As winter takes up seemingly permanent residence here in the Finger Lakes area, I’m heartened by the thought that I can hold an entire Mediterranean summer in a bottle. That’s right, our Northern Hemisphere extra-virgin olive oils are here.

Crushed and bottled in November of 2017, these fabulously fresh, wonderfully flavorful EVOOs are great examples of what ultra-premium EVOO is all about. This year, we have three EVOOs from Spain and two from Portugal.

You owe it to yourself to stop in the store and taste the warm summer sun.

Here are our tasting notes to get you started.

From SPAIN

Melgarejo Picual (medium to robust)

This visually stunning emerald green Picual contains dominant herbaceous notes including green herb, tomato leaf, and fresh cut grass.

Melgarejo Frantoio (robust)

This intensely herbaceous Frantoio is full of pepper and savory herb notes and exhibits almost hot pepper-like sensations.

Melgarejo Hojiblanca (robust)

This prize winning Hojiblanca is very complex and harmonious, with notes of freshly cut grass, tomato, green apple and green almond. First Prize Winner in the 2017 International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition

from PORTUGAL

Chiquitita (mild)

Originating in Spain in 1991, this new cultivar is a cross between the iconic Spanish Picual and Arbequina varieties. Our example is sweet and delicate, displaying pleasant notes of green almond and olive.

Cobrançosa (robust)

Traditionally one of the most popular of the Northern Hemisphere EVOOs, this Portuguese Cobrançosa has lingering floral notes, a creamy middle and savory herb notes.