T. J. Robinson, aka "The Olive Oil Hunter®," is one of the world's most respected authorities on all matters olive oil. He is one of the few Americans to be invited to serve as a judge in prestigious Italian olive oil tasting competitions. When it comes to evaluating olive oils, he has been described as having a "platinum palate."
These oils are outrageously, insanely bright and flavorful—the best-tasting olive oils in the world. But you won't find them in your supermarket or gourmet store!
Here's why...and how you can reserve your own private supply, shipped direct to your door.
Announcing the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Dear Olive Oil Aficionado:
A major olive oil opportunity is at hand. But if you're interested, you must act quickly.
As I tell all my foodie friends, olive oil, unlike wine, does not improve with time. Just the opposite. It's at its peak of delicious perfection immediately after it's pressed.
This is why the locals in the olive-growing regions of Italy, Spain, Greece, and other Mediterranean countries go crazy—as do I—over fresh-pressed oil. They joyously throw “harvest parties” to celebrate its arrival, its vibrant, youthful bloom of heavenly taste and extraordinary health benefits. These marvelous qualities start to fade within three to six months after bottling, and this is true of all olive oil, which is why fresh-pressed oil is superior to any other olive oil you'll ever taste.
The big problem for us in America is that only a precious trickle of fresh-pressed olive oil ever makes it to our shores. The vast preponderance of olive oil that finds its way to the U.S. gets shipped months—maybe even a year—after pressing, and it travels here by molasses-slow cargo ship. As a result, the oil's fresh, bright flavor is already on a downward spiral by the time it is unloaded at our docks. And then it may languish additional months, losing more flavor and growing more stale, as it sits on store shelves.
This is why so many of the olive oils sold in gourmet stores are bottled and labeled without reference to their production dates, making it impossible for you to determine how fresh they are. Remember, I'm speaking now of the production date, not a “best used by” date. Many mass marketers of olive oil purposely omit the production date because they know that discriminating olive oil lovers always prize freshness. But without a production date on the bottle, you won't be able to tell. And that's why you, just like I used to, have probably been seduced by fancy bottles and pretty labels only to bring home mediocre olive oils whose flavors have faded and dulled—maybe even turned rancid.
You and I Insist on Fresh Milk and Fresh Fish. Why Not Fresh Olive Oil?
To me, this is downright unfair! As consumers we insist on fresh bread, fresh milk, fresh fish, fresh meat, fresh produce. Don't we also have a right to fresh olive oil? Of course we do! But the olive oil industry's distribution system is designed to ship the oil as inexpensively as possible, via slow cargo ship, resulting in the widespread consumption on our shores of flat, subpar, even stale oil, regardless of the price you may be willing to pay.
I Was Determined to Find a Solution, and I Did
Several years ago, I became aware of some of the very greatest, freshest, most outrageously delicious olive oil in the world, from Sicily, which I consider one of the world's most exciting olive oil regions.
Not unexpectedly, I learned that most of it is not available to us in America. So I called the producer to try and cajole him into further export...and to see if there were any way he could ship it here immediately by plane instead of the usual, ever-so-slow cargo ship method.
“Yes, yes, yes it was that mind- blowing and more! We usually just use the oil for dipping and I pour it over feta cheese. As soon as you open the bottle the aroma is fantastic. It reminds me of when I was a little girl and my grandfather came back from Greece and he brought back olive oil just like that. It had that dark green color and smell. Please if I can buy more please let me know.” —Diane Vourderis, Staten Island, NY
He told me that if I paid for the shipping, he would be delighted to do so, but needed a U.S. contact to handle the pesky details of importation, especially if I wanted it shipped by plane, since neither he nor any other producer he knew ever did that. He floored me by suggesting, “Why don't you be the first to do it, T.J.? If you'll be my importer, I'll send you my best oil. And I will send it not by slow cargo ship, but by plane, so you and your friends in America can taste exactly the same fresh oils we celebrate at harvest time here in Sicily.”
