Olive oil tasting in Cortona

Most people can tell a bad wine from a good one. Very few can do the same with olive oil — despite using it every day. This experience changes that in ninety minutes.

It takes place on the hillsides above Cortona, where the Frantoio olive — one of Tuscany's finest cultivars — grows in ideal conditions between Lake Trasimeno and the Valdichiana. The session starts in the grove itself: an expert explains the olive tree's annual cycle, the differences between varieties, how the right harvest moment is identified, and what happens in the hours immediately after picking. Then comes the tasting: colour, aroma, bitterness, pungency, defects — the same parameters used by professional tasting panels, explained in a way that actually makes sense.

Perfect for food lovers, slow travellers, and anyone who wants to go home with a more educated palate.