Holiday Olive Oil Tasting Tips

Olive Oil is much more than just an oil. With the widest array of varieties of any oil - it is truly an experience unlike any other. It is because of the wonderful experience that olive oil provides, that many people are now getting to know their olive oils on a much more personal level by purposefully tasting their olive oils in a detailed and eloquent manner.

Olive oils that are suited for winter will vary from person to person, depending on individual tastes. However, we provide some insightful tips for tasting and choosing olive oils during the Holiday season.

Typically, most of the cooking in many households occurs during the fall and winter seasons, so choosing olive oils that compliment the dishes that you plan to make is a very wise move. With this in mind, here are our top tips for Olive Oil Tasting in the Winter months:

1.  Define your own favorite flavors of the fall season. Are they spicy? Mild? Buttery? Generally, this is based upon the foods that you cook the most of during the fall season. Are you partial to poultry in the fall? Or do you have a cheesy or garlicky dish that you often make? Write this list down and take it to your local olive oil store to keep them fresh in your mind as you choose which olive oils you'll use during the fall. You'll be surprised at how will be able to immediately decide on whether a particular olive oil is suitable for a certain dish or not.

2.  Bring a second opinion. When choosing your olive oils, bring another person to give their two cents. Often, you will find that two people have very different takes on the same oil. This will help you define how others may feel about the taste as well.

3. Keep notes on each olive oil that you taste - and describe it's taste in just three words. This will help you pair it with your planned out meals - or at least the big and important ones.

4. Become familiar with Olive Oil tasting's common terminology. This will help you immensely when it comes to our 3rd tasting tip.

5. Enjoy yourself! Take your time, and experience each olive oil and it's many attributes. As your palate evolves, you'll become more accustomed to looking for specific traits and flavors in your olive oil tasting.