FAQ

I've been getting a steady stream of questions lately about this blog, so I figured now's the time to post an FAQ for ya'all. If I didn't answer your question, shoot me an email to the address below. Here goes:

Who writes "ILoveOliveOilBlog.com"?

Me, Costas. I am a writer and olive oil afficionado based in Baltimore. I grew up in a Greek family that cooked with copious amounts of extra virgin olive oil -- which usually came from my family's farms in southern Greece. I even spent a harvest season in Greece harvesting olives and making oil with my grandparents.

What is "ILoveOliveOilBlog.com" about? What's the point?

There's a lot of diversity in the world of olive oil. I wanted to learn more about it, and share my knowledge with others. There are few truly independent websites out there that highlight and review olive oils, or cover emerging trends pertaining to olive oil, particularly in the United States. The demand for olive oil in the U.S. continues to rise -- and we'll be seeing a lot more different, unique and special oils available to all of us. One of my hopes is that this blog can be a spot where producers and consumers can engage in conversation about olive oil.

You write "independent reviews"? What does that mean?

It means that I am not compensated for the reviews and tasting notes that I write about specific olive oils. Olive oil producers and marketers can ship samples to my address:

Costas The Greek
P.O. Box 33217
Baltimore, MD 21218
(Note: FedEx or UPS won't deliver to P.O. boxes, so use your regular Postal Service.)

I will write reviews and tasting notes for samples sent to me, and categorize them by country of origin (or by U.S. state). I am constantly seeking new oils to taste, from different countries. I lean toward finding smaller, artisanal makers of olive oil, and highlighting them every chance I get. But, at the end of the day, this is an equal opportunity blog for olive oil.

If I make olive oil and/or sell olive oil, would "ILoveOliveOilBlog.com" want to hear from me?

Yes! One of my goals is to organize information about olive oil and related trends in the U.S. and abroad. I want to hear from producers and marketers about their experiences and efforts. Send me your press releases. Let me know if you've got a great, new, different oil that you're introducing. And, I encourage people and producers to post olive oil-related photos to our dedicated Flickr page, at www.flickr.com/groups/oliveoil. If you've got vacation photos from your trip to Tuscany's olive oil country, post 'em! If you're a producer who took some photos of your olives getting pressed into olive oil, please....share them, too!

Do you sell advertising on "ILoveOliveOilBlog.com"?

At the moment, the advertisements are being served up independently by Google's AdSense program. I have no control over which ads appear on my blog, but they generally seem to be related to olive oil. If you are interested in advertising on my blog, please contact me directly at costasthegreek(at)gmail(dot)com.

Are you affiliated with any company or organization?

Absolutely not. I am an independent writer, and not a marketing arm of any company or organization.

What do you think are the most unique features of "ILoveOliveOilBlog.com"?

1. The independent reviews.
2. Useful information (i.e. list of stores that sell fresh olive oil)
3. Introduction to rare olive oils
4. Behind-the-scenes photos, interviews and video of olive oil-related news.
5. Have you seen my cool interactive map of olive oil makers that I update regularly?

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(Photo courtesy of Paul Furman. Taken in Platanos, Greece, in Nov. 2006, of a just-harvested olive tree on my grandfather's farm.)