Any recommendations for finding Ligurian olive oils locally?

I tried calling Litteri, but their Italian olive oils are either Tuscan or Southern (Sicily & Apulia).

I now recommend going to T.J. Maxx for those rare hard-to-find items.

One bottle of what is apparently a REALLY good oil produced from Taggiasca olives in Liguria (birthplace of pesto) was on sale at the store in Friendship Heights. Its expiration date is late in 2007 and the price seems to be a bargain.

Dean and DeLuca have an excellent selection of olive oils; second would be Balducci's. Also, don't hesitate to buy these over the internet. Generally, with olive oil you should not even concern yourself with expiration dates; you want the most recent bottled oil you can find. This is more about oil made from olives that had yet to be picked a few months ago and less about a year, two or three in the bottle. The best olive oil I have ever tasted is the "family" olive oil of Romano Dal Forno. For several years I have been fortunate to receive several bottles of this only a month or two after going into the bottle. A spoonful of his olive oil is something that I savor, literally tasting naked without anything to color its flavor. An oil on this level isn't even about cooking; it's about tasting it for its own flavor and silky, unctuous texture.

As for Ligurian olive oils vs. Tuscan, if you can find Castella di Ama I will put this against ANY Ligurian olive oil that you can find. In general there is a whole school who believe the BEST olive oils are Tuscan-not Ligurian, Grecian or from anywhere else. It is also an experience to watch olives picked and, several weeks later, taste the oil from those olives. In Tuscany and Verona.

Since I am participating in a project in which everyone is cooking the foods of a particular region of Italy each month, I was seeking Ligurian oil specifically to use throughout May.

Litteri seems to have built its inventory on the kinds of foods that Italian-Americans could not find in this country long before there were places like Dean & DeLuca's. Its Italian olive oils tend to come from Sicily or Apulia if not Tuscany...or abroad since Italy is the largest importer of olives in the world according to one of my sources. The olive oil sold under the 365 label at Whole Foods is produced in Italy, lately, from Tunisian fruit.

It does seem as if larger manufacturers are starting to realize the potential market for regional specialties, so that even Colavita is labelling its oils from Apulia, Umbria and Tuscany as distinctly desirable commodities.

However, yesterday, my good fortune at T.J. Maxx struck me as one of those perfect little moments when the lesser gods of the universe answer one's prayers since my sleek elegant bottle is from Casa Olearia Taggiasca. Thus, no need to search farther afield.

And, yes, I am in agreement with you regarding the pleasures of new olive oil. My first taste was of unfiltered, brilliant green oil in the central market of Florence, cloudy in the cold, dank days of winter.

Some interesting information on storing olive oil from Harold McGee's blog:
Read the rest here.

So, am I wasting my time by keeping the Truffle Oil in the fridge????

Chicago Trib article on Olive Oil. (hat tip MeMc)

Does anyone have favorites for basic home usage in cooking & salad dressing? I've been using the Kalamata one that TJs stocks for cooking, but I've yet to pick a favorite for drizzling over salads etc.

This sounds like a question that could be answered at the spring picnic. We've had butter tastings before, why not olive oil tasting?

If you are ever in the Charlottesville area, there is a cool place called Oil and Vinegar that is worth a visit. They are located in the Barracks Road Shopping Center. http://www.oilandvinegaronline.com/main.sc

We had one at the first fall picnic, but if there is enough interest, why not again?

For all-around use we really like Frantoia, a Sicilian oil available at the Italian Store for about $25 a liter. Nice fruit with a hint of pepperiness. Holds up well to sauteing; doesn't overpower salad dressings; and makes a nice finish on pastas, meats, and veggies. I think Batali used it on his old "Molto Mario" show.

Bella Italia (Bethesda Ave., Bethesda) carries an interesting selection of Italian olive oils for dipping/drizzling/dressing and not only maintains a set of tasting notes on them, but also offers on-the-spot tastings of pretty much all of them, so you can decide exactly which combination of fruity, spicy or grippy you prefer.

Ligurian olive oils seem to be held in particularly high regard, but I haven't tasted enough of them to have formed my own opinion yet.

I bought it only once--a really good bottle at TJ Maxx for about half Balducci's price--and liked it a lot. It was softer than most. No edge. Makes sense to use the oil Genoa uses to make its pesto once basil season arrives, especially if you're like Porcupine and grow the city's type of basil. Also great in maro--a wonderful purée made of fava beans, mint and pecorino.