This is something I'd never done, or even considered. I checked out the cost of shipping oil here by plane and, to my surprise, found that for small quantities, the cost is not prohibitive.
I was working in New York City as the Associate Editor of a popular food and wine newsletter at the time. Earlier in my career, I had also been a chef. So, thanks to those two jobs, I had access to hundreds of foodie friends and contacts. I asked them, “Would you be interested in trying authentic fresh pressed olive oil the likes of which you've never tasted?” Many said, “Sure!”
I mulled everything over and thought, “Why not?” This could be an opportunity to bring these outrageously flavorful oils at long last into the U.S., and I knew they would be a huge hit with my foodie friends.
“I feel that God gives mortal man small tastes of heaven while on Earth and these oils are one such occasion.”
—William L. Skonsky Jr., Pittsburgh PA
Isn't This How Vito Corleone Started?
Well, their response was overwhelming! My fresh-pressed oil had created a sensation. Foodies and chefs could not get over what a difference just-pressed freshness made in the flavor of their oil...and thus on their salads, their fish, their veggies, their grilled meats, and their beans. Everything you would normally sprinkle with ordinary gourmet store olive oil could now come gloriously alive with the flavors of fresh-pressed oil, direct from the new harvest!
After the oil was gone, people started asking me—in some cases, begging!—for more. “T. J., you've spoiled us! You can't give us a taste of paradise like this and then cut us off. We need more of that fresh-pressed oil! We can't wait a whole year until the next harvest in Sicily. You must find us more now, please!”
I found myself daydreaming...“What if I could find such harvest-fresh, highest-quality olive oil, made somewhere in the world, anywhere in the world, every three months or so—so that we could enjoy, year round, fresh-pressed olive oil at the peak of its flavor and intensity? And what if I could arrange to have it shipped conveniently right to the front door of anyone who wants it?
“Is This Even Feasible?” I Asked Myself
Agriculturally, yes. Thanks to differences in climate, the annual harvest times are different the world over. For example, from the late summer to the early winter, someone, somewhere—in Italy, in Spain, in France, in Greece, in Tunisia, in Israel, in California, etc.—is pressing fresh olive oil.
But what about late winter to early summer? No problem, it turned out! Today some of the world's greatest olive oil producers are flourishing in the Southern Hemisphere. That means that during the winter and up to early summer, we can obtain fresh, highest quality olive oil from the sun-kissed groves of Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
And so I did it—I took the plunge. I left my job at the food newsletter, jumped in with both feet, became The Olive Oil Hunter, and launched our exclusive club, The Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club.
As a member of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, you will experience the finest of every variety. Each new bottle arriving at your home will be a palate-thrilling adventure in olive oil appreciation, accompanied by the Club's “Pressing Report,” describing each oil's biography and producer, olive variety, harvest and delivery details, as well as suggestions for ways to enjoy each of the oils, emphasizing seasonal recipes and traditional uses.
“Had a little gathering on Super Bowl Sunday. Lined up the three bottles you sent and put a little of each in dipping dishes. Served with sour dough bread chunks. It was the most loved munchie we had. Many different opinions on which oil was the best, but a unanimous ‘best olive oils ever' for the set of three. Makes a plain old ordinary salad sing. I had bought two additional sets of bottles for gifts, and both of the recipients would like to know how to get more of this liquid gold. It is so nice to have you scouring the earth for me. Thanks.” —Annie Osteen, Copperopolis, CA
This announcement is your invitation to join us on this wonderful, ever-so-much-fun adventure in the greatest taste and health benefits that the world's freshest olive oils can bestow.
Four times a year—roughly in November, February, May and July—I travel the world, following the sun to sample hundreds of fresh-pressed olive oils right at harvest time in each olive-growing region. I pick out the top three, best-of-the best oils. Then I put my treasures on a jet plane and, after they land in America, have them bottled by hand and rushed right to your door by express delivery truck.
This is the kind of olive oil that the Italians call “novello,” though other countries don't use the same term. In every case, no matter what the region of origin, I secure for our Club Members the freshest, most flavorful and healthiest olive oils available in the world, delivered at the peak of freshness and health benefits.
