From the Historic Olive Groves of Andalucía to Your Mesa—a Superlative Trio of Extra Virgin Olive Oils from Spain!

• Brimming with vibrant flavors and health-promoting antioxidants, these dazzling early-harvest oils have been rushed to you by jet at their peak.
• All are from award-winning producers and custom-blended by yours truly.
• All have been independently lab-certified to be 100% extra virgin.
• All are Club exclusives, available nowhere else.

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¡Hola! I am delighted—encantado—to report that I, your trusty Olive Oil Hunter, was able to journey to Spain on your behalf for the first time since 2020. After three years away, it was deeply gratifying and soul-nourishing to collaborate in person with my loyal and talented friends, to savor the incredible Iberian cuisine, and to fulfill the Club’s mission, with my boots on the ground, of sourcing for you the finest, freshest, most healthful extra virgin olive oils on Earth right now.

The World’s Olive Oil Well

I like to say that Spaniards have olive oil coursing through their veins. Spain is the world’s largest olive oil producer, providing almost half the world’s supply in a normal production year. The majority of that olive oil comes from Andalucía—specifically, from the province of Jaén (an area about the size of the state of Connecticut), which by itself usually yields more olive oil than either Italy or Greece.

Yet most Spanish olive oil is a subpar bulk product that I would never allow on my table (except as a paperweight to keep the menu from flying away at an outdoor taberna). Don’t get me wrong—there are also extraordinary ultra-premium olive oils milled in Spain, some of the finest in the world, and that’s why I was longing to return.

Quality Time

Almost two decades ago, a tiny, core group of quality-focused olive oil producers in Spain turned their sights to producing excellent early-harvest EVOO, emphasizing local varietals, high polyphenol content, and extraordinary flavor. In the intervening years, these pioneers—who represent only about 1 to 2 percent of the producers in Spain—have re-envisioned the possibilities for Spanish olive oil, crafting some of the most celebrated oils in the world as well as creating a high demand for them, locally and internationally.

I began scouting for early-harvest EVOO in Spain in 2005, when I first visited the groves (and castle) of Francisco “Paco” Vaño. (Read more about Paco below.) The network of ultra-premium Spanish producers is tight, and, as new producers distinguish themselves, my friends recommend groves to visit so I can sample their oils. Building these relationships over time is a key aspect of my work as the Olive Oil Hunter, as you never know when the stars will align in a brilliant collaboration.

No Rain in Spain

You may have seen the catastrophic headlines, from Olive Oil Times (“Producers in Andalucía Brace for Second Worst Harvest on Record”) to the New York Times: “The Olive Oil Capital of the World, Parched.” Spain and Portugal endured a record-breaking year of drought, characterized by some scientists as the region’s worst in a thousand years. Eight months without rain meant that only irrigated olive groves had a chance at producing enough fruit for a harvest.

Extreme heat also blasted the Iberian olive crops. In Jaén, temperatures in May hit the mid-90s, which scorched many olive blossoms, causing them to wither—then, the lack of water during the hottest summer on record stunted the development of the remaining fruit.

Spain’s olive harvest this year was down 50 percent nationally, 60 percent in Jaén. Many farmers’ livelihoods were crushed—bulk producers and artisanal growers alike were impacted in devastating ways.

With a Lot of Help from My Friends

To put it in perspective, longtime friend of the Club Filipe Madeira de Albuquerque, in Portugal, brought in only one-tenth of his usual crop. (Experienced Club members will be familiar with the fragrant, delicate oils from the Madeira groves—which, owing to their mountainous location, are not irrigated.) Filipe, a seasoned veteran of the cruel whims of weather and climate, has faith that next year will be better, and we hope to collaborate on a beautiful oil for the Club when Mother Nature permits.

In short, for the producers, this olive growing season was a nightmare. For you, though, my lucky Club member, the trio of oils I’ve selected is incredible, with a wealth of aromas and perfumes as well as health-enhancing polyphenols and other antioxidant compounds. (These are beneficial outcomes of water stress on the trees.)

All three producers—Castillo de Canena, Finca Gálvez, and García-Molina—have appeared multiple times in the Top 20 of Flos Olei, the connoisseur’s guide to the world’s best olive oils. These resourceful, highly skilled master artisans extended themselves with stunning generosity on behalf of our Club, reserving their best oils for us and giving us room to taste and tinker with our blends. Our bold selection features a Club debut by García-Molina, a quality-focused farm I’ve been scouting since 2015. This was their year to shine.

How did I manage to secure three outstanding oils in such a challenging season? One word: friends. I was overjoyed to see my longtime friends, to break bread together, to enjoy meals together. And, dios mío, the food—we shared so many mouth-watering dishes, including the best local shrimp ever, each plate splashed with our harvest-fresh olive oils. The absolute standout was braised Ibérico pork cheeks in a garlic-onion reduction that I cannot stop thinking about. I may return to Spain just to have it again. I wish you could come with me.

Meanwhile, read on for details about these talented and innovative producers, as well as tasting notes, food pairings, and regionally inspired recipes to enhance your enjoyment of these dazzling oils. Savor them with your friends, family, and guests in good health. ¡Salud!

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: Castillo de Canena, Selección Especial, Jaén, Andalucía, Spain
• Olive Varieties: Arbequina
• Flavor Profile: Mild

The apocalyptic headlines coming from Southern Europe were alarming: “Drought and Heat Drain Spanish Reservoirs,” said Reuters. “Spain and Portugal Suffering Driest Climate for 1,200 Years,” reported The Guardian.

Prior to my trip to Spain, I sought another update from my friend, Francisco “Paco” Vaño, the cofounder, with his sister, Rosa, of Castillo de Canena, one of the most respected olive mills in the world.

“It has been the hardest and most complicated harvest of my life,” he said. “But don’t worry.” Yields were going to be lower than normal, he explained, but the quality of the fruit was high. Paco assured me he would do whatever he could to accommodate the needs of the Club. True to his word, he gave me access to his finest Arbequinas, a finicky varietal that is in extremely short supply this year.

Named after the Vaño family’s 15th-century castle, an imposing, turreted edifice that overlooks thousands of acres of olive groves and the picturesque village of Canena, this artisanal producer’s early-harvest oils have garnered the world’s most coveted olive oil awards. Though they celebrated their first harvest in 2003, the family has been connected to olive groves for more than two centuries. In 2019, Castillo de Canena was inducted into the prestigious Flos Olei Hall of Fame, one of only eight producers out of hundreds to receive the honor.

Always seeking new ways to grow, the family continues to invest in improvements. For example, they started construction in 2019 on a magnificent state-of-the-art mill, the steel-and-glass embodiment of brainstorming sessions with the entire team. Now fully operational and featuring four separate lines and a temperature-controlled receiving area, the mill dwarfs the structure I toured when I first visited Castillo de Canena in 2005.

Naturally, I was eager to learn in person what innovations Paco and his staff had implemented during my absence.

My Merry Band of Tasters and I hit the ground running when we arrived at the mill. We were delighted with the sensational Arbequina blend we developed using the cream of Paco’s crop. Later, we rendezvoused with Paco at Taberna El Pajáro (“tavern of the bird”) in Baeza, a restaurant we’ve visited many times before. Over an uncharacteristically long lunch—three hours—we celebrated another successful collaboration with this incredibly skilled producer. During the meal, Paco affirmed his commitment to quality, which he defines broadly to include acting with purpose and integrity, sharing accumulated knowledge, respecting the community and the environment, and tirelessly promoting biodiversity. Among his many projects is the planned publication of four coffee table–type books featuring the property’s abundant flora and fauna. (In association with the University of Jaén, a stunning volume featuring 117 bird species that inhabit the groves has already been published.)

Conversations in Andalucía usually gravitate to the drought that continues to plague Southern Europe. A summer heatwave exacerbated the problem. Many provinces have restricted water usage as rivers and dammed reservoirs recede. Paco, who maintains his own reservoir but also relies on river water, is encouraged by a government plan to loosen water restrictions in advance of the olive trees’ spring blossom-setting season. Heat also continued to bedevil olive farmers throughout the harvest, Paco said, with temperatures sometimes soaring as high as 104 degrees. Each day, his crews began working before dawn, quitting at noon. Happily, water-deprived olives were blessed with timely rains, which restored their balance and improved their flavor profiles.

One highlight of our trip that was unrelated to olive oil was a surprise visit organized by Paco to a distillery called Cacao Pico. Founded in 1824 in Jerez, it’s known for its unique chocolate-flavored liqueur. (Paco served it to guests at his wedding last year.)

It was such a joy to catch up with Paco, whose many accomplishments as a premium olive oil producer make me so very proud. I treasure our relationship and the benefits it has produced for Club members. Most notably, this superb blend of premium Arbequinas. My wife, Meghan, and I have been enjoying it with a multitude of dishes, splashing it on everything from eggs to ice cream. We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of fresh asparagus, ramps, and morels—all mood-lifting harbingers of spring.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

This exquisite and aromatic Arbequina makes a lovely first impression. It is grassy on the nose with hints of green banana, golden apple, kiwi, celery, vanilla, mint, and basil, punctuated by Belgian endive and white pepper. Elegant in the mouth, echoing the grassiness and green banana along with the bitterness of endive, the warmth of cinnamon, and a walnut-like nuttiness. Expect a long, mild, peppery finish.

From your mid-morning smoothie to a late-night snack of ice cream, this versatile oil will enhance many foods, particularly those with an intrinsic sweetness. These include carrots, asparagus, beets, sweet potatoes, squash, and peas; salads featuring fruit and/or nuts; creamy soups; lobster, shrimp, scallops, and mild fin fish; chicken; bread; rice; scrambled eggs; yogurt; quick breads; and fruit-based desserts.

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: Finca Gálvez, Jaén, Andalucía, Spain
• Olive Varieties: Picual
• Flavor Profile: Medium

When my Merry Band of Tasters and I arrived at Finca Gálvez, the dramatic stone-and-brick façade of their state-of-the-art mill was a welcome sight after my three-year absence. Of course, the real delight was seeing the Brothers Gálvez, José and Andrés, catching up on their news, and sharing memorable meals at our favorite local restaurants.

Longstanding Club members know that my relationship with the Gálvez family dates back to the early ’00s. It began just a few years after José and Andrés’s father made the decision to change the family’s livelihood from masonry—the area’s red clay is responsible for those vibrant bricks fronting the mill—to creating the finest extra virgin olive oil. He correctly predicted that there would be a surge in demand for ultra-premium quality oils.

In truth, I’m not sure José and Andrés would ever have been as passionate about bricks as they are about their groves and oils. Over two decades, they’ve amassed dozens of awards, including coveted gold medals in the New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC), Olive Japan, and the London International Olive Oil Competition. And they’ve been named among the top 20 oils in the world numerous times by Flos Olei, the global guide to the finest EVOO, including in 2022 and 2023. But they’re certainly not resting on their laurels. They’ve expanded their mission to include sharing their knowledge of olive oil to make the public better-informed consumers, making them more aware of the different varietals of olives, how to enjoy each one, and how to appreciate olive oil as a true fruit juice with amazing health benefits—a mission that Club members know I share.

And that explains the renovations we saw underway on our way to the groves: their main office will move to the new building so that their current one can become a dedicated visitor center for classes and tastings, complete with a kitchen for cooking demonstrations. “When you visit a wine cellar, you taste the wine not only on its own but also paired with cheese and other foods,” said José. “Our visitors want that kind of sophisticated, elevated experience, not a run-of-the-mill tourist stop.”

Another thing I admire about the team at Finca Gálvez is that they’re always guided by the groves—the highest-quality oil is what gets bottled, no matter the quantity. That means their annual yield can vary based on growing conditions, and this season gave them their greatest challenge yet. When I look back at my past quests for EVOO in Spain, there have certainly been many tricks played by Mother Nature—she doesn’t always make it easy for us to receive her gift of liquid gold! Last year, producers were stymied by a lengthy drought and blistering hot temperatures during the growing season. Yet, somehow, this year was even more challenging. Many areas had no rain for eight months, a refrain we’d heard since we arrived in the country.

Those without the kind of sophisticated irrigation system that Finca Gálvez has didn’t stand a chance. Even with one, production was lower, and everyone was scrambling to meet demand. A low volume of olives means that grocery stores will be flooded with a lot of inferior oils three times the usual price and, worse still, often passed off as EVOO.

I never commit to a producer before an olive oil is in my tasting cup, but any worries melted away soon after my Merry Band of Tasters and I sat down in the tasting room. Ten Picual samples were presented to us, each tantalizingly distinctive—with 5,000 acres in the Guadalquivir River Valley, the Finca Gálvez groves represent many different terroirs. José and Andrés had set aside much of their top premium oil for our Club.

In past years, a Picual from Finca Gálvez has been our bold selection; however, as we narrowed the delicious array of tasting cups from 10 to four, we knew we had the makings of a well-rounded, harmonic blend that would be perfect for the medium profile. Coincidentally, it was a medium Picual that had captured a Best in Class for Finca Gálvez at the NYIOOC just a few years ago! The Gálvez brothers opened their cellar door to us and let us play in their house so that you, dear Club member, can savor this very special oil. The final result showed once again just how skilled they are—they navigated all the curveballs of the season to hit a home run.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

This Picual is an Andalucían beauty. Complex and herbaceous on the nose. My tasters and I detected tomato leaf, basil, rosemary, oregano, fresh-cut grass, arugula, hazelnut, black pepper, and eucalyptus. Even more beguiling on the palate, evoking green tomato, spinach, and the bitterness of rosemary, escarole, green tea, and cocoa nibs with the spiciness of celery leaves. The finish goes on and on.

I urge you to play up this oil’s best qualities by coupling it with tomato-based dishes such as bruschetta, caponata, pasta, or pizza. Pair with aged hard cheeses; charcuterie boards; grilled meats (pork or lamb); grilled fish (tuna, salmon, or swordfish); white beans; mixed green salads; potatoes; broccoli, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts; and fried eggs.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: García-Molina, Ácula, Granada, Andalucía, Spain
• Olive Varieties: Hojiblanca, Arbequina, Picual
• Flavor Profile: Bold

It’s a funny thing about hunches—sometimes you have to wait to act even though you’re excited about forging ahead. That pretty much sums up the interest I’ve had in this innovative producer since I first met Juan de Dios, known as Juande, and his sister, Paula. I recognized great promise in these dynamic siblings years ago. But who would have imagined that the right moment to make them the newest artisanal producer to supply amazing extra virgin olive oil to Club members was during one of the most challenging Spanish harvests in 20 years?

This passion project started with their father, also named Juan de Dios. As children, the siblings accompanied their dad to family-owned olive groves in Jaén, an easy drive from their home in Málaga. They even spent school holidays pruning olive trees! Later, just as they started to follow in their father’s academic footsteps, earning degrees in pharmacology, Papa indulged his lifelong dream of buying an olive mill! It was mostly a hobby at first, one that produced olive oils for friends and family and the bulk market. But Juande and Paula saw the potential to elevate the oils and approached their father with a bold plan: press premium olive oils and introduce them internationally to a very select group of chefs who wanted only the finest ingredients in their kitchens. They asked for four years to prove themselves.

“It was really hard,” Juande admits. Even though they were traveling nearly 20 days a month, they sold nothing for the first year. When they made their first sale, it was because the buyer “felt sorry for them.” But it was a start! The turning point came in 2016 when a German publication, Stiftung Warentest (similar to our Consumer Reports), tested 26 olive oils. Only one—guess which one—was given a high rating. And just like that, their mill was off and running.

The elder Juande did not live to see this milestone—he passed away in 2014, just 10 years after buying the grove—but the family honors him at every harvest, gathering around an olive tree they planted in his name and celebrating his life, his incredible energy, and his passion for olive oil. Juande’s five young grandchildren endearingly call him Abuelo Olivo (Grandpa Olive), and his legacy continues to inspire the family.

I was equally impressed by how seriously Juande follows the well-documented impact of EVOO on dementia, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and more, and how he continues to use his pharmacology background as an asset. He even sells his own fresh-pressed olive oil in the pharmacy he owns. The family’s grounding in a scientific field, I believe, has led them to be very methodical when problem-solving in the groves and in the mill.

The siblings’ olive oils, under the name O-Med, have received many prestigious awards in Spain and abroad, including a gold medal at the New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC), multiple “Top 20” inclusions in Flos Olei (Italy’s premier guide to the world’s olive oils), Olive Japan, and the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.

During our visit, one of our most memorable meals was at Luciano’s, the local restaurant that provided sustenance during those early, difficult days: Juande ate there so often that the proprietors gave him room and board when he was putting in 20-hour days at the mill, even making him dinner regardless of the hour. It was a kindness he has never forgotten. So, it was especially meaningful for me to enjoy a meal there with him. (I am determined to get the recipe for their delectable pork rib stew, so comforting on a chilly day.) Juande also treated my Merry Band of Tasters and me to a magnificent meal at Taberna
Belmonte in Granada, where the chef, Paco Aguilar, showcases O-Med oils. He, too, is close to the family, and even traveled with them to Japan to exchange skills with foreign chefs.

Hojiblanca anchors this exquisite blend, exclusive to us. It is a hardy cultivar, enhanced by Arbequina and Picual. To honor Juande and Paula’s father and his lifelong dream, we have created a special label, García-Molina, invoking their ancestral family name. Juande and Paula know their father would be proud that the family’s oil will be enjoyed by the discriminating palates of Club members. I’m proud, too! To quote the famous line at the end of the Hollywood classic Casablanca, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

Bold and beautiful, this blend of Hojiblanco, Picual, and Arbequina is intoxicating in the tasting glass. Black Tuscan kale came to mind, followed by wheatgrass, watercress, celery, and fresh thyme. A pear-like fruitiness complements the nuttiness of walnut and the freshness of lime zest. Weightier
in the mouth and more viscous than the mild and medium oils, this bold oil is incredibly harmonic. It’s a masterful symphony of flavors—tomato leaf, artichoke, parsley, and walnut. Bitterness is represented by microgreens and spiciness by nasturtium and green peppercorns. Savor the languorous finish.

Reach for this assertive oil when you compose salads of bitter greens with nuts and aged cheeses; grilled beefsteak or game meats; oilier fish, such as mackerel, bluefish, or sardines; hummus; shakshuka; bean or vegetable soups; and desserts featuring dark chocolate.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

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Recipes

• Asparagus with Olive Oil Sabayon Fresh asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, especially when paired with a luscious olive oil sabayon. If not using the asparagus immediately, trim the ends (as you would cut flowers) and stand upright in a tall glass of water. Cover the tips with a plastic bag and refrigerate for a day or two. Ingredients… view recipe
• Cod with Chorizo and Breadcrumbs A splash of sherry or red wine vinegar cuts the richness of the chorizo and brightens the flavors. Find cured Spanish chorizo online or in the international aisle of your supermarket. (Do not confuse cured, salami-like Spanish chorizo with raw Mexican chorizo, which must be cooked before using.) Ingredients 2 slices country-style bread, crusts removed… view recipe
• Pisto Manchego The cuisine of the Iberian peninsula was heavily influenced throughout history by its many conquerors. This dish, a popular one throughout Spain, was no doubt introduced to the country by the Moors. The key to its texture and flavors is to cook each vegetable slowly and individually. Your patience will be well rewarded! Ingredients For… view recipe
• Lemon and Olive Oil Tart Extra virgin olive oil is featured twice in this lovely lemon tart—in the crust and the filling. But if you’re short on time (or don’t own a tart pan), pour the lemony filling into a prepared graham cracker crust before baking. Ingredients For the crust: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon… view recipe
• Marinated Pork Loin in Adobo (Lomo de Cerdo en Adobo) The Spanish noun adobo means “marinade.” On the Iberian peninsula, where it has prehistoric origins, adobo refers to a flavorful marinade consisting of vinegar, olive oil, aromatics, and spices. Don’t be intimidated by the long marinating time of this dish. Do, however, use a nonreactive container such as a glass baking dish or large bowl.… view recipe
• Spanish Steak with Sherry Vinegar Steak Sauce (Chuleton) Spain has a vibrant steak culture, a surprise to tourists with tapas and paella on their minds. Rib steak, known as chuleton (“large steak”), appears on many restaurant menus and is typically cooked over a live fire. The rub and piquant steak sauce are very versatile and pair well with pork, chicken, or shrimp. (Find… view recipe
• Olive Oil Ice Cream Your ice cream freezer is likely an appliance you don’t use every day (or even every year). But this delectable recipe provides the incentive to retrieve if from wherever it’s stored. If you don’t have fudge sauce on hand, the ice cream is also wonderful when drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Top, if desired,… view recipe
• Mango Gazpacho Here’s a refreshing riff on classic gazpacho—perfect for a weekend brunch or as a prelude to lunch or a light supper. I like to serve it in small straight-sided Spanish sherry glasses called chatos. Ingredients 3 mangoes, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped 2 cups fresh orange juice 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons extra… view recipe
• Olive Oil Fudge Sauce Delicious over homemade olive oil ice cream or premium store-bought vanilla, this decadently rich sauce forms a soft chocolate shell as soon as you spoon it on the cold ice cream. Ingredients 1/2 cup heavy cream 6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Directions Step 1 In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan,… view recipe
• Spinach and Chickpeas (Espinacas con Garbanzos) Especially popular in the Andalucían city of Seville, this dish can be served as a tapa, a light meal, or a satisfying side dish. Bagged baby spinach is usually sold washed. If your spinach is garden-fresh, rinse it well and drain itbefore adding to the chickpeas. Ingredients 1 cup jarred or canned chickpeas, drained 2… view recipe

Introducing a Trio of Spectacular Fresh-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oils from
Award-Winning Italian and Greek Producers

• All three oils showcase single olive varietals that grow only in specific regions in the Mediterranean, making them rarities not only in the US but even in their countries of origin.
• All are Club exclusives personally selected by me, your Olive Oil Hunter.
• As always, all have been certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin.
• Rushed to the US by jet to preserve their healthful aromas, flavors, and antioxidants, these oils will be sensational additions to your winter menus and are available nowhere else!

