FAQs
Olive Oil
What is extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is juice from fresh olives. The olives are crushed and the oil is extracted from this paste using a centrifuge or press. No heat or chemicals are used in the process of extraction. Extra virgin olive oil has a distinctive olive fruity aroma and flavour and contains natural antioxidants. The aroma and flavour of extra virgin olive oil add complementary flavours to a wide variety of dishes.
Is Goldi olive oil certified organic or biodynamic?
Our olive groves are not certified organic or biodynamic due to being a family-owned operation and the costly and lengthy certification process. However, we don't use herbicides or pesticides on our olives and are committed to producing and sourcing real, whole foods without the use of harsh chemicals. We also pride ourselves on sustainability and have sheep and kangaroos doing most of our weeding.
Is your olive oil vegan?
Absolutely. All of our oils are vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free.
Do olive oils labelled "light" have less calories?
Oils that are labelled "pure" and "light" (or anything not explicitly labelled as "extra virgin") are olive oils that have been refined. Refining is a different process that involves the use of acids, alkalis, steam and other agents. The refining process removes all of the aroma and flavour substances from the olive, including its natural antioxidants. These oils lack the aroma, flavour and any form of bitterness and pepperiness (which are the flavours of the oil's antioxidants and a sign that the olive oil is, indeed, "extra virgin"). The word "light" describes the colour, aroma and flavour of these oils.
What is the smoke point of EVOO?
EVOO is stable at temperatures up to 220°C. This makes it very versatile for any of your cooking needs, including baking and frying. Generally, the fresher the oil is the more stable it is at higher temperatures.
Can I fry things with extra virgin olive oil?
In short - yes!!
It's a common misconception that olive oil smokes at a low temperature.
However, it is a fact that the lower the free fatty acidity (FFA), the higher the temperature at which the oil will begin to smoke. This is why it's important to buy the best quality oils you can find.
How long does Goldi EVOO last? When does it expire?
From harvest, our EVOO lasts two years from the expiration date. For example, if the harvest date is April 2022, the expiry date will be April 2024. Remember: the fresher the olive oil, the better it will taste and the more stable it will be when cooking.
How do I know my olive oil is fresh?
You can guarantee the freshness of any oil by looking at the harvest date, expiration date (or “best by” date), and the origin of the oil. Oftentimes, many oils may be produced in one country but packaged in another, which makes it challenging to guarantee its freshness or that the oil hasn’t been mixed or diluted (especially as many countries have varying food quality and labelling standards). This is why we highly recommend getting educated about how to read food labels and always looking for these three components on any olive oil bottle to make discerning food purchases.
What is the best way to store extra virgin olive oil?
In a cool, dark environment. A dark bottle protects oil flavour and retains health benefits for a longer period of time. Olive oils will become rancid faster if stored in a warm, well-lit environment. Light also hastens the loss of the health-giving, vitamin E compound tocopherol.
What are the health benefits of high monounsaturated fat levels in olive oil?
The major monounsaturated fat in olive oils is oleic acid, also known as omega-9. It also contains linoleic acid, an omega-3 which is an essential fatty acid that is crucial to obtain from the diet.
Some sunflower or canola oils contain high levels of oleic acid. However, these don’t have any flavour, aroma or health-giving antioxidants as they are refined (processed with heat). Extra virgin olive oil is the only high monounsaturated oil that makes your food taste better.
Olive oil also naturally contains plant sterols believed to lower bad LDL cholesterol levels and be heart-healthy.
What is “cold-pressed”?
“Cold-pressed” signifies the process used to create extra virgin olive oil, in which minimal heat is used to ensure high-quality oil that retains nutrients and its smoke point. Read more about what “cold-pressed” means here.
Why are some olive oils green (and some not)?
The green colour signifies higher levels of chlorophyll in the oil. Although we love the green hue, the colour often does not last and does not impact the quality of the oil. In other words - we guarantee your Goldi oil will be delicious and nutritious - no matter what colour it is!
