But, the problem is I very rarely buy olive oil from a supermarket or specialty shop so it is a question hard to answer. Unless I unexpectedly run out I do not buy from these sources and I have absolutely no knowledge  of brands found in those places. However, I have been part of the Olives South Australia judging panel for over fifteen years having done the original training with Dr Giovancino from the International Olive Oil Council in the early 2000s. Also, while still working full-time I was often in the position to assess the oil and price with the buying power of many hundred of litres of olive oil annually. Understanding extra virgin olive oil was an important part of being a chef.

Not all great oils are entered into the industry judging system and not all oils that are entered into the judging system are great. Each year it is astonishing that a small percentage of faulty oils are submitted for judging and surprising that their makers understand so little about the product they are producing.

Home cooks and chefs in my acquaintance love the robust extremely feisty and bitter oils, oils which have their own judging category but they are oils that I personally don’t like and don’t use. My cooking is produce driven and I do not want the oil to override the flavour of that produce. Also, whilst a lot of my cooking is Asian and Chinese, my first love remains the French kitchen and I often cook with a mix of EVOO and butter. One those few occasions where I want the excellence of the olive oil to be at the forefront like for instance with a carpaccio or a simple green salad that will be dressed with nothing more than the best EVOO and a quality vinegar or lemon juice I am going to use the very best oil I can find.