Piccardo & Savorè - Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (500ml)

Liguria has been producing olive oil for centuries, and it has developed a reputation for making some of the lightest, most delicate extra virgin oils in Italy. The steep, terraced hillsides above the Ligurian coast are difficult farming territory, but the conditions they create for olive cultivation are distinctive. The variety most commonly grown there is the Taggiasca - a small, sweet olive that produces oil with a characteristic mild fruitiness, low bitterness, and a gentle finish that sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from the peppery, assertive oils of Tuscany or Sicily.

Piccardo & Savore works within this tradition. Based in Liguria, they source and produce oils that reflect the region's preference for balance over intensity - oils that sit comfortably on a plate of grilled fish, dress pasta without overpowering the other flavours, and finish a dish without hijacking it.

Cold extraction is the key to preserving quality in extra virgin oil. By pressing the olives at low temperatures, the volatile aromatic compounds that give the oil its character are preserved rather than driven off by heat. Piccardo cold-presses specifically to protect that flavour profile. The result is an oil with genuine freshness - it tastes of olives, not of heat and process.

Extra virgin designation is earned through two criteria: mechanical extraction only, and a measured oleic acid level below 0.8%, which indicates the olives were in good condition and processed promptly. Piccardo's EVOO meets both, consistently.

For the home cook, a good extra virgin olive oil used at the right moment makes a real difference. It's the drizzle over finished pasta, the base of a vinaigrette, the finishing touch over soup. Used raw, its flavour is fully present. That is where this oil belongs.

Best for: Finishing dishes, dressings, drizzling over pasta or soup, bruschetta, and any application where you want the flavour of the oil to actually be part of the dish.