Choosing a Mount Zero Extra Virgin Olive Oil
While the best advice that we can give you when it comes to choosing your extra virgin olive oil is to ‘buy it fresh’, the next best advice we can give is to walk you through our range. You may have seen that we produce a number of different types of olive oil – Frantoio, Picual, Arbequina and Organic – and contrary to popular belief, not all olive oils are made equal! These names refer to the varietal of olive that the oil is sourced from – apart from organic, of course, which is a delicious blend of the best organic olives we can get our hands on each year.
What’s the difference between olive oil varietals?
The difference between types of extra virgin olive oil can all be found in the flavour. Specifically, in the fruitiness, bitterness and pepperiness of each different type! Following this are individual tasting notes – just like tasting different types of wine, different types of extra virgin olive oil can carry different flavour characteristics. Understanding what sort of flavours you like or need to create a certain type of dish will determine which olive oil is best for you.
Mount Zero Olives 2021 Extra Virgin Olive Oils: how do they compare?
In 2021 our four oils each hold a distinct position in our flavour guide: from the delicate and mild Arbequina, to the rounded Frantoio and the bold Organic (for that big EVOO taste!). Picual in particular is a chef's favourite, proving that big fruit flavour can be delivered with pared-back bitterness.
Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil: mild and delicate
As an olive varietal that originated in Spain, our Arbequina has a fresh, slightly sweet aroma with hints of vanilla and freshly cut grass. It's a delicate oil with a buttery texture and well-balanced bitterness and pepperiness. Arbequina extra virgin olive oil is the perfect option for delicate dressings; sweet or savoury baking applications; or used to confit your favourite protein or vegetables.
Buy Mount Zero Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil: medium-style and award-winning
Our Frantoio is an (Australian grown) Italian varietal that has a sweet, fruity aroma with a hint of citrus. This is a medium-style oil that has notes of apple, walnut and fresh herbs. It's smooth and creamy with a lovely peppery finish. Use for frying and roasting, dressings or marinades. Plus, this oil took out a silver medal at the world's premier olive oil competition, the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition. Read more about the 2021 award and competition.
Buy Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil: fruity and mild
Fruit-driven with a fantastic peppery finish, our Picual is a medium-style olive oil that is an absolute all-rounder in the kitchen! Flavours of fresh, green tomato and fig, with a mild bitterness on the palate. Fabulous with fresh tomatoes, paired with fish or seafood or drizzled over grilled vegetables.
Buy Mount Zero's Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil: big, bold and full of flavour
Our freshly pressed Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is cold-pressed from Australian grown Frantoio and Manzanilla olives. A well-balanced oil with a herbaceous aroma, notes of walnut and tomato leaf with a delicious lasting pepperiness. A great all-rounder for liberal lashings on salads, meats and vegetables.
Buy Mount Zero Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
So that's the range of olive oils! We hope you find a favourite in here. Why not continue your discovery by learning more about the health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in one of our past posts?