**What is the bitter or peppery taste in my olive oil?**
Extra virgin olive oil contains antioxidants, such as polyphenols and tocopherol, which are responsible for the bitter or pungent taste in the oil. The presence of this taste is one of the indicators of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
What awards has your olive oil won? Where has it been recognised?
Our farm has been recognised internationally and has received the following awards:
- Marco Mugelli Award for "Best of the Best"
- Best in Show, Los Angeles Olive Oil Competition
- Best in Class, AOA Awards
- Gold Medal, New York IOOC
Balsamic Vinegar
How should I use balsamic vinegar?
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is meant to be used as an everyday vinegar for dressing salads, marinades or glazes. Check out our recipes for ideas.
How is balsamic vinegar of Modena made?
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has specific regulations to comply with the registered protected geographical indication in Europe and can only be made with the following ingredients:
- Grape must
- Wine vinegar
- Natural caramel (made by cooking sugar) for colour
The grape "must '' needs to come from grapes grown in the Emilio Romana Region in Italy, and the wine vinegar must be produced and bottled by qualified producers in the Modena region.
It is then aged for a minimum of 2 months in wooden barrels to pick up extra flavour.
How should I store balsamic vinegar?
Like any vinegar, you should keep it in a cool, dry cupboard away from light, and you should store it with the cap on. We don’t have a "best before" date as balsamic vinegar doesn't go bad easily. Like wine, it improves with age. However, once bottled, the ageing process stops so the vinegar will not age (or develop its flavours) further, but also will not spoil.
Is your vinegar aged?
Our current Aceto balsamic vinegar has been aged over ten years, since 2012, on our family farm. Ageing the vinegar this long ensures that the sharp taste of vinegar subsides, leaving a sweet and smooth flavour on your palette.
Do you import your balsamic vinegar?
Our Aceto balsamic is Certified Balsamic of Modena. Modena, Italy is the traditional region for balsamic vinegar.
Is your balsamic vinegar certified organic or biodynamic?
No, our partner farm is not certified organic or biodynamic due to being a family-owned operation and the costly and lengthy certification process. However, they don't use herbicides or pesticides in their process and are committed to producing and sourcing real, whole foods without the use of harsh chemicals.
Is Goldi’s Aceto vingear vegan?
All of our vinegars are vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free.
Production, Traceability & Source
What does “single origin” mean?
“Single origin” and “single estate” are interchangeable and mean the oil has come from a single farm or grove. Both terms also signify the oil has been through the shortest supply chain possible - meaning the oil hasn’t passed through multiple parties and has had fewer opportunities to be mixed, repackaged or diluted. At Goldi, we grow, process and package our oil on site to guarantee freshness, deliciousness and traceability.
Why is single estate important?
The short answer: as a single estate producer, we fully control each part of the process, from growing our trees, picking and pressing the olives, to packaging each bottle ourselves.
One of the most important factors in making high-quality olive oil is the time between picking the olive and extracting the oil. The more hours that go by, the greater the probability the oil produced will have a bad flavour. The oil defects that can be caused from delays in harvesting are called fusty, musty and winey. As a single estate producer, we fully control this process as the olives don’t need to be transported off-site to another processor. We generally process within four hours of the olives coming off the trees to ensure a fresh flavour and aroma of our oils.
Where is your olive oil made?
We grow, process and package our olive oil in the heart of the Goulbourn Valley, Victoria. We are proudly Aussie-owned and operated!
I was told the best olive oil comes from Europe…so why should I buy Australian oil?
You should buy Australian for a few reasons:
1. Australia, particularly the southeastern regions, has the perfect climate, soil and conditions to produce high-quality EVOO. These factors, along with how we process our olives (quickly after harvest), our family’s decades’ experience in the olive oil industry and international recognition, mean your olive oil is legit.
2. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the governmental body which determines food standards in Australia, has some of the strictest quality standards in the world. What this means in the olive oil industry is that companies can’t get away with diluting their oils or mislabelling the ingredients. Some non-Aussie brands are notorious for this, for example, adding only a small amount of extra virgin oil (or using non-olive oils altogether!) but claiming the product to be EVOO.
