What separates great olive oil from the rest comes down to chemistry and control.
From the time an olive is harvested, natural enzymes and oxidation start breaking down its aromas and nutrients. The role of a skilled producer is to slow that process as much as possible.
Each step, from harvest timing, to milling, filtration, and storage, determines how much of the olive’s original freshness, antioxidants, and flavor are preserved.
High-quality olive oil is defined by control and precision at every stage and in every detail.
Traditional groves, like ours, are widely spaced, promoting deep roots, healthy growth, and high fruit quality. Yields are lower, but the system favors tree health and oil complexity over volume.
High-density groves use closer spacing to increase yield and harvesting efficiency. With proper management, fruit quality remains good, though production emphasizes efficiency over artisanal precision.
Super-intensive groves use dense hedgerows for full mechanization, maximizing yield and reducing cost. Common among large producers, including some premium brands, this system often compromises soil health, biodiversity, and polyphenol content, producing milder oils.
An olive cultivar is simply a variety of olive tree, like a grape variety in wine. Each one produces oil with a distinct flavor, aroma, and nutrient profile.
High-quality producers carefully select their cultivars for taste and health benefits, while large-scale brands often blend multiple varieties for yield and consistency.
Olives are picked or combed gently from the branches to avoid bruising. Labor-intensive, but preserves quality and minimizes oxidation.
Branch shakers gently vibrate individual branches to release olives. Faster than hand picking, but still protects the fruit from bruising and oxidation.
Clamps onto the trunk and shakes the tree to drop olives onto nets. Efficient and can be gentle enough for healthy trees using quality machinery.
Large machines strip olives from dense rows at high speed. Used on industrial groves, and is rough on fruit and flavor.
The way olives are harvested affects how much damage they sustain, but the timing of harvest determines their chemistry.
As olives ripen, antioxidants and green pigments decrease while oil content rises, changing both the flavor and stability of the final product.
Obìa harvests early, using a combination of hand-harvesting and branch shakers.
Olives are collected at the early veraison stage, when chlorophyll and polyphenol levels are highest. The oil is greener, more pungent, and richer in antioxidants, though overall yield is lower.
Olives are harvested at full maturity, with higher oleic acid content and reduced phenolic compounds. The resulting oil is smoother and milder, with greater yield but lower nutritional and oxidative stability.
When it comes to milling, traditional isn’t always better. As olive oil technology continues to evolve, the we use the most advanced mills available. Modern systems offer greater control over oxygen and temperature, which are key to preserving freshness, flavor, and nutrients.
Other Factors
Every extra virgin olive oil is, by definition, extracted without heat from the first milling. The term first cold-pressed is actually outdated. Modern extra virgin olive oil isn’t made with presses at all but through a single mechanical extraction using temperature-controlled centrifuges. Real quality depends on freshness, fruit health, and oxygen and heat control.
Unfiltered oil may look more “authentic,” but those cloudy particles are remnants of water and fruit solids that accelerate oxidation and microbial activity. This leads to faster degradation and off-flavors over time. Filtering removes these impurities, stabilizing the oil and protecting its polyphenols and aroma compounds. For long-term freshness, clarity, and true quality, avoid ufiltered extra virgin olive oil.
Light, heat, and oxygen accelerate oxidation and reduce polyphenol stability. High-quality producers use dark glass or metal containers and flush with inert gas to eliminate oxygen before sealing. Large-scale brands often use clear plastic or glass, exposing the oil to photo-oxidation and faster degradation.
Organic certification ensures olives are grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, reducing chemical residues in the oil and supporting soil microbiome health. However, “organic” alone doesn’t guarantee quality. Factors like harvest timing, milling conditions, and oxidation control are more critical. The best oils combine organic cultivation with precise, modern processing standards.
Chemical analysis verifies true extra virgin quality. Key indicators include free fatty acidity (<0.8%), peroxide value, and UV absorption (K232, K270), which measure oxidation and purity. High-quality oils consistently score well below these limits, confirming freshness, stability, and proper handling.
After bottling, many olive oils sit for months in fulfillment centers that aren’t temperature or light controlled. Storage often exceeds 77°F, accelerating oxidation and polyphenol loss. Even premium oils degrade quickly in these conditions. Top producers store and ship from temperature-regulated facilities to preserve freshness.