So when you become a Charter Member of The Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, you can expect three bottles (you'll have a choice of two sizes) of the world's freshest olive oil to show up at your home four times a year. You will never have to expend a drop of energy, or waste a second of your precious time, in tracking down great olive oil. You will be, quite literally, one of the few people on the planet with a continual supply of just-pressed, insanely fresh olive oil!
Discover a World of Olive Oil Pleasures You've Never Dreamed of!
As with wine, the possible variations of taste and texture in olive oil are infinite, depending on the olive variety, or “cultivar,” as well as its “terroir,” the combination of soil, climate, and other natural elements that influence its flavor.
Best way to store your olive oil...
Temperature, time, light, and oxygen are the four great enemies of olive oil freshness and flavor.
Therefore never store your olive oil near your stove or in a cabinet above your stove. Also, never store it on a countertop in a clear bottle or cruet, as the light will penetrate the glass and render the oil stale. (Tragically, many olive oils sold in stores are packaged in clear bottles and are left to sit under constant fluorescent lighting for weeks or even months. Never buy oil in a clear bottle as it will likely be damaged before you even bring it home.)
And there is no need to store your oil in the fridge. Indeed, this will be too cold, and the oil will start to solidify and thicken, or even go lumpy.
Best recommendation: Buy the freshest oil you can find and store it in a cool, dark cupboard away from the stove.
You'll also receive my personal tasting notes for each oil, so you can compare your own impressions with mine. I'll even include a game plan for an olive-oil tasting party, so you can invite your family members and foodie friends to share their impressions as well. You're going to have fun discovering and appreciating these remarkable oils!
To our surprise and delight, the Club has prospered even in recent difficult economic times. I think I know why. With so many people eating more at home, our fresh-pressed oils help members turn every home-cooked meal into a joyous celebration of extra flavor and goodness.
These remarkably flavorful fresh-pressed oils bring a new dimension of convenience to preparing a truly delicious meal. Just think about it—you can start with a quick, simple dish, such as a basic roast chicken or plate of plain pasta, and instantly elevate it to a whole new level of flavor and dining pleasure merely by crowning it with this divine oil! You can add so much pleasure and satisfaction to any meal without having to spend hours in the kitchen slaving over a sauce or other ingredients. Mother Nature has already made this heavenly “sauce” for you. You just open and pour!
Here's how Larry Olmsted, the award-winning food and travel journalist, describes our oils in his New York Times bestselling book, Real Food/Fake Food:
“I now get most of my oil from T. J. Robinson's Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, and every time I open a bottle, my kitchen literally fills up with the smell of fresh crushed olive—the scent explodes out of the bottle. Just breaking the seal transports me to Italy or Spain or Chile.”
And here are just a few of the rave reviews from our Club Members:
“Amazing...Really the best olive oils I've tasted.”
—Rosanne Braslow, Pittsburgh, PA
“The best olive oil I have ever tasted, ever! We use it sparingly on salads and the like. Won't use it for cooking as we don't want to waste it. My Italian friends are blown away with the taste!!!!”
—Bill Fischer Hampstead, NC
“The oils were awesome. They can't compare with anything we've tried at our local gourmet grocery. So flavorful—grassy, lemony and, in the case of the Elaios, almost peppery!...We have enjoyed the oils on pasta primavera—a very simple mix of fresh sautéed veggies with fresh pasta and herbs—the olive oil as simple sauce. Also wonderful on fresh gnocchi, or fresh fettuccini with sliced sautéed garlic with or without fresh tomatoes. We are saving some of our oil for this spring's first crop of fresh tomatoes.”
