Why should olive oil be extra virgin and single estate?

A lot of my clients and friends from different parts of the world often ask me why they should buy the more expensive extra virgin olive oil, as opposed to simply olive oil. Extra virgin olive oils are the pure juice of cold pressed olives. 'Olive oil', apart from a small percentage of extra virgin, is oil extracted with the help of harmful chemicals, which of course end up in the bottle. To make things more confusing, I have seen cheap olive oil marketed as 'light' , which doesn't change the result: harmful chemicals.

extra virgin olive oil, single estate, just being pressed

The best extra virgin olive oils are 'single estate' ones, from small producers such us the ones here in Sabina, who harvest the olives at the right time, when they are turning from green to black. This ensures low acidity and plenty of antioxidants. The quantity produced might be less from each tree, but the quality is at its highest. This explains why good extra virgin olive oil is not cheap.
Moreover, would you buy olive oil from a huge company that also make washing powder and underarm deodorant? I wouldn't, even if their marketing image screams 'Italian-authentic-traditional'.

Chef Guido, Sally from Convivio Rome have been offering Rome Day Trips, Rome Olive Tours, Rome Wine Tours, Italian Cooking Classes and Italian Culinary Vacations in the Sabine Hills since 2006 and also Virtual online Italian Cooking Classes since March 2020. Find out more on the links below:

Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays

One Day Italian Cooking Classes

Half Day Rome Olive Tours

Half Day Rome Winery and Wine Tasting Tours

Virtual Italian Cooking Parties

Online Cooking Classes with Chef Guido

Corporate Virtual Cooking Events

Guido's Cook Club Monthly Membership

Online Video Italian Cooking Package

Rome Olive Tour Video - Olive Tasting near Rome

Looking for a Rome Day Trip into the Rome countryside that is relaxed, fun and informative? 

Come along and  join us on a Half Day Rome Olive Oil Tour

Rome Olive Tour with Convivio Rome.

Come along and  join us on a Half Day Rome Olive Oil Tour

This 3 hour Rome Olive Tour includes a visit to the largest olive tree in Europe (2080 years old),  a guided tour of a local organic olive grove, plus a visit to our family home for an olive oil tasting and light lunch, sampling local Sabina produce with a glass of wine while overlooking spectacular and unspoilt views of the Rome countryside.

This tour is all about olive oil, its flavour and the art of olive oil making. During your olive oil tour we will drive you through beautiful rolling hills covered with olive groves, fruit orchards and vineyard, on our way to visit a family run olive grove, where extra virgin olive oil is still produced traditionally in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Sabina region, just north of Rome. This is a unique experience, a chance to learn about olive oil making, walk in the unspoilt Roman countryside and admire a number of well established olive trees that are certainly a few hundred years old.

Small group tours mean individual attention and you get to experience so much more.

Website : Rome Olive Tours
Convivio Rome runs Rome Olive Tours in the beautiful Rome countryside, in the Sabine Hills, all year round.
To find out more contact Guido or Sally on info@conviviorome.com

www.conviviorome.com/olive-tour.html

www.conviviorome.com

www.winetoursrome.com

Olive Harvest in the Sabine Hills, near Rome, Italy

What a great time of year to visit the Roman countryside and especially the Sabine Hills. The Sabina region, just 40 kms north of Rome is famous for it's extra virgin olive oil and with over 2,5000,000 trees squeezed into hilly terrain you can understand why it is so important. The olive farmers make sure that the quality of the olive oil is at its best by picking the olives just as they are turning from green to black in colour. This is when the anti-oxidants are at their highest. The olive producers really concentrate on quality, not quantity and the Sabine Hills are now 'alive with the sound of music' of olive pickers. It is an exciting time to visit.

Olive picking with crates of olives already picked

We, at Convivio Rome, run Half Day Olive Tours all year round, but if you happen to be in the area in late October to early December, this is the time where olives are picked. You can understand how labour intensive olive picking is, when seeing it in action.

Olive harvest in progress takes teamwork

The olives need to be picked and taken to the local 'frantoio' olive mill, within 24 hours to ensure the quality of the extra virgin olive oil remains high.

Being an eighth generation Roman, means that even as a child I was taught by my parents and grandparents the importance of the Sabine Hills for it's D.O.P. extra virgin olive oil. I remember travelling with my family through the Sabine Hills to renew our supply of the famous Sabina extra virgin olive oil, and other local produce, to take back home to Rome. 

The olive trees are full with olives ready to be picked

We operate Rome Olive tours all year round, to discover more:

http://www.conviviorome.com/olive-tour.html

Or contact me, Guido, at Convivio Rome on info@conviviorome.com

www.conviviorome.com

www.winetoursrome.com