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Ah, the glorious appeal of Italy and Greece in the fall… Both countries are renowned for their love of olive oil and—perhaps related—the exceptional longevity of their people.

I’ve longed to return to the region for three years, so I knew my recent visit was going to be epic. It was.

Magical, even. And, as Virgil wrote in the Aeneid, I now come bearing wonders for you—a collection of three extraordinary fresh-pressed
extra virgin olive oils that will elevate your meals from simple to sublime.

Italy is where I first tasted just-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Little did I know that moment and that Sicilian oil, called novello, would change my life. That was when I vowed to introduce discriminating Americans to premium extra virgin olive oils.

Still my sentimental favorite, the Italian boot is my destination when autumn arrives in the Northern Hemisphere. Olive oil is inextricably intertwined with the Italian culture. The country hosts some 550 varieties of Olea europaea. Of course, another olive oil–obsessed Mediterranean country is Greece. It, too, has a long and complicated relationship with this storied evergreen. According to Greek mythology, Athena and Poseidon competed for the right to name a port city by bestowing gifts upon its citizens. Athena’s olive tree, proffering shade, wood, and olive oil, bested the sea god’s saltwater lake, which is why we now know this sprawling metropolis, home to the Parthenon, as Athens. Greeks, by the way, use almost seven gallons of olive oil per person a year, making them the most voluminous consumers in the world.

Welcome to Our Mediterranean Celebration

My much-anticipated reunions with award-winning producers I’ve worked with and respected for years—Italy’s Colli Etruschi and Frantoio Mercurius, and Greece’s NOAN—exceeded my expectations. Nicola Fazzi, Claudio Di Mercurio, and Richy Schweger were as glad to see me as I was to see them. My longtime friend, olive oil expert Duccio Morozzo della Rocca, joined my Merry Band of Tasters and me, so it was like Homecoming Week everywhere we went. Everyone was so generous and welcoming. We were gifted everything from pomegranates to homemade olive oil soaps. It felt natural to once again gather around a table and catch up on the sort of news that requires a shared meal, broad hand gestures, the cheerful clanking of plates and pots and pans, lots of laughter, and a glass or two of wine. In this way, we celebrated my October birthday and the college graduation of Claudio’s daughter. (We had two cakes!)

The commingling of business and food in the Mediterranean possibly harks back to ancient times. Duccio speculates that the practice may have had its origins in the famously sumptuous banquets hosted by the Roman Empire. As a native of Rome, Duccio has observed that food is usually part of most social and business interactions. In any case, the cultivation of personal relationships, something I’ve always valued, appears to be a key to sustained success in Old World olive oil circles.

Sharing my gastronomic experiences with you, Club member, is also important to me. My intent is to acquaint you with the specific locales your oils came from as well as to inspire your usage. There are so very many ways to enjoy fresh-pressed olive oil. I’m continually on the lookout for new ones, and never hesitate to patronize street vendors, food trucks, or local markets. (Check out a collection of Mediterranean-based recipes below.)

I delight, as you’ve likely surmised, in visiting this part of the world. I love touring the olive groves, admiring the gnarled trees’ sculptural trunks and canopies, guessing their ages (and histories), and checking out the fruit. And it’s always exciting to watch the first precious dribbles of olive oil emerge from the spigot of the press, my tasting glass at the ready. As Duccio so eloquently put it: “Passion and love deliver such a special product of the land and hills—what the territory wants to present to the world.” Amen.

Perfect Timing and Expert Strategies

The challenge for olive producers in both countries this year was the unceasing hot, dry weather during the summer and early fall. (Parts of Italy reported the worst drought in 70 years. Greece generally fared better.) Without exception, the producers of this quarter’s oils wisely accelerated their harvests in order to take advantage of the elusive “magic window.” They employed special measures in their mills to keep the olive fruit cool during pressing. Fortunately, my team and I had expected an early harvest and scheduled our trip to arrive in the Mediterranean at the perfect time, snagging for Club members the cream of the crop. (And…it was fresh porcini season!)

Duccio predicts there will be many mediocre olive oils in the marketplaces of the world this year, with few ways for the unsuspecting consumer to suss them out. You, dear Club member, truly have treasures in your hands.

I feel so privileged to be your olive oil ambassador to the Mediterranean and beyond, representing (and satisfying!) your discerning palate by dealing exclusively with the world’s premier producers. Please take time to read the detailed producer profiles that follow. I want you to vicariously visit the farms and mills with me, dine with the people I’ve introduced you to, and deepen your connection to the incredible extra virgin olive oils you’ve received. Use the oils liberally and in good health. I fervently hope they bring you and your family and friends joy. And I pray I never have to be separated again for any length of time from the olive groves and my dear friends in Italy and Greece.

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: NOAN, Pelion Peninsula, Greece 2022
• Olive Varieties: Amfissa
• Flavor Profile: Mild

It’s great to be back. I’ve sorely missed the Pelion Peninsula. Halfway between Athens and Thessaloniki, this part of Central Greece is breathtakingly beautiful. To the east are the azure waters and pebbled beaches of the Aegean, and, to the west, a verdant hilly ridge, its slopes forested with olive groves, chestnut, and fruit trees. Charming coastal villages divide land from sea, each with small tavernas where an order of tsipouro (brandy) might be accompanied by complimentary mezes.

Is it any wonder, then, that Austrians Richy and Margit Schweger, avid snow- and water-skiers, were captivated by this little-known region of Greece? They bought a vacation home here on property populated with olive oil trees, then realized this was the right location from which to launch their next philanthropic endeavor. Established in 2008, NOAN has almost singlehandedly revitalized the local olive industry. A former IT executive, Richy had zero experience in agriculture. But he and Margit saw the potential of the area’s olive groves. Unorganized and often lacking resources, many growers pressed only enough olive oil for their families’ use or let the olives languish on the ground.

Richy immersed himself in the art of olive oil production, and with the help of a local man, mill owner and miller extraordinaire Jorgo Evangelinos, enlisted about 25 growers in the region to join the co-op. Both men are quick to credit my longtime friend and colleague, Roman olive expert Duccio Morozzo della Rocca, with fast-tracking NOAN’s inclusion in the winner’s circle: Just six years after its founding, NOAN’s oils were recognized by Flos Olei, an Italian guide to the world’s top olive oils.

Never resting on its laurels (a Greek phrase if there ever was one), NOAN has continued to support member growers and the community at large. It provides opportunities for continuing education, supplies financial assistance to growers when needed, and donates to local schools.

Since my last visit in 2019, NOAN has strengthened its organization by appointing “alpha growers” who mentor and liaise with younger, less experienced farmers and ensure the fruit they deliver is of superior quality. Prior to the current harvest, additional decanters were installed in the mill to increase productivity and improve the quality of the olive oils. Freezing temperatures, high winds, and any number of things, including equipment breakdowns, can reduce the aforementioned “magic window” to a matter of days. Timing is everything!

The mythical hero Jason and his Argonauts set out from the port city of Volos in search of the “Golden Fleece.” It was “liquid gold” that first brought me to the Pelion Peninsula. (Many of the dramas involving Greek gods and goddesses played out in this enchanting place. Mount Pelion was named after Peleus, the father of Achilles. I can almost imagine centaurs frolicking in the olive groves.)

After enduring disappointing harvests since my last visit (healthy trees usually need biennial “rests” to renew their vigor), I was thrilled to learn Richy and his right-hand man and fellow Austrian, Mario Sageder, predicted this would be “a T.J. year!” Their excitement speaks to the close relationships I’ve built and maintained with the world’s top olive oil producers. They plan ahead for my visits, adapting their growing and milling programs to satisfy our Club’s high standards.

This year, the trees blossomed profusely, and the fruit—the Grecian cultivar known as Amfissa— formed in abundance. A hot, dry summer followed, protecting the olives from pests and boosting their polyphenol levels. Thanks to multiple microclimates, NOAN was able to cherry-pick the olives they deemed worthy of their label. Richy, Mario, and Jorgo met periodically with the alpha growers to identify the most promising groves. Their last meeting was a celebratory harvest party, a much-loved tradition in many olive-growing countries.

My Merry Band of Tasters and I ate exceedingly well during our visit to Central Greece. The Pelion Peninsula has some of the best food on the mainland. We dined splendidly at family tables and quaint restaurants, tavernas, and cafes. We even had a memorable meal at a gas station/truck stop, where we enjoyed amazing bread, braised green beans spiced with cinnamon, and delectable chunks of tender pork. Of course, we also enjoyed the obligatory Greek lamb chops and tangy tzatziki at a more elegant restaurant—everything accompanied by the wonderful BYOB olive oils we brought to the table. I’m very proud to put on your table this rare and stunning extra virgin olive oil, as food-friendly as any I’ve encountered.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

The Pelion Peninsula is lush and green, descriptors that can also be applied to this delicate oil. Pressed from Amfissa olives grown exclusively in Central Greece, this oil delivers the alluring scents of fresh tomato, new-mown grass, green apple, kiwi, green walnut, wild mint and fennel, celery, and parsley, with white pepper and a hint of cinnamon. Delicate and delightfully creamy in the mouth, featuring tomato, butter lettuce, and spinach, celery leaves, and white pepper. This balanced oil finishes with fresh fennel and mint.

Very food-friendly, great with mild cheeses; marinated olives; rustic breads; rice, beans, and other pulses; sweet potatoes; squash; eggs; poultry; puréed soups; creamy pasta dishes; mild vinaigrettes paired with fruit or potato salads, Greek-style salads, or tender greens; green beans, mushrooms, peas, fennel, or carrots; or mild fish or shellfish. A good choice for baking.

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: Frantoio Hermes, Penne, Abruzzo, Italy 2022
• Olive Varieties: Dritta
• Flavor Profile: Medium

When I reflect on the many meaningful relationships I’ve made since starting the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, the one I have with Claudio Di Mercurio immediately comes to mind. This year marks our fifth collaboration—and that’s five years in a row! My wistfulness over not being able to visit for three years melted away as Claudio and his wife Olga welcomed us back to Olga’s family home in the ancient town of Penne. A deep mutual admiration has developed over the course of our working together, and Claudio’s appreciation for the relationship inspires him to cultivate the finest Dritta olives so that you, Club members, can savor the fruits of his labor.

Since this is Italy, we, of course, reconnected over food—a lavish homecooked lunch that showed just how integral EVOO is to the local cuisine. We began with grilled sheep- and cow’s-milk cheese dressed with pomegranate arils, fresh walnuts, and a drizzle of fresh olive oil, followed by handmade linguine with polpette (the tiniest meatballs) made with veal, lentil meatballs, porchetta cooked for hours in a wood oven, and amazing potatoes—boiled and then roasted for an hour and a half in fresh olive oil with a little garlic and rosemary. The green salad came right from the garden—escarole, radicchio, fennel, and shaved carrot, with the olive oil and a splash of the apple balsamic vinegar from my first Curated Culinary Selections’ collection that I shared with them. To cap the meal, there was a chocolate roll cake stuffed with Nutella and decorated with whipped cream stars. Could it get any better? Yes! The coming days took us to amazing restaurants known mostly to the locals, gourmet gems that make Abruzzo one of the best food regions of the country. Did you know, as I learned, that saffron is grown here, and that the area’s also known for licorice, nougat, candy-coated almonds, and Gentian Amaro, a liqueur made from gentian root, a bitter botanical used for centuries as a medicinal agent?

