Castillo de Canena olive oil

Good morning friends, as you know I really love summer and even more long evenings in the garden. Delicious food with friends and family, large platters of food on the table, just slightly too full glasses of wine, carafes of water (because it’s the thing to do), crusty baguette and a good bottle of olive oil. That last one, I want to talk to you about. It might be a bit early but oh well. Every year in spring the ‘Flos Olei’ is released, the international olive oil bible with an overview of no less than 50 extra virgin olive oils from different countries. All these olive oils are tasted and judged with a piece of bread in one hand and a glass in the other on a scale from 0 to 98.

This year the Italian Castillo de Canena Reserva Familiar won a whopping 98 points. It is an intensely fruity and spicy oil with notes of tomato, green banana, almond, and wild chamomile. The sustainable company that produces this winning olive oil is named after the castle of the same name in the town of Canena. Of course, I sacrificed myself and tasted it for you. A tomato salad of different tomatoes with buttery burrata and fresh basil leaves, a twist of salt from the Camargue over it and a generous splash of Castillo. Well friend, I can tell you: you need nothing more in life. The olive oil has been available for purchase at Oil & Vinegar since this month, so you know what you have to do.