Extra Virgin Olive Oils

Extra virgin is the highest grade of olive oil, but the label alone isn't enough. To qualify, an oil must pass strict chemical tests and a sensory evaluation by a trained panel. Many oils labelled extra virgin on grocery store shelves fail these standards. Every oil we carry has been tested and verified.

Polyphenols are naturally occurring antioxidants found in fresh olive oil. It's why you constantly hear "olive oil is really good for you!" That said, only green harvested olive oils test for polyphenol content. The polyphenols are responsible for that pleasant peppery finish at the back of your throat and are linked to a range of health benefits. The higher the polyphenol count, the fresher and more nutritionally dense the oil. We display the polyphenol count for every extra virgin olive oil we carry.

The crush date is when the olives were harvested and pressed. Unlike wine, olive oil doesn't improve with age. Freshness is everything. An oil without a crush date gives you no way of knowing how old the oil actually is. We only carry harvest-fresh oils and always display the crush date prominently. Best before dates on the other hand are arbitrary and will highly depend on storage conditions of the oil.

Fresh, third-party lab tested, single-origin, single-varietal extra virgin olive oil costs more to produce and import than the blended, commodity oils that fill most grocery store shelves. You're paying for transparency, traceability, and quality that's been verified, not just labelled. Most customers tell us once they taste the difference, they can't go back to grocery store olive oils.

Yes, and you should! The smoke point myth is largely outdated. High quality EVOO has a smoke point ranging from 374°F to 405°F (190°C to 207°C), making it suitable for most everyday cooking. Oils with higher polyphenol counts are actually quite heat stable. Use mild oils for delicate dishes and dressings, and save your robust oils for roasting, grilling, and bold flavours.

Keep it away from heat, light, and air. A cool dark cupboard is ideal; not next to the stove and not on a sunny countertop. Avoid storing in clear glass near windows. Our bottles are dark-tinted for a reason.

A properly stored, high quality EVOO will last 12 to 18 months from the crush date. That said, the sooner you use it the more polyphenols you'll actually benefit from. Freshness is where the flavour and health value live. Our best advice? Start with a smaller bottle to see how quickly you go through it and how much you like it in your everyday cooking. If it's gone fast, move up to a larger size, or just come back sooner for a fresher bottle.

Absolutely! That's what we're here for. We offer a guided tasting experience at both our Whitby and Markham locations so you can taste everything before you commit to a bottle. We want to make sure you'll like what you're taking home!

We do not offer refills, and here's why. Bottles are notoriously difficult to clean thoroughly, and invisible residue or water left inside can cause a fresh oil to spoil prematurely. We want every bottle you take home to be as good as the one you tasted in store, and that means starting with a clean bottle every time. We recommend recycling your empty bottles and saving the reusable corks (they'll fit most wine or sparkling drink bottles)!