Olive oil, too, has a prominent place in Abruzzese history. An early olive oil research facility tasked with setting certain industry standards was located here, and the hydraulic press, the forerunner of today’s olive milling equipment, was invented by the region’s own Corradino D’Ascanio, the aeronautical engineer behind the Vespa, Italy’s iconic motor scooter, and the country’s first production helicopter.

Like Abruzzo itself, Dritta olive oil flew under the radar for the longest time—I’ll be eternally grateful to Duccio for letting me in on the region’s tastiest secret. Although Claudio also grows Coratina (a variety well known to Club members) and Peranzana olives, I keep coming back to the uniqueness of the Dritta, whose name translates to “dependable.” It’s grown virtually nowhere else and is as delicious as it is dependable. While many other varietals seem to flourish only every other year, Dritta is like the Energizer bunny that keeps going and going.

Claudio’s groves benefit from Penne’s microclimate—it’s cradled between low peaks of the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic Sea. This enviable location protects the area from the brutally hot summers experienced in other parts of Italy, yet it’s not impervious to the effects of climate change. Claudio and his skilled team have had to adjust to fruit that starts ripening sooner than in the past. The harvest now finishes around the date it used to begin! “The mill itself becomes more important to control the quality,” Claudio explained. “The olive miller is like the maestro of an orchestra. He tunes the instruments for every type of climatic condition that arises. And everyone, not just the miller, needs to be trained.” Everyone also shares Claudio’s belief that “quality is born in the field and refined in the mill.” I can taste their dedication in this year’s liquid gold—our medium selection is harmonic, beautifully balanced, and a perfect food-friendly oil you can dress up or dress down. You’ll taste why Frantoio Mercurius is a frequent winner of the top olive oil prizes in the world from expert guides such as Gambero Rosso, Flos Olei, and Slow Food—the Di Mercurios often make family adventures out of going to the award ceremonies.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

Aromatic in the tasting glass with fresh grass, walnut, green banana, chicory, lettuce, orange peel, wild mint, and fennel seed. Taste it and you’ll detect these flavors: the sweetness of almond; the astringency of green tea; the bitterness of endive, wild mint, basil, spinach, and fennel fronds mingled with the spicy bite of fresh arugula.

Use this vibrant oil on cured meats; pasta dishes; roasted vegetables; tomato-based dishes; pesto; aged cheeses or grilling cheeses like halloumi or kefalotyri; white beans; chickpeas; mashed potatoes; heartier stews or soups; porchetta; lamb; veal; tuna or swordfish; citrus-based desserts or cocktails; yogurt; vanilla ice cream or panna cotta; and smoothies.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: Colli Etruschi, Blera, Lazio, Italy, 2022
• Olive Varieties: Canino
• Flavor Profile: Bold

The Canino olive takes center stage in the Lazio region, just as the Dritta olive is the star in Abruzzo. The trees bearing this feisty fruit thrive in the area’s limestone-rich, porous soil. Our producer, Colli Etruschi, has a unique story of its own: It’s an agricultural cooperative of a few hundred small local farmers who carry on their respective family traditions and passion for growing olives. The co-op began in 1965 when a group of 18 olive growers banded together to invest in modern equipment and work more productively and efficiently. Their name is a tribute to the Etruscans, the ancient people who brought the cultivation of olive trees to the area.

Under the direction of Nicola Fazzi, who joined the co-op fresh out of agronomy school, Colli Etruschi continues to live up to its mission to grow the finest olives and press them with state-of-the-art equipment. The thoroughly modern mill is something to behold! Their latest upgrade is a new de-leafer, which separates any leaves from the olives—preventing leaves from entering the crusher makes for a more harmonious oil. Because the outdoor temperature around the harvest seems to inch up every year due to climate change, they recently invested in a chiller that cools down the water used to rinse the olives. This means the olives are a few degrees cooler when they enter the crusher, and that in turn makes for a more flavorful and more healthful oil.

The farmers’ hands-on techniques combined with high-tech milling create a highly flavorful Caninese (the adjective for Canino) olive juice that is magical on the palate—it consistently wins top honors from Gambero Rosso, the food-lovers’ publication, and from Flos Olei, the guide to top olive oil producers, which proclaimed Colli Etruschi “best oil mill in the province of Viterbo,” the province in which Blera is located.

Time management is integral to the operation. “We maintain a consistent pace to get the olives right into the mill upon arrival so they don’t sit in the heat,” says Nicola. “The only variable left is the fruit itself—all the other variables have been addressed!” The result for you, dear Club member, is a perfectly rounded taste with exceptionally high polyphenols.

At a time when so many small farmers around the world are struggling, I’m very impressed with how Colli Etruschi provides wonderful support for its members and the community as a whole. It has also taken steps that reflect its commitment to being a responsible player on the world stage, following cutting-edge quality control and sustainability practices. They’ve reduced their environmental impact by installing a large solar panel system to produce energy, and they recycle their waste products and have reduced the use of plastic as much as possible—tastings are done with compostable cups!

The days spent with Nicola were, of course, punctuated by meals that highlighted local dishes. To celebrate this year’s harvest and to taste our fresh Caninese oil with a variety of foods, we lunched at Trattoria Pappetta, a local tavern that had an earlier life as a winemaker’s tasting room, complete with a stone wall cellar. Owner Mario Macchinetta makes sure that the wine still flows to enhance his regional cooking. We feasted on grilled bread and grilled eggplant slices, both lavishly dressed in our oil, assorted salumi, slow-cooked beans in a spicy tomato sauce with pork fatback, fettuccine with sausage and porcini (as longstanding Club members know, these mushrooms are one of my favorites!), pasta Amatriciana, olive oil-braised rabbit—this is meat country, after all—and anise-flavored cantucci, a type of biscotti. Afterwards, to burn off some of those calories, we retraced part of the route leading to Rome across the ruins of the 2,200 year old Devil’s Bridge—it’s pictured on our label.

We also took time out for a day trip to the picturesque old village of Caprarola, home to the Villa Farnese, a lavish mansion turned museum. It was a wonderful way to reconnect with Nicola after my three-year absence from the country. After the museum, we went to the Trattoria del Cimino, where we dined on excellent cured ham, lardo on toasted bread with chestnuts, slow roasted eggplant, fresh fettuccine with porcini, stewed wild boar with tomatoes and olives, sauteed chicory and more porcini (molto bene!), and for dessert, hazelnut biscotti, meringue cookies, and raspberry sorbet. There are three generations in the family-run kitchen—the 90-year-old nonna, her daughter and son-in-law, and their son, proof positive of how a love of great food and great olive oil brings us, and keeps us, together.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

Pressed from Caninese olives native to Lazio, this is an assertive oil. I love the nutty nose—green almonds and hazelnuts, followed by chopped baby spinach, Tuscan kale, and watercress. Tomato leaf, green apple, thyme, lemon zest, dark chocolate, and green peppercorns were also detected. Muscular and intense in the mouth, reminiscent of escarole, radicchio, dandelion greens, kale, rosemary, lime zest, hazelnuts, and cocoa nibs. Health-promoting polyphenols are indicated by the spiciness of black pepper.

Exploit this bold oil’s best qualities by serving it with strong cheeses; avocado toast; black bread; on salads made with sturdy winter greens; grilled lamb or beef kebabs; bagna càuda with crudités; bean or chickpea bruschetta; tomato-based pasta dishes; pizza or flatbreads; oily fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines; chocolate mousse, cake, or brownies.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

Recipes

• Slow-Roasted Salmon with Salsa Verde This is an easy and flavorful entrée, and so healthy, too. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, and salmon delivers Omega-3 fatty acids. Win-win! Ingredients 1 skinless side of salmon, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds Extra virgin olive oil Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds… view recipe
• Spaghetti with Fried Eggs This is a substantial, very satisfying breakfast. It’s great for brunch or overnight guests. We like to serve it with freshly squeezed fruit juice and extra virgin olive oil. Ingredients Coarse salt (kosher or sea) 1/2 pound uncooked thin spaghetti 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled 4… view recipe
• Whipped Ricotta Dip This simple but flavorful dip takes just minutes to make and is easily customizable. Add hot red pepper flakes or jarred Calabrian chiles for a bit of heat. Chopped brined olives (black or green) are good additions, too. Ingredients 1 cup whole milk ricotta 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 2 teaspoons… view recipe
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Fruit and Nuts This is an attractive seasonal salad, one that can be adapted to what you have on hand. Substitute a firm pear for the apple (an Asian pear is especially good) or fresh orange juice for the lemon juice. Ingredients For the salad: 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts (about 4 cups) 1 medium crisp apple, such… view recipe
• Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki) One of the most talented food writers I’ve known personally, David Rosengarten, published this terrific recipe in his book It’s All American Food. It’s a natural accompaniment to almost any protein—fish, chicken, pork, or beef. Ingredients 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes, such as Romas 2 loosely packed cups of whole flat-leaf parsley leaves 1 cup… view recipe
• Easy Greek Bean Soup (Fasolada) According to ancient Greek mythology, Theseus promised Apollo olive branches and fresh fruit if he triumphed over the fearsome Minotaur. But stores of fresh food were nearly depleted during the return sail from Crete, forcing Theseus to offer this simple soup to the god. And it is fit for the gods! Ingredients 1/2 cup extra… view recipe
• Sicilian-Style Swordfish Known as “the doyenne of Italian cuisine,” Marcella Hazan recommends pricking the fish with the tines of a fork as a genius way of delivering the flavors of the sauce deep into the meat. This recipe was selected by the staff at Food and Wine as one of the magazine’s top 40 published recipes. The… view recipe
• Baked Shrimp Risotto Traditional risotto demands that you be wed to the stove, stirring, stirring, stirring. This version frees you to be with family or friends. As for the shrimp, bathe them in extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook in a medium-hot skillet until the shrimp are opaque and form a “C” shape.… view recipe
• Olive Oil and Kale Mashed Potatoes Are you expecting a dairy-free guest? These rustic potatoes will “wow” them. And the final picturesque drizzle of fresh extra virgin olive oil makes the potatoes Instagram-worthy. Ingredients 2 pounds washed, unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as… view recipe
• Glazed Pistachio Olive Oil Cake I love pistachios, and this is one for the books. Garnish with sugar-encrusted cranberries, if desired. Ingredients For the cake: Baking spray Almond flour, approximately 1/4 cup 1 1/2 cups lightly toasted salted pistachios, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon table… view recipe

Magic on Your Table: Introducing Three Ravishing, Harvest-Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oils From the Land Down Under

• This trio of extra virgin olive oils from award-winning Australian producers is exceedingly food friendly and will partner beautifully with the meals you enjoy when the weather cools.
• Personally selected by the Olive Oil Hunter, these exclusive oils have no equals on supermarket shelves: they are available nowhere else.
• 
  All have been rushed to the US by jet to preserve their aromas, flavors, and healthful qualities.
• All have been certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin olive oil.

