There is more on a bottle of olive oil than you might think. Some of it is required by law, some of it is a deliberate choice by the producer. Once you know where to look, ten seconds tell you exactly what quality is in the bottle.
Extra virgin: the highest quality grade
Extra virgin olive oil is obtained from fresh olives by mechanical means only, without any chemical treatment or refining. Its free acidity may not exceed 0.8%, and an official tasting panel must find no defect in it whatsoever.
Origin: always mandatory
For extra virgin olive oil, stating the origin is required by law. If the olives were harvested in one country and pressed in another, both countries must be clearly named on the label. “Italian extra virgin olive oil” therefore always means Italian olives, processed in Italy.
The harvest year: the detail that matters most
Unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age: freshness is everything. Stating the harvest year is not mandatory, but it is only allowed when the entire contents of the bottle come from that single harvest. If a month is given, it is the month in which the oil was pressed. A producer who states the harvest year is openly putting its freshness to the test.
The cultivar: the olive variety
Nocellara, Coratina, Frantoio, Leccino: Italy has hundreds of olive varieties, each with its own flavour profile. Naming the cultivar is voluntary. If one variety is named, that is what you taste. If none is named, it is usually a blend.
Acidity: less telling than you think
A low acidity sounds like the ultimate guarantee of quality, but on its own the figure says little. That is why a producer may only state acidity if the peroxide value, wax content and UV absorption are given alongside it, in the same size and in the same field of vision. More importantly, all these values must hold until the best-before date, not just on the day of bottling.
Cold extraction and first cold pressing
Both terms mean the oil was obtained below 27 °C. “Cold extraction” applies to modern installations that separate the oil with a centrifuge. “First cold pressing” is reserved for the traditional hydraulic press. Almost all oil today is made with a centrifuge, so “first cold pressing” on a modern bottle is rarely accurate.
Fruity, bitter, pungent: taste as proof
Taste descriptions may only appear on the label if an official tasting panel has established them according to strict European standards. Bitterness and pungency are not flaws: they are the hallmarks of fresh oil. That peppery catch at the back of the throat is not just part of it, it is proof of real quality.
Storage
Every label states that olive oil must be protected from light and heat. Take that literally: not next to the stove, not on the windowsill. Once opened, a bottle is best used within a few months.
Our oils
At Angelino, you know exactly what you are pouring. Every bottle clearly states who made the oil and where the olives were harvested. Discover the characterful oils of Oleum Origins, Tenuta Venterra and Lupolio in our olive oil collection.