The Olive Oil that Choked (Educated & Delighted) Me! An Exclusive Tasting with Haim Merkado

How to Taste Olive Oil Like Wine (and Why Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Matters)

Carl is taught, by Merkado's Haim, how to taste olive oil like wine by warming it in the hand, sniffing for fruity aromas, then sipping without swallowing to let air pass over it and noting sensations like heat and pepperiness and how long the flavor lingers.

They discuss early-season oil’s intense “alive” character with a gentler mid-season version, discuss using high-quality oil for dressing rather than cooking, and describe it as medicinal, with some people taking a daily shot.

The conversation contrasts traditional manual harvesting with damaging industrial methods, mentions large-scale tree losses linked to lack of genetic diversity, and explains olive oil grading, emphasising cold press under 27°C to preserve compounds, while lower grades and some extractions involve higher temperatures or chemicals.

Merkado Olive Oil - Produce & Retreats - https://www.merkadoolive.eu/

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