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Greetings—or should I say, “G’day, mate!”— from your Olive Oil Hunter, who has found three stunning Australian extra virgin olive oils from the current harvest for your fall table.

It was fantastic to be back in this vibrant, charismatic country. Its idiosyncrasies—and there are many—charm me. Aussie slang, for example, much of it derived from shortening English phrases: n’erries (no worries); brekkie (breakfast); cab sav (Cabernet Sauvignon).

Its unique wildlife—koalas, kangaroos, and egg-laying mammals like the echidna and platypus. Melbourne’s confounding road rules, including hook turns and P-turns.

I made my first trip to ’Straya in 2005. My motivation for traveling nearly halfway around the world—9,823 miles each way—was (and still is!) the freshness factor. Only in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are the antipodal opposite of those in the Northern Hemisphere, could I find extra virgin olive oils this time of year that would satisfy my high standards.

Olives are a seasonal crop, harvested just once a year. Olives grown in the Northern Hemisphere still have months to go before they can be picked. That is why it’s such a joy to share—right now!—oils from Australia’s top producers. You’ll enjoy matching them to your favorite cool weather menus. (You’ll see my tasting notes and food pairing recommendations in the pages that follow.)

Australian Olive Oil Surprises

Whenever I gift people with bottles of my fresh-pressed extra virgin olive oils, the recipients are often surprised to learn that Australia, aka “The Lucky Country,” produces “liquid gold.” But it wasn’t luck that enabled Australian olive oil producers (including the ones I collaborated with this quarter) to win nine gold and four silver awards at one of the most prestigious olive oil contests in the world, the annual New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC). They’re innovative, technically savvy, and above all, passionate.

While the modern olive oil industry in Oz is less than 30 years old, the country has a much longer history with olea europaea (the scientific name for olive trees). In the 1800s, Italian and Greek immigrants, the story goes, smuggled live olive cuttings in their neckties and the inseams of their trousers before they boarded ships. To their delight, the newcomers discovered southeastern Australia’s climactic temperament was similar to that of their homelands. (The country’s opposite latitudes, between 30° and 40°, are friendly to olives.) The oils the immigrants pressed were mostly for home use, as Australia’s European populace at that time preferred to cook with animal-based fats like lard.

Reunited and It Feels So Good

Because Australia produces just 1 percent of the world’s olive oil (nearly all of it—95 percent—qualifies as extra virgin), few Americans have tasted olive oils from this island continent. If you are new to the Club, know how delighted I am to introduce you to these extraordinary oils, produced by some of the most dedicated, detail-oriented producers I have met anywhere. If you are a veteran Club member, you know you’re in for a very pleasant experience!

Featured in this quarter’s trio are oils from the award-winning Victorian groves of Oasis, Kyneton, and Leandro Ravetti. My Merry Band of Tasters and I, driven by my dear friend, Melissa Wong, traveled hundreds of miles in Melissa’s SUV to meet with the producers in person. I first became acquainted with Melissa, a consummate foodie, two decades ago at the Food Network studios in New York City. Today, Melissa lives in Melbourne. With her husband, Robert, she graciously hosted olive oil tastings for me and my team as well as marvelous dinners at her home. She never seemed to tire of squiring me to her favorite markets, cafes, and restaurants. Nearly too many to mention! As the founder of Australian specialty food purveyor AuLife and, more recently, The Good Soup Club, Melissa is well-connected to southeastern Australia’s thriving food culture. For years, she has been invaluable in helping me identify Oz’s best olive oil producers—my trusted “boots on the ground” whenever I need her assistance. (She did yeoman’s duty when travel was restricted.)

I was so happy to see everyone again and to put my own boots on the ground. (I recently invested in a pair of Tasmanian Blundstones—excellent for tramping in olive groves.)

One of the many high spots of our trip was getting together with Annie Paterson, the irrepressible proprietress of Nullamunjie. Dressed in her signature pink sweater and South Sea pearls, Annie hosted a luncheon for me and my Merry Band at the posh Alexandra Club in Melbourne. Annie’s oils have long been Club member favorites, but they were compromised this year by persistent rain and naughty cockatoos, which Annie chased away from her olive trees with a drone. Her telling of the bird story unleashed yet another round of laughter at our table. (We laugh a lot when we’re with Annie.)

Expand Your Taste Library

These sensational extra virgin olive oils will be honored guests at your table, enhancing cooler weather foods like pumpkin and other squashes, braised meats, fresh seafood, fall fruits, charcuterie platters, and more. Meals, from casual suppers to holiday dinners, will become even more festive. And talk about a conversation starter! As you taste, savor, and use these exquisite oils in your seasonal cooking, please remember the proud Aussie producers halfway around the world who helped me put them on your table.

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: Leandro Ravetti, Boort, Victoria, 2022
• Olive Varieties: Picual
• Flavor Profile: Mild

As the late, great baseball player Yogi Berra would say, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

I’m once again lunching, three years after my last visit, with olive oil
expert Leandro Ravetti in a brick-walled restaurant at the Federal Mills
complex, a very cool mixed-use industrial space (formerly a woolen mill) in the port city of Geelong, some 40 miles southwest of Melbourne. (Geelong, which is near Leandro’s office, is Victoria’s second largest city. It is pronounced “juh-long,” and was originally settled by the Wathaurong, a First Nations people.) Lined up in front of us are three sample bottles of this master miller’s finest extra virgin olive oils from the current harvest, his nominees this quarter for the Club, that if selected, will bear his name. We taste them individually, ritually inhaling their aromas; then “slurping” a small mouthful, a noisy, impolite process that involves drawing air into the mouth as if trying to cool a too-hot spoonful of soup (yes, we do this in public places); swallowing; and finally, evaluating the oil’s finish. Are its flavors fleeting or do they linger? (For more on how to properly taste olive oil, see below.)

The final test—and this is very important—is tasting the oil(s) with food. Leandro and I have both ordered a “power bowl” from the menu: a colorful, gluten-free mélange of roasted pumpkin, quinoa, fennel salad, hummus, and pepitas. (Find a recipe for Pumpkin Hummus on below.) For me, one oil “hit it out of the park,” to continue the baseball reference.

Drum roll, please: it was the Picual. And it was, in my opinion, the perfect candidate for the “mild” position in the Club’s third quarter trio. Leandro agreed.

If you’re a veteran Club member, you’ll remember that Picual, whether on its own or fronting a blend, has generally occupied the “bold” slot in my global selections over the years. This cultivar’s Spanish progenitors might not recognize its Aussie kin. Though they share that desirable “tomato, tomato leaf” nuance prized by many olive oil lovers, the New World Picual Leandro’s been nurturing is more delicate than its Old World counterparts. In fact, I’ve pegged it as “mild” three years’ running.

I feel a bit proprietary toward the young trees that produced this lovely fruit; I was on site when some of them were planted back in 2015. For olive oil producers—any farmer, really—nearly every year brings its own challenges. This year, Leandro chuckled, snow fell early on Victoria’s Australian Alps, a region that attracts sports enthusiasts from around the globe. The backpackers he hired for the harvest couldn’t resist the fresh powder in the mountains, sometimes giving only an hour’s notice before leaving their jobs to ski or snowboard. On occasion, Leandro resorted to operating the farm’s harvester himself.

In hindsight, the timing of my first trip to Oz, in 2005, couldn’t have been better. The Australian Olive Association (AOA), which was founded in 1995 to resuscitate Australia’s olive industry, was just developing traction in its mission, even making introductions on my behalf to some of the country’s up-and-coming producers. Meanwhile, a passionate agricultural student with Italian roots was just finishing up his studies at the National University of Catamarca in Argentina. (That was Leandro, of course.) He did post-graduate work in Italy and Spain before returning to Argentina, where his accomplishments brought him to the attention of Modern Olives in Lara, Victoria. In 2001, Leandro became the technical director of the company, overseeing its olive tree nursery, laboratory, and budding relationships with Australia’s novice olive growers.

No one—least of all, Leandro, who is also an avid cook—could have predicted what an impact he would have on the world’s olive oil industry. Now a much sought-after expert who travels the globe, Leandro was instrumental in convincing producers to print “use by” dates on their oils. He has also railed against subjective marketing terms like “light” or “pure,” and championed some of the highest olive oil standards globally—standards that cannot be ignored by Old World producers. (My wife, Meghan, and I bumped into this intrepid world traveler at the airport when we were leaving Australia for home after a wonderful visit. He was headed to northern California—UC Davis—where he teaches milling and horticultural classes.)

When Leandro and I put our names on a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, you can be assured it’s very, very special. We can’t wait for you to taste this versatile oil on cooler-weather foods.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

This Picual is a mono-varietal native to Spain. It is so fragrant you’ll want to dab it behind your ears. You’ll inhale the essence of sun-ripened tomatoes, tomato leaf, fresh-cut grass, butter lettuce, celery, dried tropical fruits, warm baking spices, vanilla, Asian pear, and green peppercorns. On the palate, it continues to dazzle, invoking artichokes, fresh basil, tomatoes, and fennel. Presents just the right amounts of bitterness (walnut skins), spiciness (arugula), and bright notes (lime zest). With a peppery pinch, it bids you a lingering farewell, leaving you longing for another taste.

Exceptionally food friendly, this oil generated a tsunami of pairing suggestions from my tasters: scrambled eggs; granola; pizza and tomato-based pastas or salads; vinaigrettes; bruschetta; charcuterie platters; fresh or mild cheeses; yogurt; sweet potatoes (any potato, really); mild fin fish and shellfish; starches like rice, couscous, and bread; turkey and chicken; quick breads; and vanilla ice cream.

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: Oasis Olives, Kialla, Victoria, Australia, 2022
• Olive Varieties: Coratina
• Flavor Profile: Medium

With Zoom meetings behind us, I eagerly anticipated my reunion with Oasis owners John and Marjan Symington. I really missed being with them over the last two years, so it was especially exciting for me to be the “boots on the ground” at their expansive—and expanding—farm this year.

With Melissa Wong behind the wheel, my Merry Band of Tasters traversed the 117 miles north from bustling Melbourne to rural Kialla, population sub-7000. The area is the country’s sweet spot for olives with its warm summers, just enough rain, and (usually) mild winters. But when the Symingtons first bought their farm 12 years ago, I don’t think even they could have envisioned the amazing success that lay ahead. At the time, the property was somewhat ramshackle, the groves were a tangle of unkempt trees, and whatever irrigation system had been in place was in disarray.

The small Oasis team brought the trees back to stellar condition with strategic pruning and better irrigation. As longstanding Club members know, it took a mere two years for them to start winning accolades and coveted awards, with the most recent being Grand Prestige Gold at the 2022 Mediterranean International Olive Oil competition held in Jerusalem.

