[Tenuta del Barone di Montemurlo](https://www.oliodelbarone.com/en) — Tuscan extra virgin olive oil # Questions Storage, shelf life, shipping, and the questions about olive oil we get asked most. ## How should I store extra virgin olive oil? Dark, cool and closed. The three enemies are light, air and heat: a dark bottle in a cupboard keeps for months, the same bottle on a sunny worktop loses its aroma in weeks. No need for the fridge — cold makes the oil cloudy, and it clears again with no harm done. ## How long does a bottle last? Eighteen months from bottling, but the real point is different: extra virgin oil does not expire, it declines. It is at its best for the first six months, then slowly loses bitterness and aroma. Once opened, finish it within a couple of months. ## Why is new oil cloudy? Because it has just been milled and still holds particles of pulp in suspension. That is a virtue for taste and a flaw for keeping: those residues ferment at the bottom over time. This is why oil is left to settle before bottling, and why clear oil keeps far longer. ## What is the difference between extra virgin and plain olive oil? Extra virgin is obtained mechanically only, with no solvents and no heat, and must have acidity below 0.8% and no defect on tasting. Plain "olive oil" is refined oil with a little virgin blended back in: it costs less and has almost nothing of the fruit left. ## When is the new oil pressed? Between late October and November, right after milling. That is when it is greenest, most bitter and most peppery — and also when it divides people most: first-time tasters often find it too sharp. That sharpness is the polyphenols. ## Can I send it as a gift? Yes. At checkout you can choose "This is a gift": we remove the prices from the paperwork and add a card with your message. ## Do you ship abroad? Within Italy, across the European Union and worldwide. Bottles and tins travel in shock-proof packaging; if anything arrives damaged, write to us within 48 hours with a photo and we replace it. ## Can I collect it in person? Yes, by appointment: we are at Montemurlo, in the province of Prato. Write to us or send a WhatsApp message and we will arrange it. [All oils](https://www.oliodelbarone.com/en)