Balsamic Vinegar

Vinegar that is made in Modena, Italy from grapes and aged for a period of time in wooden barrels or casks. Is usually sweet and has a heavier, more viscous mouthfeel than distilled vinegars. May be dark or light colored.


A distinct variety of olive tree. These varieties may be selected by farmers for the agronomic properties of the tree, the quantity or economic value of the olives produced, or the sensory properties of the finished olive oil. Our Single Varietal Olive Oils are produced using olives from a single kind of cultivar.


An abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. May be pronounced by spelling out each letter, “E-V-O-O” or as a two syllable word with a long “e” at the beginning and an ending that rhymes with “moo,” “Ee-voo.”

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A legally defined term that in the United States means the oil obtained from olives by mechanical, not chemical, processes that has not gone through any refining process and meets certain laboratory testing requirements. Usually considered the highest quality and most healthy olive oil.

FFA/Free Fatty Acidity

One of two laboratory parameters for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. EVOOs must test below 0.8 percent by weight of free oleic acid to be legally labeled with the words, “Extra Virgin Olive Oil.” The presence of high levels of free oleic acid is caused by poor fruit quality, fruit that is allowed to sit too long before crushing, and possibly even the presence of fungal or insect infestations.


Airtight containers for holding and dispensing olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Usually made from stainless steel, fusti can vary from small one-liter countertop-sized versions to ones that hold many hundreds of liters in commercial operations.


Italian for “lamp oil,” this is the lowest grade of virgin olive oil. Oil is graded Lampante when it has several sensory flaws and is then legally considered unfit for human consumption.


The second laboratory parameter for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Measurements of peroxides indicate the amount of oxidation the oil has undergone from exposure to light, heat, or oxygen. The peroxide values should not rise about 20 milliequivalents per kilogram.


A large category of plant-derived compounds, many of which have anti-oxidant or anti-inflammatory properties. An EVOO with a high number of polyphenols may have a h2er taste and a denser delivery of these healthy compounds.


The sensory flaw that develops when an oil has begun to noticeably degrade due to time and/or improper storage.

Refined Olive Oil

Olive Oil that has undergone some kind of refining process to remove impurities or sensory flaws. These refining processes destroy or remove many of the compounds that researchers have found to provide the health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. May also be called, Light Olive Oil, Pure Olive Oil, or simply, Olive Oil.

Single Varietal Olive Oil

An Olive Oil made from only one kind of cultivar of olive tree and usually from a single region as well. This kind of Olive Oil allows the consumer to experience all the qualities of the cultivar in a pure context and to choose a flavor profile that fits their own palate and their cooking style.

Smoke Point

The temperature that an oil starts producing smoke. High quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a smoke point 365-400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Trans Fat

A liquid fat that has been turned into a solid fat through a manufacturing processes called hydrogenation. This kind of fat is universally considered unhealthy, especially to the heart and vascular system.

Virgin Olive Oil

A legally defined term meaning Olive Oil that has been mechanically produced but does not meet the quality standards of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.