Still, John, whose first career was in IT with its very predictable outcomes, will tell you his second career is far more challenging and also far more emotionally rewarding. You may do everything right, but Mother Nature could still have other plans for you! This year’s harvest, however, presented a happy surprise: The usually very short “magic window” for harvesting was rather long, allowing more time to be meticulous.

The Coratina stayed incredibly green throughout the harvest period, and I loved it so much that the Club selection I proudly present to you is a single varietal: 100 percent Coratina extra virgin olive oil. I asked John whether its extraordinary quality could be attributed to this year’s ideal weather or to his latest equipment upgrade, a new Amenduni mill from Italy. This is one of the most well-respected brands of milling equipment, yet the purchase came with some drama of its own—it had to be shipped in separate cargo containers, the second of which arrived with barely enough time to assemble and test it before the harvest!

“This season was certainly easier for quality than last year, as with colder temperatures, most of the olives stayed green right through to the end of the season,” John said. This was in contrast to last year, when the team had to struggle to keep up with extraordinarily rapid ripening. “The greener harvest was probably something of a reversion to more normal conditions we have had most years on the grove, though with climate change, who knows what ‘normal’ will be in the future?,” John mused.

Never content to sit back and relax, John and Marjan recently purchased the neighboring property. Like their first acquisition, it was in need of a lot of TLC. “The Picual, Leccino, and Arbequina responded well to the care, and we’ll get a reasonable crop next year,” John predicts. He’s adding more Hojiblanca, a Spanish varietal. “My favorite blend is Coratina, Frantoio, and Hojiblanca—we will be able to do that in the future,” said John. He’s also excited about adding another variety to the grove, Del Morocco, renowned for the quality of the fruit it bears. “The oil is really, really good, so I planted it here,” he told me. Stay tuned!

As we drove around the new section in John’s white Land Rover, I felt like we were on safari. I expected to see their flock of sheep—the farm’s 500 “workers” that prune the grass between the olive trees—but not the mobs of kangaroo, as large groups of the animals are called. More exotic still are the echidnas, also known as spiny anteaters—hedgehog lookalikes, but a totally different species of mammal that lays eggs.

Another unusual sight are massive dead trees that look like fantastic sculptures dotting the landscape. Australia doesn’t allow them to be removed because they create nesting places for birds. One was filled with crows, giving it a very stark, almost Hitchcock-esque appearance!

I continue to admire John and Marjan’s quest for perfection and appreciate that they always ask me to send them the trio of oils from the Club’s other quarterly selections. This gives them context and enables them to appreciate what other growers around the world are able to achieve.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

You’ll love this beautiful oil pressed from Coratina olives. The nose is intoxicating. Expect hints of artichoke, green almond, green banana, wheatgrass, lime zest, fresh mint, thyme, and parsley. Take a sip. Notice the appealing bitterness of radicchio and celery leaves, baby spinach, hazelnuts, and the bright, citrusy zest of grapefruit. The finish, reminiscent of Sichuan peppercorns, is pleasantly long, with the astringency of green tea.

Pair this intriguing oil with hummus and other bean-centric dishes; fried eggs; artichokes; pesto; salads made of fall fruits and sturdy greens, such as pears, kale, and blue cheese; avocado toast; roasted root vegetables; risotto; “steak fish” like tuna, salmon, and swordfish; pork, veal, and beef; aged cheeses (plus goat cheese); dark chocolate; brownies; and peasant breads.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: Kyneton Olive Oil, Bylands Estate, Central Victoria, 2022
• Olive Varieties: Frantoio, Correggiola, Coratina
• Flavor Profile: Bold

“Making olive oil is not just about how much love and care you put into that fruit juice at pressing, but also about how much love and care you give to the trees all year long,” said Mick Labbozzetta, the general manager of Kyneton. Just an hour north of Melbourne, Kyneton has a storied history and expansive grove—I love combining their many varietals to create bold Australian olive oils for you.

I’ve worked with Mick and his team for a half-dozen years now, since his extended Calabrian-Sicilian-Australian family, notably his daughter Melissa and son-in-law Robert Inturrisi, acquired the Kyneton name and assets from the Trovatello family. (Longstanding Club members will remember how delightful their oils were, too, when I worked with them.)

I love Kyneton’s philosophy: “Australian made, Italian heritage.” That’s also a way of life in this area because the region has attracted a large number of Italian immigrants. Being here is like taking a mini field trip to Italy! There are so many producers of delicious Italian specialties—olive oil, cheeses, salumi, to name just three—and they thrive in part because of the vibrant Italian-Australian community.

Mick shared a wonderful example of unity from last year. Kyneton partnered with the award-winning That’s Amore Cheese to celebrate the olio nuovo, the first-pressed extra virgin olive oil harvested at the start of a season. The event included many food producers showcasing their products, making it a wonderful culinary celebration. Besides watching a live olive oil pressing (Kyneton set up a small mill!) and learning about extra virgin olive oil, attendees were able to bid on a charity auction of the first 20 liters of the olio nuovo. Mick was so proud that all the proceeds were donated to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre, prescient considered the Australian superstar’s passing this summer.

The farm’s secret weapon is the Italian master miller Davide Bruno, who travels from Liguria to work the harvest and stays afterward to set up the grove for the following year. Davide has a foot in each hemisphere, drawing on both Old World and New World methods and techniques. While he honors his Italian roots, he also believes in taking beneficial modern approaches. These include monitoring the olives at every stage of development, responding to the trees’ needs, and investing in farm-owned harvest and milling equipment, thereby minimizing the time between picking and pressing. He’s also been blessed with a unique sensibility that enables him to determine the optimum time for harvesting—for you, my dear Club members, that translates to maximizing flavor and health-promoting polyphenols.

I’m always mesmerized as I watch Davide at work. He continually follows each batch of olives through processing and rarely leaves the mill—when he does, it’s with a timer in hand so that he’ll never be away for more than precisely two minutes! At his side is Carmelo Tramontana, an Italian ex-pat from Calabria who has lived in Australia for a decade. By Carmelo’s calculations, this year’s harvest was twice the volume of last year’s, a season plagued by heavy rains—even trying to get the harvester through the grove had been a monumental challenge, as it kept getting stuck and required the farm’s excavator to pull it out. This year, there was “Goldilocks” rain—not too much and not too little. Kyneton’s harvest season lasted two and a half months, each day a labor-intensive 6 am to 8 pm (or as late as 10 pm), seven days a week. “You push and you push,” said Carmelo, because the time is finite.

It helps that there’s a decided method to counter the madness of an olive harvest, with the careful planning of varietals that are picked in succession. For instance, Frantoio and Correggiola, which form the essence of my bold selection for you, are pressed first. Then the team moves on to Coratina, whose vibrant green flavor added the perfect boldness to my blend. It was a reminder of the fact that many people still haven’t had the opportunity to experience the zest of an early-harvest fresh-pressed green oil or enjoy its powerful polyphenols. Know that I will continue to tantalize your taste buds with the most extraordinary extra virgin olive oils as I travel around the world with my Merry Band of Tasters!

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

My tasters and I were blown away by this powerful Tuscan-style blend. On the nose, it’s green, grassy, and fruity. You’ll be reminded of arugula, endive, wild mint, and fresh chopped culinary herbs. There’s an undercurrent of nuttiness, too. Like walnuts. On the palate, it’s dynamite. Bold, but well-calibrated. This is what emerald green tastes like. Descriptors include artichoke, Swiss chard, walnuts and almonds, escarole, spearmint, and spicy green peppercorns. The finish is long.

Distinctly bold, this oil complements grilled, braised, and roasted meats like lamb, beef, and veal; roasted vegetables, like brussels sprouts and squash; fried peppers and eggs; focaccia; cold-weather soups and stews like cioppino and minestrone; Asian dishes; salads featuring bitter greens; and dark chocolate desserts.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

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Recipes

• Ma’amoul (Date-Filled Cookies) These buttery date-filled cookies featuring olive oil hail from the Middle East—potentially from ancient Egypt—and are an unexpected addition to holiday cookie trays. Ingredients 1/3 cup roasted, salted pistachio nuts, chopped 1/3 cup pitted whole dates, chopped 1/4 cup apricot spreadable fruit preserves or jam 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1 cup white whole wheat flour… view recipe
• Baby Bok Choy Looking for a simple side dish for an Asian-influenced meal? We love baby bok choy. You could substitute rapini or broccoli florets if baby bok choy isn’t available. Ingredients 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 pound baby bok choy, stalks separated, washed and spun dry 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons natural rice… view recipe
• Baked Salmon with Basil and Garlic A quick romp in an olive oil-based marinade for as little as 30 minutes, a brief stint in a hot oven, and dinner is served! If desired, serve with the Braised Fennel and Lentils. Rice or couscous work well with the salmon, too. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets, skin off Coarse salt (kosher or… view recipe
• Zucchini Bolognese No, it’s not a typo. You really do cook zucchini for 4 hours for one of the most unctuous iterations of this vegetable we’ve ever encountered. The foodie website “delish” claims Meghan Markle shared this pasta dish with them before she married into the Royal family. Regardless, we were impressed when we made it for… view recipe
• Pork Schnitzel with Giardiniera Duck into almost any pub in Australia, and you’ll find schnitzel on the menu—chicken, beef, or pork. “Schnittys,” though nicked from European immigrants, are now one of Oz’s iconic foods. Giardiniera is a versatile Italian condiment that can be used as an antipasto or on eggs, sandwiches (a must-have on Italian beef), and even hot… view recipe
• Greek Lamb Chops (Paidakia) Melbourne, a sister city to Thessaloniki, is home to one of the largest Greek populations outside of Greece and Cyprus. It’s no wonder, then, that the local cuisine thrums with Hellenic influences. Ingredients 8 large lamb rib chops 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for searing and serving 6 cloves garlic, crushed with… view recipe
• Prawn Tacos with Asian Slaw Nagi Maehashi is one of Australia’s most popular food bloggers. We were inspired by her recipe for tacos made with prawns, and paired them with one of our favorite Asian cabbage slaws featuring extra virgin olive oil. Ingredients For the prawns: 1 pound large prawns or shrimp, peeled (tails, too) Zest and juice of 1… view recipe
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup Silky and rich-tasting (though it contains no cream), this is one of our favorite fall soups. Ingredients 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for garnish Fine sea salt 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced1 quart… view recipe
• Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki My wife, Meghan, and I often order souvlaki (both chicken and lamb) during our stays in Oz. We present it as an appetizer here, but it can easily become a main course—especially when served with a Greek salad and pita. Ingredients For the chicken and marinade: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic,… view recipe
• Turkish Shepherd’s Salad (Çoban Salatasi) If you find dicing vegetables and chopping herbs relaxing, you’ll enjoy making this healthful salad. It makes a great accompaniment to grilled meats. Find sumac and Aleppo pepper online or at well-stocked spice stores. Ingredients 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and diced 1 European (English) or 4 Persian cucumbers, diced 1 green or red pepper,… view recipe

Three Incredible Extra Virgin Olive Oils from the Chilean Harvest for Your Warm-Weather Dining Pleasure

• Enticingly fresh, these sensational just-pressed olive oils from award-winning producers are the perfect complement to summertime menus. They’re game-changers!
• All three are Club exclusives, hand-selected in Central Chile by the Olive Oil Hunter.
• All were rushed to the US by jet to preserve their amazing flavors, intoxicating aromas, and healthful antioxidants.
• An independent lab has certified all three to be 100 percent extra virgin olive oil.

