Olive oil’s design moment in the sun
CR looks at the craft olive oil movement and why, in this case, you can judge an oil by its beautifully branded packaging
A sommelier’s nose judges its quality. It pairs well with certain foods and has tasting notes. It comes in arty vessels, and people bring it to dinner parties. No, it’s not wine; it’s olive oil. And it’s been patiently waiting since the 8th century BC for its design moment.
The invasion started slowly. One by one, fancy bottles of smooth olive juice nestled among the big green plastic bottles of mass-produced oils on shelves as people sought the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet and love grew for independent artisan brands.
“It’s a natural next step in the craft movement,” Sarah Vachon, founder and sommelier of Citizens of Soil, insists. “There’s been a craft movement in chocolate, even wine from the natural side. And coffee. And yet there hasn’t been this movement towards craft and artisanship in olive oil production.”
