My favorite thing about working with such a prestigious grouping of olive oils on a daily basis is revealing to guests how unique in flavor each oil is. They respectively compete for most grassy, most peppery, most buttery, most intense. In the midst of so many heavy-hitters, Nicholas Alziari’s olive oil, a perennial favorite from the Provence region of France, immediately stands out for its soothing softness and delicate nuance.

More than that, like so many of my favorite items at the deli, the Alziari oil has a transportive quality. The initial sensation is light and bright with fresh and sweet notes of spring grasses and clover. It quickly conjures up mental imagery of Provence: warming sunshine, vast stretches of lavender and field upon field of sunflowers. Next I imagine relaxing with friends in a shady olive grove dining on salad nicoise drizzled with olive oil and loaves of crusty french bread and plates pooled with olive oil for dipping. The colorful, floral tins (reminscent of the beautiful provincal table linens) in which Alziari packages their oil visually completes this fantasy of the French countryside. Ahhhhhhhhhh…