SOMM IN THE GROVE
I’m a certified Olive Oil Sommelier (2024), but this story started long before the certification.
Years of traveling through Italy and Spain shaped the way I eat, drink, and feel. I always felt better abroad—lighter, healthier, more connected to the table. I’d come home with bottles of olive oil tucked into my suitcase, savoring every last drop, wondering why what tasted so alive there felt so hard to find in the U.S.
I kept asking questions:
Why are so many oils on shelves already expired?
Why do so many taste “oily” or flat?
How do you know which ones actually contain high polyphenols?
Why isn’t olive oil treated with the same respect as wine?
As a wine sommelier, I’m trained to think in varietals, terroir, harvest dates, and food pairings. Once I applied that same lens to true extra virgin olive oil, everything clicked. Olive oil—real olive oil—is just as nuanced, intentional, and expressive as wine.
Polyphenols don’t just add health benefits; they add bitterness, spice, structure, and complexity. They influence how an oil behaves with food, how it complements wine, and how it fits into everyday life beyond a drizzle on salad.
Somm in the Grove was born from pure passion.
A focus on single varietals and thoughtfully crafted blends.
Small producers who don’t cut corners.
Fresh harvests, honest labeling, and oils made with care from grove to bottle.
This is a labor of love, like wine.
And my goal is simple: to show how truly great extra virgin olive oil can be seamlessly woven into daily cooking, pairing, and living, without intimidation, shortcuts, or compromise.
ABOUT THE OILS
Somm in the Grove is a private-label olive oil project sourcing from Toledo, Spain and Puglia, Italy: regions known for producing some of the world’s most expressive and polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oils.
My focus is on single varietals and thoughtfully crafted blends that go far beyond the traditional drizzle. These are oils designed to work in food, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, baking, infusions, and everyday cooking, while still honoring varietal character and balance.
At the heart of Somm in the Grove is a commitment to the growers. Many exceptional farmers produce extraordinary olive oil but don’t have the infrastructure or desire to build consumer brands. I partner with these small producers, true growers and stewards of the land, purchasing their high-quality oils and bottling them under the Somm in the Grove label, ensuring their work reaches tables that value freshness, integrity, and craftsmanship.
This project exists to show what polyphenols can do—not just for health, but for flavor, structure, and pairing, and to elevate olive oil to the same thoughtful space wine has long occupied.
We are always exploring new harvests and collaborations.
For questions, partnerships, or sourcing opportunities, please reach out via our Contact Page.
Welcome to the grove. 🌿