You heard it here first: olive oil is the new wine. People are already gifting it instead of vino; artisan brands are popping up left, right and centre and sales of the extra virgin variety are growing. At Waitrose, overall sales of extra virgin are up by seven percent on last year and its own-brand organic extra virgin is up by 12 per cent.
“Extra virgin olive oil has officially entered its ‘vintage wine’ era,” says Oils Buyer at Waitrose Charlotte Kissane.
“We’ve seen it graduate from a basic cooking staple to the ultimate kitchen hero. It’s no longer just about greasing a pan; it’s recognised as a versatile essential for baking, drizzling, and roasting to completely transform a dish. People are also checking for harvest dates and regional character to make a simple home-cooked meal feel like a luxury.”
Inspired by my Italian grandparents, I’ve long had a passion for good quality extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO. And, I recently turned this passion into a job by training to become a certified olive oil sommelier – yes, it’s really a thing.
I did an intensive course in London, learning about everything from different farming methods, to milling, to flavour profiles of different olive varieties, the health benefits, how to identify a defect and more. In the process, we sniffed and sipped hundreds of olive oils, and in the final exam had to answer questions like, “What country is this olive oil from?” based on aroma and taste alone.
Like a wine sommelier, I help people find the right EVOO for them. I guide guests through tastings, discuss flavour descriptors, teach about defects, how to store bottles, and the difference between extra virgin and regular olive oil. Extra virgin is like a fresh fruit juice, full of flavour and healthy compounds known as polyphenols, whereas regular olive oil is refined using heat and chemicals, is neutral in flavour and contains little to no polyphenols.
Just like wine, EVOO has different tasting notes depending on the olive variety, where and how it’s produced. Though, unlike wine, EVOO is best enjoyed fresh – close to harvest, which happens October to January every year – and doesn’t get better with age.
If a bottle doesn’t list a harvest date (like many in the supermarket) be suspicious – the oil is likely old, flat and depleted of polyphenols.
If you’re beginning to get into EVOO, my advice is to select ones from smaller brands that tend to take more care over what they produce and offer more transparency. Plus, a lot of them offer much better value for money – when you consider quality – than the big, widespread industrial brands.
The fun of EVOO is that there’s one for every occasion, so here are my recommendations – as a certified olive oil sommelier – for the ultimate food pairings.
Best for cooking
Lidl Deluxe, Puglian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£5.49 per 500ml, in store at Lidl
I don’t normally rate supermarket own-brand oils but Lidl tends to deliver. I recently enjoyed this Puglian EVOO from the German retailer and was pleased to see the harvest date listed on the bottle.
There’s a pervasive myth that you can’t cook with extra virgin – it’s simply not the case. In fact, EVOO is probably the best cooking fat we have. It has a high smoke (up to 220°C) and its polyphenols (healthy plant compounds) protect it from breaking down during cooking. These same polyphenols are what make it so beneficial for our health. Mediterranean populations consume much more EVOO than us per person per day and have less rates of chronic disease.
The reason I’d use this one for cooking is that it’s an excellent price per 500ml, and unlike other supermarket-own brands, actually has flavour – that beautiful balanced bitterness you want from a good EVOO. It’s perfect as the base for a tomato sauce but I’d also use this for a salad dressing, too.
Best for tomatoes
The Gay Farmer, Early Harvest Picual
£24.95 per 500ml, thegayfarmer.com
Picual is a Spanish variety of olive known for smelling like the vine of a tomato and this is one of the best examples of it I’ve ever tried. The aroma is just like if you were to take a tomato vine and rub it between your hands, giving it a good sniff.
This EVOO is “early harvest” which means the olives were picked at the beginning of the season, rather than later when they’re more ripe – which is a good thing when it comes to olive oil. It makes for an exceptionally fresh and bright oil, with that seductive signature smell of tomato leaf – plus, it’s very rich in those healthy polyphenols.
On top of fresh, sliced tomatoes with a little sea salt… it’s absolute heaven and the fruitiness of the tomatoes are further accentuated.
