• My Account
  • Cart
Items: 0

Especially Puglia

From Puglia to your table

  • About
  • Adopt
    • adopt_an_olivetree
      Adopt an Olive Tree from Puglia
    • menu-adopt_a_beehive
      Adopt a Beehive from Puglia
    • adopt_a_cow
      Adopt a Cow from Puglia
    • Adopt an Olive Tree
    • Adopt a Beehive
    • Adopt a Cow
  • Visit Puglia
  • Farmers
  • Blog
  • Shop

How to Taste Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Sep 25 2018

  • 0150206_GBF2279
  • 0161024_GLB1764
  • 0161024_GLB1752
  • 0161024_GLB1417

Objective tasting assessments have as much bearing on the Italian olive-oil industry as they do on the Italian wine industry. Similar to the Court of Master Sommeliers, which improves the standards of wine service in restaurants and hotels, Italy's Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Olio di Oliva, or the National Organization of Olive Oil Tasters (ONAOO), uses unbiased sommeliers and a high degree of scientific rigor to improve the standards of olive-oil quality for producers, distributors and consumers alike.

But just like you don't have to be a sommelier to taste wine, you also don't need to be one to taste olive oils either!  With this guide, you will learn how to assess olive oil quality like a pro.

ONAOO and Italian Olive Oils

Founded in 1983, ONAOO has trained over 300,000 students in the official method of olive-oil sensory evaluation, making the sommelier a vital player in quality assurance. Do you need to travel to ONAOO in Imperia to learn how to evaluate and savor premium extra-virgin olive oils? Of course not. But knowing the basics of olive-oil evaluation, which you can learn at home, is a fundamental skill of every connoisseur, particularly in the U.S., where deceptive labeling and lack of a centralized quality-assurance authority can make informed purchasing particularly challenging.

A host of factors distinguish Italian olive oils from other internationally produced olive oils. Differences in terroir, topography, and climate of the olive's growing region, along with the sheer number of olive varieties to choose from, results in a wide variety of flavor profiles from one olive oil to the next.  One can use an aroma wheel to describe an olive oil's unique characteristics, not unlike that used to describe the profile of a wine.

Olive variety plays as important a role in the taste and aroma of an olive oil as its production method. For example, by working directly with farmers in Northern Puglia, we have unfettered access to premium olive varieties, such as Peranzana, Santa Caterina and Coratina, which we use to craft small-batch, artisanal extra-virgin oils of the highest order.

Get Tasting!

Always taste our small-batch oils before using them in a recipe or dish. A quality assessment will not only help you distinguish a high-quality oil from a subpar or rancid oil, but will also give you an idea of what kind of dishes to use it in.

While the olive-oil tasting technique largely mirrors that of wine tasting, you'll find olive oil's viscosity influences how you perceive flavor sensations—they tend to linger longer on the palate and in the finish. When tasting more than one variety of oil, cleanse your palate with water and a neutral food, such as unsalted water crackers or bread. Enjoy your olive oil as soon as possible after opening for the best taste and aroma.

See our varieties

At Especially Puglia, we offer extra virgin olive oils from seven independent family-run farms in Puglia. Take a look at our farms and olive oil varieties here.  Each olive oil is listed with information on the farm and the best way to use it in your recipes at home.

 

Posted by Editor · Categorized: Extra Virgin Olive Oils

Explore

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oils
  • FarmStay
  • General
  • Honey
  • Recipes
  • Visit Puglia
  • Wine

Newsletter

Follow Us @EspeciallyPuglia

especiallypuglia

Especially Puglia
We have three #gifts for just about anyone... one We have three #gifts for just about anyone... one for foodies, one for the cheese lover, and one for your sweetie with a sweet tooth. What about your co-workers? Our boxes are perfect also as #corporategift options for your colleagues or clients. We ship promptly - just make sure to get your order in so we can send it out in time for the Holidays!
Our #honey is special - it's produced organically Our #honey is special - it's produced organically on family-run farms where artisanal beekeepers source honey from wild or organic floral sources. The bees work hard to produce a sweet nectar that is deserving of packaging that honors their work. In comes #Furoshiki - or the Japanese art of wrapping gifts in cloth. We wrap each order in a bee printed tea towel. This Holiday season why not #gift someone something sweet?

