
The symbols for the four categories appear with each recipe as well.
DELICATE and mild • fruity and fragrant •
OLIVE-Y AND PEPPERY • LEAFY GREEN AND GRASSY
FRANCE
AL'Olivier* delicate and mild
De Medici Imports (845/651-4400)
This oil has a profoundly nutty aroma, with deep flavor and a thick texture. Our tasters who are most partial to delicate oils declared this a favorite.
Aiziari* FRUITY AND FRAGRANT
www. spiritofprovence. com This famous oil from Nice has a delicate flavor with lots of fruit. It’s intensely yellow, the flavor has a hint of hazelnuts, and it’s very fragrant. It comes in a beautifully decorative round tin that also does a good job of preserving its flavor.
Castelas Huile d'Olive de la Vallee des Baux de Provence* fruity and fragrant
De Medici Imports (845/651-4400)
This DOC oil starts with a nutty aroma and finishes with a peppery flourish. “Perfectly
balanced,” “light,” and “round” were some of the words our tasters used to describe this outstanding oil.
Huille d'Olive Vierge d'Aix en Provence
DELICATE AND MILD
www. terroirs deproven ce. com Full-flavored in spite of its delicacy, this AOC oil has notes of almond and of grapefruit. Click on the English flag to read this website in English, and be prepared to pay shipping from France.
Huille d'Olives des Tzeilles
LEAFY GREEN AND GRASSY
www. zingermans. com Intense yellow/green, with a complex and balanced herbal flavor and a “long slow burn” peppery finish. Leccio, Ribier, Bouteillan, and Picholine olives.
Le Vieux Moulin Huile d'Olive Vierge de Mirabel DELICATE AND MILD
www.spiritofprovence.com Traditionally crushed between stones, this oil is fragrant, nutty, and sweet.
L'Oulibo Cuvee Aglandau
DELICATE AND MILD export@deelen.com
This cuvee, or single-variety oil, from a cooperative in Languedoc, has a “sweet fragrance” and a “velvet” texture.” “A sensual oil,” said another taster. Sent direct from France.
L'Oulibo Cuvee Lucques
DELICATE AND MILD export@deelen .com
A single variety from an unusual species, this oil is both nutty and delicate, with a very mild finish.
L'Oulibo Cuvee Oliviere
DELICATE AND MILD export@deelen.corn
Another unusual single-variety olive oil—very buttery, mildly herbal, sweet, with a slight bum.
Moulin de Bedarrides* DELICATE AND mild
www.spiritofprovence.com An AOC oil, yellow, with a great aroma with hints of almonds, a sweet flavor, and a very mild peppery finish, from the Vallee des Baux de Provence.
Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille
FRUITY AND FRAGRANT
www.spiritofprovence.com
This remarkable oil is vividly green, with a
strong olive scent and flavor.
OC/Co. Aix en Provence AOC Chateau Vi rant, vat II* OLIVE-Y AND PEPPERY
O&Co. stores
www.oliviersandco.com
Yellow/green, with strong herbal notes yet
delicate in impact. One taster said, “Oil like
this is practically a vegetable.” It has a full-
flavored, mildly peppery finish.
OCtCo. Chateau de Montfrin*
DELICATE AND MILD
O&Co. stores
www. oliviersandco. com
An oil with exceptional flavor, it’s complex,
fragrant, and nutty with a powerful finish.
Wonderful for desserts and for asparagus.
OCrCo. Haute Provence Moulin des Penitents, Cooperative des Mees, vat P7
DELICATE AND MILD
O&Co. stores
www.oliviersandco.com
This DOC oil is pale greenish gold, with a
scent of ripe fruit. It’s made from Aglandau
and Bouteillan olives.
OCrCo. Moulin de I'Olivette, Cooperative de Manosque, vat 3, Haute Provence
OLIVE-Y AND PEPPERY
O&Co. stores
www.oliviersandco.com
Bright yellow, with a strong olive scent, we
loved this oil’s complex flavor of nuts and
blossoms. It’s made from Aglandau and
Bouteillan olives.
OCrCo. Nyons, vat 12
DELICATE AND MILD
O&Co. stores
www.oliviersandco.com
Mildly bitter and pleasantly nutty, Nyons is
pale yellow-green. It’s a DOC oil made from
Tanche olives.
OCrCo. Vallee des Baux COD La Craneco vatE FRUITY AND FRAGRANT
O&Co. stores
www.oliviersandco.com
Pale intense yellow, fruity pear notes,
toasted hazelnut and faintly flowery, this oil
is light in a good way.
Vallee des Baux de Provence, Moulin Jean Marie Cornille, Cooperative Oleicole de la Vallee des Baux* FRUITY AND FRAGRANT www.spiritofprovence.com
Unfiltered, artisanal, with a very fresh flavor of green olives and a haunting hazelnut and vanilla fragrance, this oil was described as tasting “like olive essence.”
DELICATE AND MILD
Corti Bros. (916/736-3800)
DOP, organic, unfiltered “flower of the oil,” this oil is smooth, with a flowery scent, and “a good texture that floats above your tongue.”
Biolea* FRUITY AND FRAGRANT
Williams-Sonoma stores www.biolea.gr
Certified organic, stone-ground, an estate- bottled artisanal oil of the highest quality, Biolea oil is deliciously fragrant, slightly herbal and fruity. Beautifully packaged, it would be a great gift as well as a pantry asset.
Elea* FRUITY AND FRAGRANT
www. eleaoliveoil. com Golden-green in color, this organic estate- bottled olive oil is fragrant and complex. We all loved its underlying sweetness, with earthy, peppery, honey notes. A good dark bottle preserves flavor, and an airtight spout adds a touch of practical elegance.
Eleni DELICATE AND MILD
www.olivemerchant.com
www.elenigourmet.com
Eleni is pale in color but hauntingly
fragrant, with fruity (berry) notes. It’s made
from Koroneiki olives from Kalamata.
Greek Gold FRUITY AND FRAGRANT www.blauel.gr
This oil is handpicked, stone-crushed, and organic. It’s from the Mani area of the Peloponnese.
OLIVE-Y AND PEPPERY
www. cookswares. com
From Lakonia, this is a very fragrant
and strongly pungent oil.
Kotinos DELICATE AND MILD www.kotinos.com
This organic oil from Crete has a surprisingly sweet first taste and then becomes slightly bitter and grassy. It has a lovely texture.
OerCo. Kalamata DELICATE AND MILD
O&Co. stores
www. olivier s andco .com
Pale green and delicately olive-flavored with
notes of green bell pepper, fresh artichoke,
and green apple, Kalamata oil is appealing.
From the Peloponnese, it’s made from
Koroneiki olives. “Fovely fragrance.”
Rente's OLIVE-Y AND PEPPERY
www.olivemerchant.com
“A little sweet, a little nutty,” with a peppery
finish.
Renieris Estate $ delicate and mild www.svtea.com
This very special Cretan oil is 0.1% acidity, and has mild flavor notes of asparagus and butter. “Just lovely” said one taster.