FAQ
Purchases and Orders
Do I need to register to buy products on the website?
No, registration is not required. You can place an order by entering only the details needed for delivery of the shipment. If you prefer, you can still register to receive updates and information about the latest news.
How can I buy products from Frantoio Oleario Pace?
You can buy products directly on the website, or call +39 0971 644111. Alternatively you can send an email to ordini@oliopace.it.
I need to update my registration details. How can I do that?
You can log in to your personal area on the Olio Pace website: in that section you will be able to view and edit the details you entered.
Payments and Shipping
Which payment methods do you accept for online orders?
You can pay by credit card or bank transfer (secure payments). Alternatively you can pay on delivery, with no cash-on-delivery charge.
What is the shipping cost for my order?
Shipping is always free for all orders over €50.
What happens if the courier finds no one at home at the time of delivery?
The courier leaves a delivery notice and tries again the following day. You can track the shipment through the parcel tracking system and contact the courier directly to arrange a different time.
Returns and Support
I have changed my mind about a product. Can I return it?
Yes. The "satisfied or refunded" guarantee is valid for 18 months from purchase on all unconsumed products.
How can I make a return?
Call +39 0971 644111 stating the reason for the return request. Customer service will contact the courier to arrange the collection, at no additional cost.
How can I contact customer service?
Customer service is available Monday to Friday, 9:30–19:00, on +39 0971 644111, or by email at info@oliopace.it.
How Oil Is Made: the Production Process
What are the stages of olive oil production?
The process has 5 stages:
- Harvesting – by hand (brucatura, picking), mechanically with shakers (scuotitura) or by beating the trees with poles (bacchiatura); the first two methods are best for the quality of the final product.
- Washing and crushing – the olives are weighed, de-leafed, washed and crushed with the millstone within a maximum of 24 hours of harvest, to release the cell juices and the oil.
- Malaxation – the olive paste is mixed cold (no higher than 27 °C) to separate the oil from the water, preserving its organoleptic and chemical characteristics.
- Extraction – the paste goes through the decanter, which separates the oil from the pomace (the solid component) and the water.
- Storage – the extracted oil is kept in stainless steel silos before packaging.
To obtain a high-quality oil, all stages must take place within 24 hours of harvest.
What is pomace?
It is a by-product of the extraction process, made up of the fruit skins, residues of the pulp and fragments of stone, from which it is still possible to extract residual oil.
Olive Oil Categories and Classification
What are the categories of olive oil according to acidity?
Virgin oils are classified according to free acidity (expressed as oleic acid):
- Extra virgin olive oil: maximum acidity 0.8 g per 100 g.
- Virgin olive oil: maximum acidity 2 g per 100 g.
- Lampante olive oil: acidity above 2 g per 100 g (not edible, to be refined).
- Refined olive oil: obtained from the refining of virgin oil, maximum acidity 0.3 g per 100 g.
- Olive oil (a blend of refined and virgin oils): maximum acidity 1 g per 100 g.
- Crude olive pomace oil: obtained from the pomace using solvents or physical processes.
Virgin olive oils are obtained from the fruit of the olive tree only by mechanical or physical processes that do not alter the oil, with no treatments other than washing, decanting, centrifugation and filtration.
What is the difference between extra virgin oil and olive oil?
Extra virgin oil is obtained directly from olives by mechanical processes, has a maximum acidity of 0.8% and must show no defects (median of defects equal to zero), with at least a minimum intensity of fruitiness. Olive oil, on the other hand, is a blend of refined olive oil (obtained by refining lampante virgin oil, which is not edible) and virgin oil, with an acidity that cannot exceed 1 g per 100 g.
What is the acidity of oil and what does it indicate?
Acidity indicates the percentage of free fatty acids (expressed in g of oleic acid) contained in 100 g of oil. It cannot be perceived by taste, only through laboratory analysis, and is a quality indicator: generally, the lower the acidity, the better the quality. However, low acidity does not automatically guarantee a good flavour: for this reason a tasting by expert tasters is also necessary.
What do "first cold pressing" and "cold extracted" mean?
According to EC Reg. 1019/2002, virgin and extra virgin oils may carry these wordings on the label (all virgin oils, except olive oil and pomace oil, are first extraction):
- First cold pressing: oil obtained below 27 °C by a first mechanical pressing of the olive paste, using hydraulic presses (traditional system).
- Cold extracted: oil obtained below 27 °C by percolation or centrifugation of the olive paste, with modern equipment.
The difference between the two wordings concerns only the extraction/separation system (oil-water-pomace); in both cases the temperature must stay below 27 °C to best preserve the aromatic substances. Raising the extraction temperature yields more oil, but worsens its chemical characteristics and sensory profile, enhancing sweet notes at the expense of fruitiness and vegetal hints.
Quality and Sensory Evaluation
How is the quality of an extra virgin oil assessed?
A tasting by expert tasters is needed: a panel of about ten selected and trained tasters taste the oil according to the official method, filling in a sheet separately and independently to establish the presence and intensity of strengths and defects. The average value of the sheets determines the quality level of the oil and its commercial class. However, you don't need to be part of a panel to judge whether an oil is to your liking.
What does the quality of an extra virgin olive oil depend on?
It depends on several factors: the cultivar of the olives used, the farming technique applied, the growing environment, the time of harvest, the processing technology used and the storage method. It is always preferable to consume the oil of the current harvest year, because over time it loses its quality characteristics.
What are the positive sensory attributes of an extra virgin oil?
According to EEC Regulation no. 2568/91, the positive attributes are:
- Fruity: olfactory sensations linked to the olive variety, typical of healthy, fresh fruit (green or ripe).
- Bitter: the characteristic taste of oil obtained from green or turning olives.
- Pungent: a stinging tactile sensation, typical of oils produced at the start of the harvest from still-green olives, perceptible throughout the mouth and particularly in the throat.
What is the "tingle" of oil?
It is the stinging tactile sensation perceived mainly in the throat during tasting: it corresponds to the attribute of pungency, which is not a defect but a positive attribute. It depends both on the phenolic content of the oil (linked to the degree of ripeness of the olives) and on the extraction technology and operating conditions used.
Is colour an indicator of oil quality?
No. Colour can vary across a wide range of shades, from bright green to deep golden straw yellow, depending on the variety of the olives, the ripeness of the fruit and the prevalence of chlorophyll or carotenoids. It is therefore not a reliable indicator of the quality of the product.
What does the taste of an extra virgin olive oil depend on?
It depends on the variety (cultivar) of origin, the degree of ripeness of the fruit at harvest, the geographical area of production and the processing method.
What are the aromatic profiles of oil?
They are a sort of fingerprint of the oil: the aroma is a complex mixture of different compounds and every oil has its own specific bouquet. Depending on the cultivar and geographical origin, every oil offers different olfactory sensations, which may recall, for example, artichoke, almond or tomato.