Best for ice cream
Rise and Fall, Polyphenol Rich Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£25 per 500ml, riseandfall.co
If you haven’t yet tried EVOO on vanilla ice cream, you must. It’s a taste sensation – the sweet, milky, creaminess of the ice cream offset so perfectly by the savoury, pepperiness of the EVOO with a little sea salt to further draw out all the flavours.
This EVOO, made with another Spanish variety known as Hojiblanca, is wildly delicious.
On the nose, it has notes of mint, basil and a hint of lemon. In the mouth, it’s got fresh almond and the pleasant bitter, spiciness of rocket which lingers wonderfully on the tongue.
I’d honestly drink this neat but contrasted against the ice cream, it’s sublime (it works with chocolate ice cream, too).
Best for soups
Odysea, Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Crete PGI Chania
£7.50 per 500ml, odysea.com
Odysea is a fantastic Greek food brand offering everything from the best authentic yoghurt to outstandingly fragrant honey. Its EVOO is always spot on and at very affordable prices, too.
All good soups deserve a drizzle of olive oil at the end and this one is my favourite for that. It’s produced with Koroneiki olives from groves in the Chania region on the island of Crete and is grassy and peppery without being overpowering, adding the perfect creaminess to soup.
Best for fish
Brindisa, Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£12.25 per 500ml, ocado.com
For fish, particularly white fish, you want an EVOO that’s less bold and more delicate. This Arbequina (a Spanish variety) by Brindia fits the bill. It’s known as a “sweet” olive oil as it’s not super bitter in flavour. This one has notes of green apple and banana skin, with just a subtle peppery aftertaste meaning it won’t dominate the subtle fish.
Best for steak
Oliiv, Spring ’26 Collection from Puglia
£46.75 per 500ml, oliiv.co
To stand up to the big, umami richness of a good steak you want an EVOO that’s equally as bold and there are few more bold than an Italian Coratina. The Coratina variety is famed for smacking you in the face with green bitterness with characteristic notes of artichoke and fresh almond – and I love it.
This one by Oliiv has a beautifully grassy aroma and lingering pungency that act as the ideal counterpoint to the rich, fattiness of steak.
Best for bread
Tenute Cristiano, Carolea Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£20 per 500ml, ocado.com
This third generation family producer makes its olive oil with the Carolea variety from 100-year-old trees on their estate in Calabria. What makes this oil so wonderful, and so perfect for mopping up with bread, is how harmonious it is – its fruitiness, bitterness and pungency are all perfectly balanced. With notes of black pepper, chicory, fresh walnut and a little tomato, it is sure to wow anyone who tries it.
Best for hummus
Zaytoun, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£16.50 per 500ml, Amazon and souschef.co.uk
I love making hummus for my friends when they come round and they’re always really impressed, like I’ve made something special – but the secret is simply good EVOO.
I like this Palestinian brand for hummus because it’s so smooth and creamy with warm pepperiness that echoes and elevates the chickpeas. It comes from olives from ancient, sun-soaked trees on the West Bank that have been harvested by farmers there for generations.
Best for everything
Fattoria La Vialla, ‘La Vialla’ Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2025
£11.70 per 500ml, lavialla.com
This is my go-to EVOO that I’ve been using for years and use for everything: cooking, dunking, drizzling on soups, dressing salads, in desserts and cakes, finishing meat and fish dishes and anointing fresh mozzarella with. It is hands-down my all time favourite and it arrives fresh from the producer – no middleman.
It’s made from a mix of classic Italian varieties grown on an organic, biodynamic family-run farm in Tuscany, by people who deeply care about the land and all that they produce (you should also try the excellent wine!).
This EVOO is so vibrant and fresh with notes of basil, sage, bitter greens and the refreshing spiciness of a perfectly crisp radish. It’s just wonderful and exceptional value for money considering the quality.
La Vialla also sells shots of olive oil water – a waste by-product of making oil that has recently been found to contain even more polyphenols than the oil itself. The farm also uses this to make a range of skincare that feels so good and leaves your skin glowing!
To learn more and see other recommendations visit Giulia’s Instagram @TheEVOOEdit
Dining and Cooking