All About Olio Nuovo, the Best Olive Oil You’ll Ever Taste

Every year, olive oil producers across Italy look forward to one special moment: the day the olio nuovo is ready. At the beginning of the olive season each year, growers harvest a small portion of their precious crops and press it into this “new oil,” the most exuberant and flavorful expression of their art. Its arrival is celebrated with festivals across the country—and it’s happening right now with the arrival of our very first Giadzy olio nuovo. 

As the name suggests, olio nuovo is the freshest olive oil you can buy, pressed from the first olives to be harvested and rushed into bottles to be enjoyed as soon as possible. Because the olives used to make olio nuovo are a little greener than usual, the flavor of the oil is more lively and intense, making it a must-taste for olive oil connoisseurs. The compounds that create that addictive flavor just happen to be the polyphenols that make olive oil so good for you—it’s a win-win that more flavor equals a more nutritious oil! 

But that good-for-you quality isn’t the only reason olio nuovo is so beloved. Centuries ago, everyday Italians ate according to the seasons, making the most of the foods that were growing around them at every moment of the year. As the fall came around and the previous year’s olive oil stocks ran low, the first olives from the new crop appeared, signaling another year of golden bounty ahead. Harvesting and immediately pressing some of those long-awaited olives was not just a way to restock sooner, but to celebrate the season’s cycles. The rest of the olives and their oil would eventually be enjoyed all year long, but the vibrant olio nuovo could only be experienced in that special moment in time. 

In olive-growing regions across Italy, from northern Liguria to sunny Tuscany, sagre (harvest festivals) are still held to celebrate the annual arrival of the olio nuovo. Depending on the year’s growing conditions, the oil may be ready in late fall or winter, and local sagre are marked with music, games, and plenty of deliciously oil-dappled bruschetta. In many places, this is the last harvest festival to be enjoyed before the cold hibernation of winter, and locals find extra joy in olive oil’s warm golden glow.

This year, our own olio nuovo is arriving now from the stunning coast of Liguria, where a mild growing season created the perfect conditions for a truly exceptional olive oil. This special selection is crafted from an early harvest of the same native taggiasca olives used to make our best-selling gold-wrapped Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They’re cold-pressed right after harvest and the oil is unfiltered to capture the freshest, most complex flavor. You’ll taste more fruity nuance and sweetness in this special batch of olio nuovo than in our standard Giadzy olive oil, but it remains balanced and never tongue-tinglingly spicy like some other oils.  

Giadzy’s olio nuovo is arriving now in extremely limited quantities. Catch this special moment for yourself and enjoy it quickly, as its unique flavor will mellow over time. Drizzle this precious oil on with joyful abandon: over warming soups, simple pastas, and, of course, directly over fresh, crusty bread. With limited quantities of this golden elixir available, it’s cause for celebration!