3. Our harvest and expiration dates are always clearly listed on our bottles so you know how fresh the oil is without guessing. Because the global demand for olive oil has increased, some countries allow their olive oil to be mixed from other countries where food standards are lower or virtually non-existent. This simply doesn’t happen in Australia due to the stringent food practices and standards that exist.
4. Your oil has travelled significantly less to reach you. Fewer kilometres = lower carbon footprint and more reliability when it comes to tracing the oil’s ingredients and supply chain.
5. Buying local means you are supporting the Australian economy and giving back to the land and people. We firmly believe shopping local helps cultivate stronger community ties and resilience. At Goldi, we are committed to initiatives like 1% for the Planet as a way of giving back.
Do your products come in glass or plastic? Are the bottles recyclable?
Our bottles are made from tinted glass to protect the EVOO from light and are recyclable. Many of our customers also choose to upcycle their bottles, using them as a vase for flowers, storage or as decorative pieces in the kitchen. You can also continue to reuse the Goldi Pourer for your future EVOO purchases.
Glass containers are a preferred storage method for EVOO because most plastics contain harsh chemicals that become reactive with olive oil. Plastic is also not always recyclable, and the source of the plastic container cannot be guaranteed to be BPA-free.
Wholesale
Do you offer wholesale orders?
Yes! Please contact hi@tastegoldi.com for more information with “Wholesale Order Enquiry” in the subject.
Can I gift a Goldi product or subscription?
Yes! When you checkout, please put that it is a gift in the “Notes” section. Include the name, address and email of the person you are gifting the order to.
Do you sell bigger bottles, bulk containers or tins?
Yes! We have a 3L tin option available online. If you are looking for bulk, corporate or wholesale orders, please email hi@tastegoldi.com.
Orders & Shipping
How long will it take for Goldi to arrive?
Your Goldi order will be dispatched within 24-48 hours; we are so excited for you to receive your oil! Orders should arrive within 3-5 days. However, please allow a little extra shipping time for delivery to regional areas.
When we send out your Goldi order you will receive an email with a tracking number. With this, you can watch your delivery all the way from us to your doorstep.
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping is a flat rate of $7.50 within Australia and free for orders over $50 in value (or orders that include our Taster Trio). Free shipping is also available for every subscription over $50 in value.
Do you ship outside of Australia?
We currently only ship within Australia. However, if you’re overseas and would love to try Goldi, please send us a DM on Instagram at @tastegoldi with your location. We are keen to hear from you and hope to one day expand internationally!
What forms of payment do you accept?
We currently accept credit cards, Shop Pay, PayPal, Afterpay & GPay payments.
Do you accept Afterpay?
Yes!
Returns & Exchanges
Do you offer returns or exchanges?
Please see our Refund Policy.
Subscription
What are the benefits of a subscription?
With a Goldi subscription, you save 15% off your purchase and ensure you always have your pantry essentials stocked. You can cancel, pause and update the frequency of your subscription at any time.
Do you offer your Aceto vinegar as part of a subscription?
Yes! You can order our Aceto balsamic vinegar on its own or as part of our bundles (such as the Taster Trio or Gift Pack).
Get Involved
I’m a chef, food blogger, content creator or olive oil enthusiast. How can I contribute to Goldi?
We would love to hear from you!! Please send us a DM via our Instagram account @tastegoldi with your ideas for collaboration. You can also email us at marketing@tastegoldi.com.
Do you have stockists?
We are currently building our list of stockists. If you are interested in stocking Goldi, please email hi@tastegoldi.com.
Other Questions
Are you adding more Goldi products or oil flavours soon?
We are in the process of developing new products and oils to be released in 2023. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about our new products!
Where else can I find Goldi?
You can currently find Goldi at farmer’s markets and food events in Victoria. To stay up to date, sign up for our newsletter and follow @tastegoldi on social media for market & event announcements. We’d love to meet you in person!
I have another question; who can I contact?
We’d love to hear from you if you have a query, comment or question. Please contact hi@tastegoldi.com, and we will get back to you within 3-5 business days.