Olio Nuovo is a once-a-year experience, made available every fall and rarely lasting through the following Spring. Olio Nuovo is the term for “new oil.” It’s made with the first olives of the season’s harvest, freshly pressed into an unfiltered, extra-virgin olive oil. It’s only available for a limited time each year, and it nearly always sells out before it reaches its prime!

This unique olive oil embodies boldness, showcasing its green-tinted beauty alongside a fresh flavor profile that often evokes what you might find in your backyard garden. It’s got the classic bite you find in other high-polyphenol oils, and those who love it make it known that the sharpness is one of its most sought-after qualities.

Still, the “bite” doesn’t last forever, as the sediment and water left behind in unfiltered oil ultimately shorten its shelf life. Over time, those elements accelerate breakdown, softening the flavor and making the oil less stable than its filtered counterpart.

But why doesn’t it last long, exactly, and what can you do to ensure you are buying the right bottle come harvest?

This article covers that and more, so let’s dive in.

Olio Nuovo is not your typical olive oil. It’s among the most unique types of olive oils due to its taste, which is heightened by being bottled straight from the press, 100% unfiltered. While some might flinch seeing little olive particles floating suspended in the light-green liquid, it’s nothing to worry about. In fact, it evokes excitement for many who know what’s coming once the lid pops off.

Those little olive particles? The tiny droplets of water that come from the fruit being pressed? Those are the bits that give Olio Nuovo its signature taste, aroma, and cloudy-green visual profile.

When you taste Olio Nuovo, you may detect a range of distinct flavors. Tasting one bottle might reveal notes of black pepper and fresh dirt, while another can present itself with floral, herbaceous aromas. It can depend on the region where the olives were grown, the soil, or the production methods. No two Olio Nuovos are the same.

The bite you feel is the polyphenols, which, if you know a bit about olive oil, should be a familiar term. Polyphenols are naturally occurring antioxidants that are at their “peak” right after harvest. Over time, the polyphenol compounds soften, but until the first several weeks have passed, they stand strong and ready to take over your taste buds.

But filtered? Unfiltered? What’s the best bottle, and how will I know which is which?

Filtered olive oil delivers a clean, polished performance. It is smooth, dynamic, and ages well in a dark, cool kitchen cabinet. No real worries about when it’s used or when it will taste best. It’s a chef’s best friend when preparing a wide range of cuisines.

Olio Nuovo, on the other hand, delivers raw, bold flavors with high vibrancy that most find immediately attractive. It is anything but your standard olive oil, and its popularity is growing quickly.

The same qualities that make Olio Nuovo so intriguing are the same ones that make each bottle a short-lived opportunity.

This particular olive oil is bottled 100% unfiltered. That means you’ll see tiny bits of the olive fruit floating throughout the bottle alongside tiny water droplets that look like little plasma balls, similar to those oblong bubbles you see in lava lamps. The olive particles suspended in the oil hold both flavor and aroma, but they are relatively short-lived and also cause the olive oil to age more rapidly.

Over time, they can even oxidize or ferment, leading the oil’s flavor profile to lose its sharp characteristics.

Because of this, Olio Nuovo is not marketed as a long-term tenant for the kitchen. Within weeks, or sometimes a month or two, the earthy, pepper-forward bite begins to mellow, eventually evolving into something that resembles a typical olive oil rather than the small-batch “new oil” it truly is.

Storing your bottle incorrectly can also lead to a shorter “lifespan.”

As with other olive oils, you need to store Olio Nuovo in a dark, cool place. Even then, correct storage only ensures you get that 3-8 weeks out of it, and you should not try to keep it for a later date. Instead, use it right away. Share it with family and friends, bring it to your next social event, or gift it to someone who will appreciate it if you can’t finish it quickly enough yourself.

Olio Nuovo is, and should be treated as, a seasonal item, not an item to be cherished and conserved.

Like most olive oils, Olio Nuovo has its own unique history and traditions. In many regions where olives are grown and oil is produced, the season's first harvest is commonly celebrated with community gatherings, festivals, and family reunions. Sellers and producers alike come with bottles in hand, ready to celebrate a summer of hard work and careful preparation.

While there is no hard-and-fast rule for how to use it, Olio Nuovo is often poured over dishes composed of fresh-baked bread covered with fresh tomatoes and salt, or over other simple dishes made with vegetables to bring out the flavor of the new oil. It’s a celebration of labor and love, which is reflected perfectly through the bright, sensory-shocking flavor profiles showcased in fresh-pressed olive oil.

At Frantoio Grove, we keep this tradition alive, albeit thousands of miles from where it began.

Every year, we release a small batch of Olio Nuovo, partnering with local artists to create label designs that showcase the true California character for each of our customers. Each bottle reflects the careful growing techniques we use on our farm, and we hope that every bottle is enjoyed among friends and family, just as it was meant to be.

At Frantoio Grove, our Olio Nuovo is pressed from the very first olives of the season and bottled unfiltered for a once-a-year burst of flavor. From its bold, green vibrancy to the peppery finish that people look forward to each fall, it’s a celebration of the harvest in its purest form.

Available only from mid-November through late December, Olio Nuovo is as fleeting as it is memorable. Whether you enjoy it drizzled over fresh bread, poured onto hearty greens, or savored straight from the spoon, this is olive oil at its most alive.

Contact us todayto schedule a farm tour, tasting, or workshop and experience our grove firsthand, or explore our seasonal collection onlineand bring home a bottle of Olio Nuovo while it lasts.