A ‘buttery’ mouthfeel or ‘meadow grass’ notes? How Australian olive oils rank against other supermarket options

Consumer advocacy group Choice has taste tested 30 supermarket extra-virgin olive oils, and found some Australian-made oils rank higher than those imported from Italy and Spain. “A lot of Australians are after local products, and there are a lot of Australian olive oil makers that have built quite a good reputation,” Pru Engel, Choice audience and engagement editor, said. Australian label Cobram Extra Virgin Classic – one of the more expensive products on the list at $25 – landed third place with a score of 80, and was described as having “fruity herbaceous aromas” with a “buttery” mouthfeel by testers. The top spot went to Italian brand Monini Classico extra virgin olive oil with a score of 88%. Costing $2.93 per 100mL and $22 for a 750mL bottle, testers described it as an “elegant and abundant oil”. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The second-best went to another Italian brand, Villa Rossi Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Testers noted it has a “good length of persistence with balanced bitterness and pungency”, though the product was the most expensive oil in the lineup with a price tag of $35 for a one-litre bottle, or $3.50 per 100mL. The average price of recommended oils sits at roughly $22 rank. Woolworths Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil was named Choice’s best value pick, with a score of 78, and priced at $9 per 500mL bottle, or $1.80 per 100mL. …