Understanding Olive Oil Appellation

Extra virgin olive oil, a staple in kitchen’s all over the world, has seen a rapid rise in popularity over the last several decades. This is due in large part to the documented health benefits and overall delicious flavor of this particular cooking fat. However, the growth in popularity has also given rise to the production of lower quality and fraudulent olive oils.

With so many varieties of olive oil available on the market it is common for people to start sifting through information to find the best quality product in their price range. While there are several factors that contribute to finding a high quality olive oil such as freshness, production method, taste, and storage as we highlight in our blog How To Choose A High Quality Olive Oil we wanted to use this blog to touch on one of the most commonly used factors of differentiation – appellation.

What is Appellation?

Appellation is defined as the legally defined and protected geographical location where various food crops are grown. While commonly heard around the Walla Walla region in relation to wine, it is also a term used to designate the geographical regions where olive oils are produced.

Where Are Olives Grown?

Similar to wine grapes, olive oils are grown all over the world. Regions in Argentina, Australia, California, Greece, Spain, Tunisia, New Zealand, Chile, Morocco, Portugal and more are producing unique and high-quality olive oils annually. Just as with wines, the region where olives are grown will create unique flavor profiles that can be tasted in the oils themselves.

Does Appellation Matter?

While appellation has long been considered a differentiating factor in quality and value as it relates to olive oil, with Italy being both the largest importer and exporter of olive oil, many today consider appellation to be less important than other factors in determining the quality of the oil. The time that elapses between the harvesting of the olives and when they are processed into olive oil, as well as the temperature the oil is processed at, as well as numerous other factors are more likely to impact taste and quality.

Where Do Our Olive Oils Come From?

At D’Olivo we are proud to source our olive oils directly from Veronica Foods. Veronica Foods owns and operates their own olive grove and oil mill in Tunisia, where they produce over one million gallons of the finest olive oil on the market each year.

Olives and oils are sourced from all over the world, alternating between the northern and southern hemispheres helping to ensure the freshness of the product. In addition, all olive oils from Veronica Foods carry their ultra-premium designation which shows that each oil has met the 33 internal parameters set by Veronica Foods to ensure quality.

If you haven’t been in to D’Olivo to experience our olive oil and balsamic vinegar bar we encourage you to stop in during normal business hours to taste the difference and gather useful information about how to best use our products. We’re open Monday-Saturday from 11 AM to 6 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM.