Greek extra virgin olive oil, explained
We want olive oil to be easy to understand.
Something Else is extra virgin olive oil from Mani, Greece, made only from Koroneiki olives. Our founder, Jamie, is a certified olive oil sommelier. The point is not to make olive oil complicated. It is to know what good oil is, explain it clearly and use it properly.
No mysticism required.
Early Harvest starts with the fruit
These are Koroneiki olives during harvest. Koroneiki is the only olive variety we use.
Early Harvest describes when the olives are picked. It is a point in the same annual harvest season, not a quality grade.
One harvest. Two points in the season.
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Early Harvest · typically October into November
The first picking point. Koroneiki olives are harvested earlier in their development to produce our Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil.
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Main Harvest · typically November onwards
A later picking point in the same harvest season, again using Koroneiki olives. As the fruit ripens, yields generally increase and the oil becomes rounder and softer. It is a separate oil with its own batch information.
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Why the dates move
Our rain-fed, higher-elevation family groves in Gaitses generally ripen later than fruit grown lower down. Rainfall, temperature, wind, fruit load and crop condition also influence the exact picking dates.
The dates are a guide, not a deadline. We pick according to the fruit and the conditions each year.
Not all olive oil is the same
“Olive oil” covers several different categories. Extra virgin sits at the top of the virgin olive oil classification, but acidity is only one part of the test.
Extra virgin olive oil
Free acidity: ≤ 0.8%
Produced mechanically. It must also meet chemical limits and have no sensory defects, with detectable fruitiness.
Virgin olive oil
Free acidity: ≤ 2.0%
Also mechanically produced, but some sensory defects are permitted within the category limits.
Lampante olive oil
Not suitable for direct retail consumption.
Virgin oil that does not meet the requirements for edible virgin olive oil and normally goes for refining.
Refined olive oil
Refining can produce very low acidity.
This is why acidity alone is not a quality ranking. Refining removes free fatty acids as well as many of the characteristics of virgin olive oil.
Olive oil
A blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils.
A different category from extra virgin olive oil.
Olive-pomace oil
Produced from the remaining olive material after the initial extraction.
A separate category from virgin and extra virgin olive oil.
What makes an EVOO?
Being below 0.8% free acidity is not enough on its own. Extra virgin olive oil has to meet a wider set of chemical and sensory requirements.
Where are we? Something Else is extra virgin olive oil. Our current batch tested at 0.26% free acidity against the 0.8% maximum for the extra virgin category. That is useful evidence, but acidity is only one part of how an EVOO is classified.
See our batch & lab informationYes, you can cook with it
Good extra virgin olive oil isn't reserved for decorative drizzling.
Start a pan with it. Roast with it. Dress warm lentils. Pour it over vegetables, tomatoes, bread or soup.
Use the bottle.
Looking after the oil
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Olive oil changes
Olive oil isn't wine. Age isn't the objective. Fresh aromas and flavour intensity gradually fade during storage.
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Store it properly
Air, heat, light and time all matter, particularly once the pack has been opened. Keep the container closed and away from direct sunlight and heat.
For best quality, we recommend using the oil within 3 months of opening.
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The bottle
Our 500ml oil comes in green glass with a controlled pourer. Buy an amount you'll actually use, then use it.
Ready to use some?
Early Harvest is available now.