Get your order in ASAP - we want your gifts to arrive in time for the big day!
What in the world is a phytonutrient? Phytonutrien What in the world is a phytonutrient? Phytonutrients are the amazing chemicals produced by plants that can support your #health. Common phytonutrients that you might recognize by name are flavonoids and resveratrol (both found in red wine). #Honey is a #phytonutrient powerhouse! In fact, we have these phytonutrients to thank for making honey an antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant-rich treat. Phytonutrients may help to supercharge your immune system, which we probably could use more of this time of year.

Wanna know more? We just published a blog post all about raw honey. Paste the link in bio or below to find out more!

https://bit.ly/3lsnlIj
We are so excited for the Holidays and want to gif We are so excited for the Holidays and want to gift three lucky people a tasting size olive oil tin from the 2020 Harvest! Our olive oil is produced organically on family-run farms where olives are grown sustainably, handpicked, pressed and bottled during the autumn harvest season.⠀
⠀
To enter:⠀
- Follow @EspeciallyPuglia on IG and Facebook⠀
- Like this image⠀
- Tag 2 friends in the comments below! Each tag counts as an entry. Unlimited entries.⠀
⠀
No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends December 7 at 12AM EST. Three winners will be chosen. The winners will be contacted via DM. Must be 18+ and located within the USA (excluding Hawaii & Alaska) to win - in bocca al lupo!
#giveaway
Happy Holidays from Especially Puglia to you and y Happy Holidays from Especially Puglia to you and your loved ones! Our unique Adopt an Olive Tree Box is a perfect gift for that special someone, the foodie in your family, your mom, your nonna... just about anyone! A 3 liter tin of olive oil from the grove of your choosing, a handcrafted cruet and a helpful funnel come in a hand crafted wooden crate. 

Our 2020 Harvest is on its way from Italy and starts shipping in the second week of December, so act fast to have that special gift for before the Holidays!
#giftguide #gifts #oliveoil #subscription
"How can people trust the harvest, unless they see "How can people trust the harvest, unless they see it sown?" - Mary Renault

The olive harvest is our favorite time of the year. Our 2020 Harvest was abundant - the weather conditions were fantastic, the amount of sunshine the olives got this year means a bountiful extra virgin olive oil. The fresher the oil, the better the flavor! We can't wait to share it with you this winter!

We are thankful for this year's harvest.
This just in! Our Pugliese Caciocavallo is back in This just in! Our Pugliese Caciocavallo is back in stock after "flying off the shelves." Caciocavallo podolico is a semi-hard, pasta filata (pulled-curd) #cheese made of cow's milk from the podolica cow. Hung on a rope and aged to perfection, this cheese is a #uniquegift. Order soon, because we just don't know how long these will stay in stock!
Our olive oil tin is the perfect container for kee Our olive oil tin is the perfect container for keeping the oil at peak #freshness, protecting it from the sun and oxygen, and preventing spoilage. When you buy olive oil, always look for the “harvest date” - the fresher the better. #oliveoil #giftidea #gift
#Oliveoil in #cocktails? Yup, it's a thing and we #Oliveoil in #cocktails? Yup, it's a thing and we love it. Especially Puglia's EVOO #Gimlet is sure to rock your Thanksgiving #cocktail menu. We specifically chose San Giusto because the oil is a #monocultivar made of Coratina olives. In other words it is made from one olive varietal - not a blend. The oil's bitterness and robust notes of green almond are complimented by the sweetness in the honey syrup and carried by the gin. Try it and tell us what you think!

-1.5 oz Gin
-1/2 oz lime juice
-1/4 oz Masseria San Giusto Olive Oil
-1/4 oz Honey Syrup

Method: Shake in a shaker and strain over ice in a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lime peel.
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.

Connect With Us

Stay In Touch

   

Programs

  • Adopt an Olive Tree
  • Adopt a Beehive
  • Adopt a Cow
  • Corporate Gifting
  • Rewards
  • Visit Puglia
  • Events & Catering

More Information

  • About
  • Blog
  • Account
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Shipping and Returns
  • FAQs
  • Contact

Contact Us

Especially Puglia
c/o Industry City
67 35th St., Ste. C536
Brooklyn, NY 11232
+1 (718) 801-8844
info@especiallypuglia.com

© 2021 Especially Puglia. All Rights Reserved.