Notes on olive oil & taste
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10 articles
The Mediterranean produces around 95% of the world's olive oil — and it is heating up faster than almost anywhere else on earth. From scorched root systems to smoke-tainted harvests, environmental disaster is leaving marks on olive groves that last far longer than the flames.
OLEA Editorial
Oil pressed in Spain reaches American supermarket shelves in bottles labeled Italy — a journey that reveals the layered re-export structure sitting between producer nations and end consumers. This guide traces that flow using IOC trade data.
OLEA Editorial
Three terms appear on nearly every bottle of quality olive oil, yet few buyers know which ones carry legal weight and which are historical relics. This guide unpacks what cold press, first press, and centrifuge extraction actually mean — and where EU regulation draws the line.
OLEA Editorial
Tunisia has reclaimed its position as the world's second-largest EVOO producer and is steadily expanding single-cultivar labelling — a shift that is reframing a country long associated with anonymous bulk supply.
OLEA Editorial
Global extra virgin olive oil wholesale prices hit record highs in the 2023–24 season and are now retreating. Harvest conditions, climate shocks, and the structure of the supply chain each play a distinct role in how prices move.
OLEA Editorial
According to IOC projections and USDA data, global extra virgin olive oil production for the 2025/26 season is forecast at approximately 3.44 million tonnes, roughly 4% below the prior year. Spain has been revised downward while Italy is staging a meaningful recovery.
OLEA Editorial
The International Olive Council projects global olive oil production at around 3.44 million tonnes for the 2025/26 season — roughly 4% below the previous year. Heat waves in Andalusia, drought in Puglia, and the spread of Xylella fastidiosa are reshaping both producer rankings and retail prices.
OLEA Editorial
From hand-harvesting to cold-chain logistics, the price of extra virgin olive oil is built layer by layer across every stage of production. Breaking down those cost factors helps explain why genuine quality rarely comes cheap.
OLEA Editorial
Spain accounts for roughly 44 percent of global olive oil output, according to the International Olive Council — a dominance built on centuries of agricultural practice, a vast cooperative network, and more than 300 native cultivars. This guide maps the regional breakdown and variety-by-variety profile behind that figure.
OLEA Editorial
Cultivar alone does not determine what ends up in the bottle. The geology underfoot — whether limestone, granite, or clay — can push the same variety toward strikingly different flavor profiles, and the science behind it is worth understanding.
OLEA Editorial