Flos Olei, the “olive flower”

Marco Oreggia will present the new edition of his world guide to extra-virgin olive, Flos Olei which is Latin for ‘the olive flower’, on the afternoon of December 10 at Rome’s Westin Excelsior Hotel on Via Veneto.

I have known Marco for over 30 years, since we were very young and worked together at his father Gabriele’s restaurant, the legendary Girone VI on via Monterone. We then collaborated together for years at Gambero Rosso and today you can read his splendid column on extra-virgin olive oil on DoctorWine. Over the years he became an excellent wine taster and a certified agricultural expert but more and more the world of extra-virgin olive oil became his passion. Today I consider him to be the leading world expert on the subject and his guide is nothing less than extraordinary. In it he analyses the best oils in the world, from over 30 countries, with a precision rarely found in publications dealing with foods. Above all his observations stand out for their brilliance and transparency, something rare in this sector.

I hope I have been able to at least in part express my enthusiasm for Marco’s expertise and his guide. As is the case with our Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine, his guide is not easily found in bookstores. In both cases this is due to a shared desire to keep the retail price down by avoiding an often unpleasant and inefficient distribution system. And this is the only way small publishers can survive. You can acquire Marco’s unmissable guide through his website, www.marco-oreggia.com. If you are seeking honest and sensible information about the world of olive oil, I strongly recommend you order a copy.