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Awaiting takeoff, I rechecked my electronic ticket. Yup. Confirming Santiago International Airport, SCL in airline parlance. This was my first trip—highly anticipated—since 2019 to one of my favorite olive oil destinations.

Finally, the band was getting back together. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face.

“The band,” of course, refers to my Merry Band of Tasters, the trained palates that helped me select this quarter’s beautiful trio of premium olive oils and so ably channeled me when I was grounded by the pandemic. Joining me and my wife, Meghan, in Chile were Duccio Morozzo della Rocca, a world-renowned olive oil expert from Rome, my longtime friend and logistical genius Tjeerd Beliën, who divides his time between the Netherlands and Canada when he’s not traveling, and Chilean olive oil expert and judge Denise Langevin. (Read more about Denise below.)

Reunited!

It was thrilling to see each other in person once again. We instantly picked up the threads of our friendship as if we’d never been apart, reminiscing about our shared experiences and memories of past trips. Food is never far from our minds, either—particularly foods that can be enhanced with extra virgin olive oil. We’re not shy about putting our own just-pressed oils on tables everywhere, from casual roadside eateries to fine dining establishments such as celebrity chef Francis Mallmann’s Fuegos de Apalta, where we lunched one afternoon.

Above all, we prize invitations to eat at family tables—something I dearly missed when I was unable to travel. We enjoyed several such feasts, where a stimulating exchange of ideas always takes place, including one where we met octogenarian Abel Alonso for the first time. Abel is the patriarch of the Alonso clan, which has been producing premium extra virgin olive oil for more than a decade. On the menu? Smoked salmon, a mâche salad, ripe tomatoes, avocados, a Chilean take on shepherd’s pie, and a refreshing array of fresh fruits for dessert.

A Magnificent Triumvirate: The Farmer, the Miller, the Taster

This quarter, I’m paying homage to the extraordinary people whose efforts put these oils in your hands: The trio includes the farmer (el agrónomo, Juan Carlos Pérez); the miller (Miguel Ángel Molina); and the taster (Denise Langevin). All play critical roles in the olives’ journey from tree to bottle.

You would be hard-pressed to find Chilean oils on US grocery store shelves. Few Americans have tasted them. When I first visited this skinny-as-a-necktie country in 2005, I fell in love with the way farmers were putting a New World spin on Old World olive varietals, particularly in Central Chile, with its Mediterranean-like climate. I’ve been sharing my antipodal finds with Club members ever since. Lamentably, the cost of building their own brands was too high for some of these olive oil pioneers, forcing them to sell their oils to the bulk market. It saddens me, as there were award-winners among them. The protracted lack of rainfall hasn’t helped.

The Best Olive Oil Producers Prevail, Overcome Challenges

Wherever my Merry Band and I went, the topic of water—and its scarcity—came up. Officially in its thirteenth year, the “mega-drought,” as it’s called by NASA, is the worst in more than 1,000 years. Consequently, this year’s olive fruits are smaller and drier, decreasing yields. The water stress has, however, raised polyphenol levels—a good thing. Fortunately for you and me, rain fell on the Agricola Pobeña farm at an opportune time—days before the harvest—practically a miracle!

The producers I work with practice extreme water conservation, collecting water whenever possible and limiting evaporation. For example, Olivares de Quepu pays for rights to snowmelt channeled from the Andes. A reservoir services the Agricola Pobeña olive groves; the farm has even been known to engage in extreme pruning of trees to reduce water needs. And it’s not only rural populations that are affected. Officials in Santiago, a city of 6 million people, are anxiously watching water levels in the Maipo and Mapocho Rivers and developing contingency plans.

Happily, the exceedingly dry weather has not diminished Chile’s breathtaking fall beauty. Late one afternoon, I witnessed the sun setting on the magnificent Andes, bathing its imposing peaks with pink and orange light. (As the Pacific does on the west, the Andes range protects the eastern borders of this remarkable country, even helping the directionally challenged—me!—keep their bearings. Andes on the right? You’re heading north.)

Whether you’re a charter member or new to the Club, I hope this timely collection of sensational extra virgin olive oils from award-winning farms bring summer joy and good health to you, your family, and friends.

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: Denise Langevin Exclusive Selection, Agricola Pobeña, Comuna de La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2022
• Olive Varieties: Arbequina, Koroneiki, Coratina
• Flavor Profile: Mild

After a drive through the parched countryside from Santiago, catching sight of Agricola Pobeña, the expansive, award-winning farm managed by the Alonso family, was akin to Dorothy seeing the Emerald City. I was delighted—almost giddy with anticipation—at the thought of being able to sit down next to Denise Langevin instead of comparing tasting notes through Zoom as we had during the pandemic.

Club members know that Denise is a luminary in the olive oil world, crisscrossing the globe to judge at the most prestigious competitions. She’s in constant demand because of her technical skills and discriminating palate—she has an enviable taste memory! Denise had just returned from the 19th Olive d’Or Competition presented in Montreal by SIAL Canada, organizers of the country’s largest food show, and it was fun to hear her impressions of recent international offerings.

As the leading Chilean authority on olive oil, Denise has been an invaluable part of my hunt for the very best EVOO for three years now, though we’ve known each other for much longer. She is passionate about her connection to our Club, proud to be part of our mission, and excited to help showcase her country’s finest oils in another elixir bearing her name. For all her professional stature, Denise is warm, gracious, down-to-earth, and generous of spirit. She just started a healthy food movement, complete with a vegetable garden, at one of the schools in the town of Rancagua, near her home. Her goal is to teach the children about fresh foods by getting their hands in the soil—they will grow a dozen vegetables! It’s a program she hopes to expand to help combat the country’s child obesity crisis.

First on the agenda for my Merry Band of Tasters and me was enjoying a beautiful lunch with Denise and our Chilean olive oil family. That always includes Juan José and Ignacio Alonso, brothers who together took on the job of creating and running the olive farm their father Abel bought for all five of his children.

No matter how many times I return to the Pobeña farm, I always marvel at the fact that one property can have so many diverse microclimates, each imparting unique qualities to its olive oils and, in turn, to the distinctive blends I create for the Club. We spent several hours experimenting to find the perfect combination of flavors—ultimately, a blend of two Spanish Arbequinas, gathered from different areas of the farm. Combined in equal amounts, the Arbequinas are enhanced by a big splash of Koroneiki, a Greek varietal, and just the right amount of Coratina, an Italian varietal, to give this blend its distinctive personality and broaden its flavor profile. This is what gets me so excited about the Chilean olive oils: we have the ability to put together cultivar combinations unheard of in the Old World and deliver them to the Northern Hemisphere in time to enliven the summer’s bounty.

We couldn’t wait to test-drive Denise’s signature blend at Fuegos de Apalta, the restaurant of fire-obsessed Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann. It’s an extraordinary restaurant, nestled in the most exquisite setting—the center of the Montes winery. We shamelessly drizzled the oil we’d brought with us on five-star dishes such as charred eggplant, skirt steak with vegetables, roasted beets with grapefruit and cheese, and pork with grilled cabbage and mustard. Divine!

The oil’s dazzling versatility was in full bloom a few days later when we journeyed to Denise’s house for a spectacular four-course meal she and her husband Luis prepared. We started with large green olives stuffed two ways—with blanched almonds or jamón, all marinated in the Denise Langevin Exclusive Selection—and Denise’s own sun-dried (and slightly warmed) tomatoes on bruschetta, topped with the oil. We next drizzled it on silken asparagus soup, our wonderful second course.

The entrée was a luxurious prime rib, prepared in a special Chilean broiling oven. We anointed the carved slices with the oil—a delicious counterpoint to the crusty edges of the beef. The oil also dressed both a warm spinach salad with bacon, walnuts, and blue cheese, and a second salad of the sweetest cherry tomatoes I’d ever tasted and a mix of greens that, like the spinach, came from Denise’s own garden—a splash of red wine vinegar added the perfect acidic note. Dessert was an indulgent platter of six different French and Chilean cheeses with syrupy vinegars from Denise’s journeys to France—the olive oil, so fruity, was perfect on the younger cheeses. We were all blown away by the oil’s mild yet complex, full flavor and how it enhanced every dish in a different way. And now it’s your turn to savor it!

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

This blend is fresh and clean, rather sweet on the nose (think vanilla and dried banana), presenting fresh-cut grass, green apple, pear, lettuce, almond, and wild mint. The fresh, sweet impressions continue in the mouth, joined by parsley, thyme, sweet pea shoots, lime zest, and the well-balanced spicy/bitter notes of escarole and baby arugula.

Pair this mild but nuanced oil with scrambled, fried, or hard-cooked eggs; simple pasta dishes (including pasta salads); chicken; mild fin fish, lobster, or shrimp; fresh mild cheeses; salads made with tender greens or avocados; stuffed or sautéed mushrooms; peas, carrots, green beans, sweet corn, summer squash, or asparagus; white beans; rice or other grains; fresh fruit smoothies; yogurt or ice cream; melons; bread or focaccia; or sweet baked goods, such as quick breads.

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: El Agrónomo, Agricola Pobeña, Comuna de La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2022
• Olive Varieties: Picual, Coratina, Koroneiki
• Flavor Profile: Medium

The Olive Oil Hunter is proud to feature for the second consecutive year a signature extra virgin olive oil named “El Agrónomo” to honor the work of one of Chile’s most talented young agronomists, Juan Carlos Pérez. (Agronomy requires extensive knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, economics, earth science, genetics, mathematics, ecology, research protocols, and other related disciplines. Whew!)

His colleagues at Agricola Pobeña respectfully refer to Juan Carlos as “the boss of the farm.” Quiet, with a humble demeanor, you’d never assume he carries on his shoulders the responsibility for 1,100 acres of olive trees and the success of the harvest. (You must have great fruit to make great olive oil!) On a typical day, he tours the property, establishes work-related assignments, and meets with his team, which swells to 80 people during the harvest. He is the final arbiter of which olives get picked, and when.

The story of how Juan Carlos found his current position is an interesting one. After graduating from college, he worked for Olave, a pioneer in Chile’s olive oil industry, as well as another well-known farm in the fertile O’Higgins region in Central Chile. While some people would appreciate the security of working for well-established companies, after 14 years, Juan Carlos craved new challenges. He longed to get involved with an olive farm that was being built—quite literally—from the ground up.