—Lyn Weingarten, Austin, TX
“I have died and gone to Italy!!! I love the olive oils. Drizzled over freshly steamed vegetables, blended with fresh parsley and lemon served atop a grilled veal chop or steak, it's amazing and I want more. Finishing up my savor each and every last drip. Oh how I will miss the richness and fresh olive taste twirling throughout my mouth. AHHHHHHHHH!! Let's do it again. I've used it on salad, my homemade grill ‘Lahvish' pizza, fresh figs stuffed with gorgonzola, my white bean and rosemary/garlic dip, served on a garlic rubbed baguette, and more. Can you feel the love. What else can I say, the love goes on... and on...thank you!!!!!!!!!!!”
—Jennifer L. Gower, Newport, RI
I can't wait for you to try our oils—and savor them for yourself on all your favorite dishes!
RSVP TODAY!
If you'd like to become a Charter Member of The Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, please let me know right away, so we'll have enough time to make the arrangements with our artisanal producers in time for the next harvest and shipping dates. I'll make your life simple by offering just two options. All you have to do is pick one of the following options...
Option #1, Best Value: 500-ml Set: A large set of three 500-ml (16.9 ounce) fresh-pressed supreme extra virgin olive oil is normally only $139 per quarter (which includes free shipping and handling). This works out to one 500ml (16.9 ounce) fresh-pressed bottle per month. And with this special buy-two-bottles-and-get-one-free offer, you save a big 33%. So your introductory price is only $92 for your first three-bottle set.
Option #2, Excellent Value: 250-ml Set: A smaller set of three 250-ml (8.45 ounce) bottles of fresh-pressed supreme extra virgin olive oil is normally only $99 per quarter (which includes free shipping and handling). This works out to one 250ml (8.45 ounce) fresh-pressed bottle per month. And with this special buy-two-bottles-and-get-one-free offer, you save a big 33%. So your introductory price is only $66 for your first three-bottle set.
Whichever option you select, your oils will be accompanied by my “Pressing Report,” describing the producer, olive varieties, regions, harvest and delivery details of your shipment. You will also receive our tasting notes for each oil, a game plan for an olive-oil tasting party, and suggestions for ways to enjoy each of the oils, emphasizing seasonal recipes and traditional uses.
“Wow. I gave 2 sets as gifts. The folks loved it. Drizzled on tomatoes, mozzarella & basil, a hit. I've made the best salad dressing ever. Nice to have 3 choices. It's now my surprise ingredient.” —Cynthia Cable, Rochester, NY
Never a “Minimum Commitment” . . . And You Can Cancel at Any Time
There is no minimum number of quarters that you must enroll for, and you can cancel your membership at any time. Moreover, every quarterly shipment is protected by our 100% money-back guarantee. Just let us know if you're dissatisfied with your selections for any reason, and you'll receive 100% of your money back for that shipment, no questions asked. So you risk absolutely nothing—unless, of course, you let this chance slip by, in which case you'll be missing the opportunity to secure your own private, continuous source of rare, fresh-pressed olive oil, so few drops of which ever reach our shores!
The offer we're presenting here is available nowhere else—not in stores, catalogs, anywhere. Indeed, I don't know of any other service in the world that delivers precious fresh-pressed olive oils right to your door quarterly. This is truly a first, and you can be a Charter Member of the world's first such Club!
“The olive oils were absolutely mind blowing. I had an 'olive oil tasting' with family and friends. They all loved it. I served the oils on cannellini beans, dipped bread in the oil, on roasted vegetables and soups, in mashed potatoes.”
—Lissa Mattson, North Babylon, NY
You Will Be Amazed by Their Flavor And So Will Your Guests!
I urge you to be among the handful of Americans who will be able to enjoy these great fresh oils without needing your own private jet and pilot to whisk you around the globe. It means you need never again settle for mediocre, flat or stale olive oil! You can now let the dishes you serve be dramatically enhanced by these oils' lively, vibrant flavors and quality. And, if you can ever part with one of your treasured bottles, think of what a fabulous, exclusive and personal gift it would make for a foodie friend who would have no other way to experience such taste!
Similarly, this is one of those little luxuries, at a most reasonable price, that can add such delight and satisfaction and comfort to every meal you serve and partake. We all deserve such simple daily pleasure these days!
