Pinzimolio Olive Oil

Unfiltered olive oil for cold dishes

Calvi Pinzimolio is an unfiltered extra virgin olive oil from Liguria, a blend of early-harvest Taggiasca and Ogliarola olives. Fruity and green, slightly tart, with a gentle piquancy. Made for cold dishes, not for frying.

Pinzimolio olive oil is a medium-fruity, unfiltered olive oil from Olio Calvi in Liguria, made from 100 percent Ligurian olives, derived from the mild Taggiasca and the more robust Ogliarola. Unlike the family’s mild signature oil, it is young, green, and herbaceous, packaged in a nostalgic swing-top bottle with a pourer that you won't want to part with after the first use.

Fruity, spicy, grassy from the very first drop

Pinzimolio has the fresh aroma of green herbs, freshly mown meadows, and green almonds, just as only an oil from early-harvested olives can. On the palate, a fruity-green taste follows, with soft bitter notes and a light, lively spiciness on the finish.

It is harvested before reaching full maturity, and that is exactly what you taste: the greener the olive, the more spice, bite, and fresh bitterness it brings to the oil. Pinzimolio is therefore not a reserved companion, but one that makes its presence known and adds character to a simple dish. Because it is bottled unfiltered, it may appear a little cloudy in the bottle; that is all part of its charm.

Raw with vegetables, salad, and bread

Pinzimolio owes its name to "pinzimonio," a classic Italian appetizer: crisp raw vegetables dipped in an emulsion of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. These four ingredients are all you need for a great start.

This is how it tastes most intense, with strips of carrots, fennel, celery, and cucumber, accompanied by a small bowl of Pinzimolio with a pinch of salt. It is equally good drizzled over colorful mixed salads, grilled vegetables, or simply on a slice of warm bread.

It also shows what it is capable of at the very last moment when drizzled over a warm tomato soup or white beans with red onion and parsley. Because it is unfiltered, it belongs in cold dishes and not in a hot pan; for frying and sautéing, it is better to use the mild Mosto Oro from the same producer. That way, the two oils complement each other perfectly.

Ligurian oil craftsmanship from the Calvi family since 1919

Behind Pinzimolio is the house of Olio Calvi in Imperia-Oneglia on the Ligurian Riviera, where Giuseppe Calvi began his oil craft in 1919. The family became known for their single-variety Taggiasca oil, which became famous in the 1970s in its golden bottle, but this vibrant blend has long since found its own fans.

"An oil is allowed to have character," emphasizes Luca, who has been with the family business since 2007 and now runs it with his brother Gianni in the third generation. For Pinzimolio, the mild Taggiasca and the more robust Ogliarola are combined, harvested early, and bottled unfiltered. The less an oil is filtered, the more of its aromas and fine particles are preserved, and these are exactly what create its fruity-green character.

This is how an unfiltered olive oil like this remains honest and authentic, with everything the olive naturally provides. You get Pinzimolio in a 500 ml swing-top bottle, which can live on as a small carafe on your table after it is empty—a lovely piece of kitchenware that stays with you.

You can find more Ligurian treasures in our Olio Calvi collection, and those who enjoy comparing oils, from mild to robust, will find what they are looking for in our olive oil selection. Once tried, it will earn a permanent spot on your shelf.