1Olive oil is an agricultural product, not an industrial one
Those who buy the same supermarket olive oil year after year always receive the exact same product — because it is a standardized blend of oils from various origins, mixed to achieve a constant flavor profile. It is not necessarily bad, but it lacks the richness and soul of an artisanal oil.
An artisanal extra virgin olive oil changes every year. And that is exactly what makes it so fascinating.
2The variables that determine the vintage
Spring and summer climate
Spring rains determine the size of the fruit. A hot and dry summer favors the concentration of polyphenols (plants under water stress produce more defense compounds). A rainy summer produces larger but less concentrated olives.
Hot and dry seasons → smaller olives, lower yield in oil, but oil richer in polyphenols and highly aromatic.
Cool and rainy seasons → larger olives, higher yield, more delicate and light oil.
Flowering and fruit set
The percentage of flowers that successfully become fruits (fruit set) depends on the temperatures and rainfall in May. A cold or very rainy May can drastically reduce production.
Pests and diseases
The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) hits differently every year, depending on summer temperatures: - Very hot summers (>35°C) → the fly cannot reproduce well → limited damage - Cool and humid summers → intense proliferation → potentially severe damage
Harvest timing
Even with the exact same olives, harvesting in October or November changes everything: November olives contain more oil but fewer polyphenols. Choosing the harvest time is one of the producer's most critical decisions.
3What this means for the consumer
- The color of the oil varies: greener in early harvest years, more golden in late ones
- Aromatic intensity varies: dry years produce more concentrated, peppery, and polyphenolic oils
- Yield varies: in certain years, the price is inevitably higher due to scarce production
Buying artisanal olive oil is like buying wine from a small independent winemaker: every vintage is a different interpretation of the same land.