How to Become an Olive Oil Sommelier

Olive oil is precious and “Everyone claims to know how to taste olive oil, but in the end, many do not know how to use it or even sell it,” says Sonia Parodi, a representative of Italy’s Institute for Research and Enhancement of Agri-Food and Environmental Excellence (IRVEA). Filling the education gap are professionals, namely olive oil sommeliers.

What Do Olive Oil Sommeliers Do?

Susana Romera

Olive oil sommeliers serve the same purpose as wine sommeliers. They’re product educators, quality enforcers, cheerleaders, and guides, understanding the properties of each variety of olive and how terroir impacts product. But rather than consulting with diners tableside at a restaurant, “We focus on the olive oil sector, rather than on the end consumer,” says Susana Romera, director of Spain’s Escuela Superior del Acieto de Oliva (ESAO).

ESAO has graduated 1,200 students since it began its olive oil sommelier training and certification programming in 2012. Romera wishes they’d started even earlier. She sees a real need for this emerging field. “Sometimes entrepreneurs launch themselves to create a brand. Then they realize that they do not know the quality of what they are going to package. Training has helped them to stop, reflect, professionalize and be able to decide with solid criteria.”

“As an industry leader, it is critical to understand our product in-depth,” says Carla Gil, International Marketing Director at Asecur. The Spanish company has been in existence since 1840, but their product has global reach, and every country has their own particularities in terms of olive oil qualities, flavors.” Pure extra virgin olive oil can taste peppery, grassy, vegetal, even fruity. That’s where having a certified olive oil sommelier on board pays off. Asecur’s internal team of olive oil sommeliers “assists the commercial team in all these processes by advising customers and picking the right varieties.”

“We have a lot to do to inform customers, to let them understand the difference between good olive oil and bad olive oil,” says Aldo Mazzini, director and founder of Italy’s Masters of Olive Oil Academy (MOOOIC). Meet olive oil sommelier Emily Lycopolus.

Olive Oil Sommelier Programs

Aldo Mazzini tasting olive oil

Mazzini shares, "Nowadays, passionate and professional individuals have a great selection of trainers and schools to begin their journey into understanding the secrets of olive oil. I always recommend looking for schools led by trainers who are not only experienced professionals in the olive oil industry but are also officially recognized as Panel Leaders by the International Olive Council (IOC) and/or MASAF (the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests)). This ensures that students receive training in accordance with IOC international standards, guaranteeing both quality and credibility."

While the MOOOIC program is open to olive oil enthusiasts, Mazzini says it offers the greatest benefit for “someone who is going to know the market, for people in foodservice — importers, distributors, producers, chefs and restaurateurs, and hotel, restaurant, and café/catering operators and category managers.”

Olive Oil Sommelier Curriculum

Earning olive oil sommelier certification from MOOO Academy and other accredited academies may take up to two years. The curriculum follows the olive from tree to bottle —

Collected olives photo credit Acesur

·      Growing


·      Harvesting


·      Classification


·      Criteria


·      Milling


·      Cold pressing and other means of production


·      Understanding olive oil’s complex chemical compounds, including polyphenols, the anti-inflammatory phytonutrients


·      Tasting


·      Gastronomical application — using olive oil in the kitchen and at the table

 Some academies also offer internships at International Olive Oil Council-approved companies.

“It’s one thing to want to know how a tasting works and to know the qualities of the oils and another is to want to be a sommelier,” says ESAO’s Romera. “In this second case, it is important to get to know the olive oil sector in a more global way.”

Sommelier certification makes good business sense, but for Italy, Spain, and other olive-producing regions, it’s about more than that. Olive oil is what drives the economy. It’s liquid gold flowing through the cuisine and the culture. It’s what brings people together at the table. It’s a national point of pride. Olive oil is so vital, Rome’s ITS Academy Agroalimentare Foundation just launched its own olive oil sommelier training, offering free tuition for a select few students ready to dedicate themselves to careers in the olive oil sector.

Accredited academies are located in Tuscany, Spain, Tunisia, Australia and other olive- producing regions, offering students the win-win of immersive study from olive groves to olive mills and the opportunity to enjoy locales rich in romance and appeal. More than that, though, the classes are limited in size from 20 to 25 students and provide opportunities for students to connect with other industry professionals.

Bending to the needs of a global market, ESAO and MOOO Academy offer online training as well. IRVEA, by design, does not. “Offering online courses does not provide or guarantee the same standard of evaluation to all tasters,” says Parodi. “Sensory abilities and sensitivities will differ, which is not in line with the ISO/COI standards.”

Olive Oil Tasting

Olive oil tasting glasses

Sensory ability is one part of being great olive oil sommelier that can’t be taught. Most academies assess students’ natural acumen to discern olive oil’s subtle flavor notes and nuances before accepting them into the program. At ESAO, “certification also includes a subsequent monthly follow-up in cupping training.”

In an olive oil tasting, otherwise known as cupping, tasters sample olive oils in small cups, warming and covering the cups with their hands then removing to reveal the olive oil’s volatile oils and aromatic properties. While a tasting can be a mindblowing experience, “You do not become an oil expert after one tasting course,” says IRVEA’s Parodi. “It requires exercise and constant practice.”

Certified sommeliers come away trained to understand olive oil’s chemicals, temperatures, and enzymes, shares Mazzini, adding, “The most satisfying part is creating new experts, inviting people to fall in love with olive oil.”

“To achieve success, of course, passion must be your engine,” says Parodi. “Passion, a desire to learn and the courage to persevere.” Which sounds like good advice for just about any career.