Until 2013, when on a whim I bought two 250ml bottles of San Miguel EVOO http://www.sanmiguelolivefarm.com/purchase.html, a California artisenal small-batch EVOO producer and seller, I had been an unabashed but bamboozled consumer of mass-market olive oils, secure in my belief that those found on American grocery store shelves were the real deal; but, and Michael has described the taste so well, a few drops of fresh premium EVOO and I was disabused. Don't be surprised if your first taste of great EVOO seems strange: I thought that I had received a bad batch. While it is nothing like mass-produced olive oil, in short time you will likely find yourself enthralled by its qualities and come to understand that there is little propinquity between proper EVOO and the swill commonly available. Regrettably, I didn't buy sufficient stock of good oil this season, so I'm excited at the approaching release date of the 2014/2015 oils. Do note the bottle label: you should have this information available to you.
Since my epicurean epiphany
I have limited my purchases of premium EVOO to small California producers. The rampant fraud reported in European olive oil markets seems too perilous to negotiate. Surely, the U.S. has its share of fraudulent operations, as well, but somehow it seems easier to detect our own rats.Enjoy!