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Annual harvest · Seasonal release
Olio Nuovo
Fresh, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil from the new harvest.
Each harvest, we select an exceptional early lot and bottle it unfiltered. Olio Nuovo is available for a short seasonal release; it is not currently available to order.
Bottle shown: a previous artist-label release.
Looking for multiple bottles or gifts? Shop all Olio Nuovo bottles, bundles and gift sets.
Harvest to mill
Under 90 minutes
Variety + style
Frantoio · unfiltered
Best enjoyed
Within 3–6 months of harvest; sooner is better
USDA Organic · Regenerative Organic Certified® · San Martin, CA
Between harvests
Catch the next harvest.
Olio Nuovo returns with the olive harvest, usually in late fall. Join the harvest list and we’ll let you know when the next release is ready.
Release timing follows the fruit. Until then, our filtered extra virgin olive oils are available year-round.
What does Olio Nuovo taste like?
Fresh cut grass, artichoke and green almond lead the way, followed by a pleasant peppery catch at the back of the throat. The point is balance: vivid green flavor, aroma and texture, not heat for heat’s sake.
Fresh-cut grass
Artichoke
Green almond
Until the current lot is selected, this describes the flavor profile we generally seek. Weather and growing conditions get a vote.
How to taste it
Pour a little into a wine glass. Hold the bowl in one palm, cover the top with your other hand and warm it gently. Move the oil around, uncover the glass and smell before tasting.
Take a small sip and move it around your mouth. Professional tasters often draw air across the oil with a pronounced slurp. You can also gently “chew” the oil, moving your tongue against the roof of your mouth and breathing softly so the aroma remains noticeable before the pepper takes over.
You don't need to perform the tasting ritual in exactly the same way we would on a sensory analysis panel, you are just trying to experience the oil with intention. Give yourself a moment before reaching for bread.
How Olio Nuovo is made
Grown here. Milled here.
01
Harvest
Fresh fruit, picked on our farm.
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Harvested olives are living fruit. Careful handling and a short trip to our onsite mill help preserve the quality grown in the grove.
02
Receive
From the grove straight to the mill.
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Bins tip into a hopper that feeds the milling line. Our olives go from tree to mill in under 90 minutes, keeping harvested fruit from waiting around.
03
Clean & wash
Leaves out. Clean fruit in.
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Leaves and field debris are removed before an air-agitated wash bath cleans the olives. Clean fruit protects both the oil and the equipment.
04
Crush & mix
Whole olives become a fragrant paste.
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A hammer mill crushes the fruit and pits. Slow mixing, called malaxation, lets tiny oil droplets gather. We adjust time and temperature for flavor and extraction, rather than simply chasing the highest yield.
05
Separate
The moment the oil emerges.
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A centrifuge separates the oil from most of the fruit solids and water. For Olio Nuovo, we select the lot by taste and leave it unfiltered, preserving its just-milled character.
06
Bottle & label
Bottled here, while it’s still new.
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Our selected Olio Nuovo is bottled unfiltered at the farm. Each bottle carries this harvest’s character, ready to open and enjoy while its freshest aromas are vivid.
How to use Olio Nuovo
Put it on something good.
If you asked what to put it on first, our first answer would be "Your tongue!", followed by a torn off piece of good sourdough, or a simple salad.
Olio Nuovo is at its best with fresh, bright food and a little sweetness or acidity. Finish pasta, winter greens, beans, vegetable soups, fresh cheese or simply good bread. Add it at the table so its aroma stays in the meal instead of disappearing into the pan.
What else should I put it on?
Little Gems, tender herbs, citrus, fennel, avocado and celery are especially good company. Dress the salad directly in the bowl: add vinegar and salt first, taste a leaf, then pour in the Olio Nuovo and toss until everything is coated.
For pasta, think greens, lemon, parsley, Parmesan and gently cooked garlic, with the oil added at the end. Kale, spinach and broccoli all work. Beans and vegetable soups are good candidates when the dish still has some freshness and the oil is added to the individual bowl.
Fresh, mild cheeses such as queso fresco or chèvre leave room for the oil. White fish and lighter poultry dishes can work too. A long cooked tomato sauce, pot roast or heavy cream sauce may be delicious, but it is unlikely to show you why this particular bottle is special.
Freshness & storage
We recommend enjoying Olio Nuovo within three to six months of harvest, and sooner is better. Open it when it arrives. Its fresh character is the reason to buy it, and waiting will not improve it.
