Although it is sad to say, price is the first indicator that must be considered when choosing extra virgin olive oil.
It is not necessary to be an expert to understand why if the oil is offered to the final consumer at a price of 3€ or 4€/liter cannot be of good quality; the reason is soon explained.
In those 3, 4 € we pay we must consider:
- the cost of the bottle;
- transport costs;
- the final seller's profit;
- intermediate sellers;
- taxes;
- processing costs;
- and many other expenses that will affect this case, at least 65-70%.
We can, therefore, say that, optimistically, we have left around € 1.25 for the raw material - the olives.
If we consider that to produce 1 liter of extra virgin olive oil we need about 6/7 kg of olives its price is about less than € 0.20 per kg, even less for a North African olive grower, which is not the price of good quality of olives.
Now, you may be wondering, how is it possible that dozens of bottles of oils are sold on the shelves of supermarkets like extra virgin olive oil for such low price?
The answer is neither simple nor immediate. We need to consider that these companies, that are selling the oil, aren't oil producers, but, often, they buy the oil from other large companies that deal with the import of European and especially non-European oils.
These oils arrive in Italian ports after long journeys, by large container ships and crammed into huge cisterns of dubious origin. Subsequently, these oils of very poor quality, undergo several processes, more or less legitimate, to "re-enter" the values that the European Union has foreseen to label an oil as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Not surprisingly, in recent years, we hear more and more often talk of maxi seizures, of extra virgin olive oils, damaged or even faked.
But, in conclusion, are these oils good and do as good as they should be for extra virgin olive oil?
The answer is no!
The poor quality of the raw material and the processing, the long journeys and the thermal shocks they suffer along the way make those oils very bad. The only thing that they have is the name.
So how much does an extra virgin olive oil to be of good quality?
We cannot give an unequivocal answer to this question, as extra virgin olive oil is a particularly delicate product and can have considerable price variations based on the trend of the year and the productivity of the olive trees.
You can still average, based on data provided by serious producers.
An average extra virgin olive oil, produced with European olives, cannot cost less than € 6/liter (retail), but we strongly recommend choosing oils produced in Italy and 100% Italian olives, whose bulk price at the mill starts from 8- € 9 per liter, a price which, of course, is destined to increase by a few euros with bottling and distribution.
So the first thing we need to understand is that Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to be good, must necessarily have its price, but if we are willing to spend € 12/15 for a bottle of wine that we consume in the duration of a meal, because we should not be for one of Olio EVO that in an average Italian family lasts between 15 and 20 days?
The extra virgin olive oil that we have carefully selected for our customers is an expression of the highest possible qualitative target. This exceptional oil, produced in the secular farm of the Duke, can boast of being produced in a closed and extremely controlled chain.
The olives used to come exclusively from the olive grove of the company which covers about 200 hectares with over 40,000 ancient olive trees, of native quality and sculptural appearance. Immediately after being harvested at a perfect ripening stage, the olives are transported to the company mill where the milling is done cold, at a temperature of about 27 ° C. This type of processing involves a lower yield but fully preserves the organoleptic and nutritional properties of the extra virgin olive oil.
This remarkable attention to detail gives life to an oil with a golden green color, a fruity aroma, and a sweet and intense taste, but above all with a very low acidity level which, at the mill, does not exceed 12g per 100g. These unique qualities are protected from light by the rigorous use of dark bottles and nitrogen before capping, thus avoiding alterations due to oxidation.
All this at a really competitive price.
To learn more about the oil we have selected and to find out how to get it at home, visit our section dedicated to Italian extra virgin olive oil