Quick Take — Extra virgin olive oil at 3.99 euros a litre: Monini and Coricelli share a whiff of cat wee

Extra virgin olive oil at 3.99 euros a litre: Monini and Coricelli share the same odour (cat’s wee):

“Over the last few days, the same offer has been on. Different brands but effectively the same extra virgin olive oil: Monini at €3.99 per litre at IperCoop and Coricelli at €3.99 per litre at Esselunga.

We’ve put Teatro Naturale ’s accounts in the red and bought both bottles.

Technically, it’s the same oil. The chemical differences in the basic parameters (acidity, peroxides, spectrophotometry) are minimal. From an organoleptic point of view, both reveal the same origin in equal measure: Spain. Personally, I identify this odour (cat wee) as an organoleptic defect caused by overheating.

But let’s get to the question of all questions: are they extra virgin olive oils? Legally, probably yes. Certainly from a chemical point of view. From an organoleptic point of view, given the current rules, it is likely that, even if an Italian panel were to downgrade an oil, a counter-analysis by a Spanish panel would overturn the final result from a legal and administrative standpoint.

The fact remains, incontrovertible: one is as good as the other; Monini’s oil is the same as Coricelli’s…”

Of course, the national production has much more to offer.

Quick Take — Le cantine italiane sono ancora piene di vino in giacenza: 42,6 milioni di ettolitri a fine luglio

La vendemmia 2026 inizia con un grande enigma: dove mettere le nuove uve? Gli stock sono in crescita del 6,9% rispetto allo scorso anno…

È quanto fotografa l’ultimo report di Cantina Italia (elaborato dall’Icqrf sui registri telematici) proprio nei giorni in cui la vendemmia è iniziata in gran parte dello Stivale o inizierà a breve. Con l’arrivo a pieno regime delle uve della nuova raccolta si rischia di accentuare la saturazione degli spazi di stoccaggio, aumentando la pressione commerciale su produttori e consorzi in vista dei prossimi mesi, mentre si aspettano- come per l’olio extravergine-  decisioni nazionali sulla gestione del potenziale vitivinicolo…

Quick Take — The global olive oil market continues to show strong prospects for growth

After reaching a value of $14.86 billion in 2025, the sector is expected to rise to $15.73 billion in 2026, reaching $23.45 billion by 2034, with an average annual growth rate of 5.1 per cent…

Premium and organic oils now account for 27 per cent of total sales, compared with 19 per cent in 2019. This trend is particularly evident in North America and Asian markets, where rising disposable income means consumers are willing to pay a premium of between 20 and 30 per cent for certified, traceable oils that meet high quality standards…

However, these positive prospects must contend with an increasingly complex production environment.

Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall in the Mediterranean basin have led to an estimated reduction in olive yields of between 3 and 5 per cent per year since 2020. This situation makes investment in efficient irrigation systems and the development of cultivars that are more drought-resistant essential…

Quick Take — The Financial Times: “Spanish olive oil is better than Italian olive oil” – but it’s not clear why

In theFinancial Times articleentitled‘Sorry, but Spanish olive oil is far superior to Italian’, written by art expert Igor Ramírez García-Peralta , the opinions are not backed up by any analysis that would explain the basis for this alleged superiority.

The article ends up resembling an advertorial.

Read: The best olive oil on the supermarket shelf is 100% Italian.

Quick Take — Lawyer Dario Dongo comments on the circular concerning the blending of extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil

…In this context, the circular in question – in addition to being inapplicable, unconstitutional and contrary to EU law, for the reasons outlined in the previous paragraph – imposes restrictions on the operations of the Italian olive oil industry which, in the author’s view, have no reasonable justification.

Competitors from other Member States , in strict compliance with EU regulations, will be able to continue to correct the defects in certain virgin olive oils by blending them with extra virgin olive oils and marketing them as such — even in Italy (!) — as the final products do indeed meet the higher quality requirements.

Prohibiting the blending of the two categories of oil is undoubtedly an excellent idea , in the author’s view, for improving the guarantees of the superior quality of extra virgin olive oil. However, this idea must be supported by the European legislator , whose exclusive competence in this sector has been underestimated in both the ECA report and the circular under consideration…