KEEP IT COOL. KEEP IT CLOSED.
Store it in a dark cupboard, away from the stove. Replace the cap between pours. A little care helps preserve the flavor you bought it for.
Cold oil, sediment & signs of age
There is no need to refrigerate it for normal use. If the bottle arrives partly solid after cold weather shipping, let it return to room temperature on the counter.
Some sediment is expected. When the bottle is very young, Patrick generally gives it a gentle shake because the cloudy oil is part of the experience. That is a preference for fresh Olio Nuovo, not advice to stir old sediment back into a bottle that has been sitting for months.
Our three-to-six-month recommendation is a guide to enjoyment, not an expiration countdown. Oil does not suddenly become rancid at six months; its condition depends on time and storage. A waxy, stale-crayon smell can be a sign of rancidity. If you want an oil to use over the course of the year, we recommend our filtered extra virgin olive oil.
Can you cook with Olio Nuovo?
There’s nothing wrong with cooking with Olio Nuovo. But some of what you’re paying for is the aroma that disappears in a hot pan.
Cook with good oil. Put this one on the food when it reaches your plate.
The annual Olio Nuovo artist label
Each Olio Nuovo harvest gets a new label commissioned from an artist. The bottle becomes a small record of that year’s crop—something worth giving, saving or displaying after the oil itself has been enthusiastically dispatched.
For the 2026 release, Rayos Magos is creating the artwork. We will add the finished label and the story behind it here when the release is ready.
Why the label changes every year
Olio Nuovo is inseparable from a particular harvest. The fruit, weather, flavor and brief selling season all belong to one moment, so a permanent label never felt quite right.
We invite a different artist to interpret the release each year. The commission gives the bottle a life after dinner without pretending the oil inside should be treated like a museum piece. Keep the art. Use the oil.
Olio Nuovo FAQ
When is California Olio Nuovo available?
Our California release follows the olive harvest, usually in late fall. The exact timing depends on the fruit, and quantities are limited to the lot we select. Join the harvest list for release news.
Can I preorder it, and when will it ship?
When preorders are available, the purchase details will include the expected shipping window. Timing depends on when the olives are ready to harvest and the oil is bottled. Join the harvest list to hear when ordering opens.
Is Olio Nuovo the same as extra virgin olive oil?
Olio Nuovo can be extra virgin olive oil. The name describes its just-milled, new-harvest style rather than a separate legal grade. Ours is released fresh and unfiltered, while our regular extra virgin olive oils are filtered for a slower, more stable evolution.
Why is Olio Nuovo unfiltered?
Leaving it unfiltered preserves the cloudy appearance and exuberant just-milled character that define this short seasonal experience. It also means the oil changes more quickly, which is why we want you to open and use it.
Should fresh olive oil make me cough or taste bitter?
Bitterness and a peppery catch can be positive attributes, but intensity alone is not a quality score. We look for balance, aroma and complexity—not the culinary equivalent of being shouted at.
Why is Olio Nuovo cloudy and green, and will it settle?
The green color comes from olive pigments, including chlorophyll. The cloudiness comes from fine olive particles and tiny water droplets left suspended after milling. Because we leave this oil unfiltered, some of that material gradually settles and the oil becomes clearer.
Color and cloudiness alone do not establish quality. Settling is expected, but appearance cannot tell you everything about an oil’s condition. Pay attention to its aroma and flavor too.
How long does Olio Nuovo last?
We recommend enjoying it within three to six months of harvest, but our strongest advice is to open it when it arrives and use it generously. This is a fresh seasonal product, and its just-milled character is what we want you to experience.
That window is an enjoyment guideline, not a date when the oil suddenly turns bad or rancid. Flavor changes gradually, and storage matters. It may remain enjoyable beyond six months, but it will not become fresher by waiting.
If your plan is to use an oil over the course of a year, choose our filtered extra virgin olive oil. Olio Nuovo is the bottle to enjoy now.
Is Olio Nuovo a good holiday gift?
Yes—especially for someone who will open it promptly. The annual artist label makes the bottle gift-worthy; the short fresh season makes it a terrible candidate for indefinite shelf admiration.
What if I miss the release?
Join the harvest list for news of the next release. In the meantime, our filtered extra virgin olive oils are the year-round option for cooking and finishing.