As a matter of fact, that ground, well-suited to growing olive trees, was conveniently located directly on the other side of the fence. Yes, the newly acquired property of the Alonso family was adjacent to the land owned by Juan Carlos’s employer. Intrigued, he tracked down a phone number for the family and made a cold call. He reached Juan José Alonso (aka “Juanjo,” with a soft “j”). The two Juans hit it off immediately. Their conversation lasted more than an hour, Juan Carlos said, ranging in scope from business topics to the best places to surf on the nearby Chilean coastline.

The timing was perfect. Juanjo was eager to hire an experienced, quality-driven agronomist before varietals were selected and olive trees planted, and Juan Carlos found the “from scratch” opportunity appealing. After consulting his family, Juan Carlos accepted the job. He was eager to put all he had learned into practice and to help the farm, now known as Agricola Pobeña, avoid the mistakes he had seen other olive oil producers make.

Today, Juan Carlos has a dozen Agricola Pobeña olive harvests under his belt. Water shortages have accompanied all of them. Though the farm has a 55-acre lake, two reservoirs, and 20 wells, the prolonged drought is worrisome to everyone involved in Chile’s agricultural community, especially those sectors that require large quantities of water. (Five pounds of avocados, for example, require an estimated 63 gallons of water.) To capture and conserve water, Juan Carlos’s team has dug earthen trenches to channel run-off and direct the water to their groves. Currently, new tree stock is often planted in more traditional formations to give the roots more room to search for moisture. Last year, some trees were drastically pruned—Juan Carlos called it the “bonsai” treatment—to reduce their water consumption.

Thanks in no small part to Juan Carlos’s dedication to promoting tree health, the farm’s per-acre yield of olives has remained consistently high. Agricola Pobeña’s strategy (which I heartily endorse) is to maximize oil quality by picking the olives while relatively green, a technique known as “early harvesting.” The olives’ oil content is typically lower at this point of the growing season, but an abundance of fruit helps compensate. Early harvest oils typically have a higher concentration of healthful polyphenols as well as more vibrant flavors and aromas.

I had the opportunity recently to visit the Pérez family home, where Juan Carlos lives with his wife, Romina, and two young daughters, ages 5 and 14. A tour of the couple’s amazing garden confirmed what I already knew—Juan Carlos is blessed with a green thumb! I have never seen such a magnificent backyard plot, replete with fruit trees, walls of living succulents, herbs, vegetables, and lettuces that are lovingly nibbled by a pet rabbit. Naturally, there are olive trees on the property as well; Juan Carlos boasts that his daughters have been consuming olive oil since birth. The family loves olive oil on salads, tomatoes, bread, and a dish made with corn called humitas—very popular in Chile.

I can’t wait to hear how you and your family use this splendid oil. Juan Carlos is so proud to have one named after him that will be enjoyed by discriminating Americans.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

Intoxicatingly green on the nose, this blend evokes wheatgrass, Tuscan kale, almond, lettuce, spinach, basil, chicory, green banana, celery, apple, and green tomato. In the mouth, my tasters enjoyed the oil’s herbaceous qualities (“pesto in a bottle”), as well as tomato, artichoke, dark leafy/bitter greens, and rosemary. Expect a kick of black peppercorns on the long, complex, well-balanced finish. It blurs the line between “medium” and “bold.”

This oil is full-flavored, robust enough to complement a wide range of foods. Pair it with grilled vegetables (it’s wonderful with fire-roasted brussels sprouts, sweet corn, celery root, fennel, or cabbage); charcuterie platters; pizza; tomato-based salads or pasta dishes; tuna, salmon, or arctic char; lamb; pork; duck; beef or veal; stronger-flavored cheeses; pesto or herbaceous sauces like chimichurri; bruschetta; and dark chocolate.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: Don Miguel, Olivares de Quepu, Maule Valley, Chile 2022
• Olive Varieties: Favolosa, Picual, Arbequina
• Flavor Profile: Bold

The saying goes that there are just six degrees of separation between each of us, but when it comes to my world of olive oil, I say it’s more like just two or three! This selection, named for Miguel Ángel Molina, the master miller with whom I worked to bring you this amazing, unlikely combination of oils, is the perfect example of such close connections.

Longtime Club members know Miguel as the genius behind previous selections that bore the name “El Favorito,” the favorite of the man whose palate perfectly aligns with my own. In each of those harvests, we were in complete agreement over the farm’s crown jewels—I’ve called him the olive whisperer for years.

Those exclusives were created when Miguel was with the Alonso family farm—he would diligently drive the two and a half hours north from his home in Talca for the workweek, then drive back to spend weekends with his family. When all our lives were upended by the pandemic, Miguel knew he didn’t want to be away from his family on a regular basis anymore. Talca lies within Maule Valley, the southernmost of Chile’s renowned wine-making regions, and also happens to be the location of one of its most forward-thinking olive farms, Olivares de Quepu, run by the talented agronomist Álvero Ignacio Ried Roncagliolo. Álvero brought on Miguel to manage the mill a year and a half ago, starting the journey that ultimately led to this outstanding selection for the Club.

Álvero, too, has deep roots in Talca, where he studied agronomy before earning a master’s degree in business innovation and entrepreneurship in New Zealand. His return to Chile was perfectly timed—Chilean olive oil was just about to step onto the world stage. When Álvero first joined Quepu and embraced their mission of creating ultra-premium olive oils, he visited Old World producers around the Mediterranean to learn from global generations of experience. And because Álvero believes in nurturing talent, he arranged for Miguel to go on a similar journey of Mediterranean mills. Miguel’s knowledge of olives and olive oil deepened even further after he worked with a leading miller in Portugal for an intensive six-week harvest.

I’m just as impressed by Quepu’s company-wide commitment to the land. After each pressing, the olive pits are dried and sold as biomass fuel, and the other organic byproducts are composted and put back into the earth in a virtuous circle. Farm manager Manuel Barrera shared these details when my Merry Band of Tasters and I toured the farm with him, the late afternoon light creating a tapestry of colors on the slopes. He and Miguel work hand in glove, because great olive oil starts in the grove. “Most people think olive oil is made in the mill, but it’s more about the farm and the fruit because if you have bad fruit, you have bad oil,” said Manuel. “We must analyze the conditions continually and make adjustments when there’s not enough rain.”

Another amazing aspect to Quepu is how they’ve handled water needs. As Club members know well, water is ever scarce in Chile, where the drought is in its thirteenth year. Though olive trees need less water than other crops—3,000 cubic meters per hectare compared to 6,000 for grapevines, 9,000 for nuts, and a whopping 12,000 for cherries—they still need it. When Quepu was established, they were able to buy access to the Pencahue water channel that runs from the snow-capped Andes some 80 kilometers away. It runs partly underground, under the nearby Lircay River and under roads. Water storage in the farm’s own reservoir allows Quepu to meet the changing climatic conditions.

Of course, the proof of all these efforts is in the pudding or, in this case, the oil. Working with Miguel, I created a unique blend of Favolosa, Picual, and Arbequina, refined over the course of many tastings. I’m especially pleased about the inclusion of the Favolosa varietal, which we’re bringing to you for the first time.

We’d been looking forward to working with the talented Quepu team for many years, and my elation at realizing that dream by presenting you with this alluring and food-enhancing extra virgin olive oil is best echoed in Álvero’s words: “I’m so happy and excited for Club members to taste all our efforts in every drop of this olive oil.”

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

My tasters and I realized we were about to experience a powerful oil when from our tasting glasses wafted the unmistakable scents of artichoke, tomato leaf, celery, fennel, and frisée, underscored with the nuttiness of almonds and hazelnuts and the concentrated sweetness of dried stone fruits. In the mouth, the bitterness of chicory, radicchio, dark greens, celery leaf, and walnut skins harmonized with the spiciness of green peppercorns, watercress, and, surprisingly, cinnamon and bay leaf.

Play up this assertive oil’s best qualities by serving it with aged cheeses; cured meats; salads featuring bitter greens and toasted walnuts; padrón or shishito peppers or other chiles; oily fish like sardines, mackerel, or bluefish; shakshuka; game meats; spicy stews or soups; chargrilled steaks or beef or lamb kebabs; grilled or sautéed onions or leeks; broccoli or broccoli rabe; and chocolate mousse.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

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Recipes

• Olive Oil Cake with Honey Yogurt Cream and Strawberries Moist and fairly dense, this fruit-inflected cake is a perfect grand finale to a warm-weather meal. Blueberries can stand in for strawberries. Ingredients 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan 1 1/2 cups almond flour (about 5 1/4 ounces) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking… view recipe
• Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint If possible, buy fresh just-picked carrots with the tops still on (you can always make pesto out of the tops). There’s no need to peel them as the skin is thin and tender. Ingredients 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons honey 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil… view recipe
• Grilled Broccoli Rabe with Salsa Rossa Broccoli rabe (also known as rapini) is a deliciously bitter green closely related to turnips. To ensure tenderness, the stalks are blanched, then grilled. You’ll find the Salsa Rossa pairs well with many green vegetables—green beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. Ingredients For the Salsa Rossa 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed) Pinch of hot red… view recipe
• Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Verdant and bold-flavored, chimichurri is one of South America’s finest contributions to the world’s sauces. If available, buy “outside” skirt steak, which is considered superior in flavor and tenderness to “inside” skirt steak. Or substitute flank steak or flat iron steak. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak For the marinade 1/4 cup extra virgin olive… view recipe
• Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Herb Sauce While we always prefer wild-caught salmon, Chilean Verlasso salmon (farm-raised) is also very good. Feel free to substitute black bass, red snapper, or lionfish if salmon is not available. Ingredients 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional) 1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup chopped tender fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, and/or basil 1… view recipe
• Beet and Goat Cheese Salad You can turn this colorful salad into a main course by adding cooked shrimp. Substituting golden beets for the more familiar red will prevent your hands from staining. Ingredients 1/3 cup sliced almonds 8 ounces beets (red or golden), cooked and peeled 3 ounces goat cheese 4 ounces baby arugula 1 navel orange 3 tablespoons… view recipe
• Siracha and Lime Corn Salad This salad is also excellent when made with grilled corn. Simply lay the husked ears on a hot grill grate and grill, turning with tongs, until patches of brown appear. Slice the kernels off the cobs before proceeding with the recipe. Ingredients 3 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels sliced off the cobs 4 tablespoons extra… view recipe
• Lemony Pea and Spinach Soup A generous drizzle of fresh-pressed extra virgin olive oil before serving gives this soup richness (we love its jewel-like color). Ingredients 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving 2 medium leeks, trimmed, white and green parts halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced and rinsed (about 4 packed cups) 2 celery stalks, trimmed and… view recipe
• Garlic and Lemon Aioli with Fresh Asparagus This is a recipe my wife, Meghan, and I enjoy as an appetizer when asparagus is in season. We use a Microplane to grate the lemon zest and garlic. Ingredients 1 bunch fresh asparagus, tough ends removed, preferably thicker stalks1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh and finely grated lemon… view recipe
• Black Bean Dip We love appetizers that can be assembled quickly. This recipe uses ingredients you likely have on hand. No fresh jalapeños? Pickled ones can be used, too. Ingredients 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 small yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 to 2… view recipe