Marisa Bloch Gaytan
General Manager & Olive Oil Sommelier
Marisa’s passion for exceptional food and healthy living began early through her work in hospitality and vineyards along California’s Central Coast. Since joining Pasolivo in 2012, she has played an integral role in shaping the quality, integrity, and flavor profile that define our brand today.
In addition to serving as General Manager, Marisa is a certified Level II Olive Oil Sommelier and Pasolivo’s master blender. She oversees every stage of our olive oil production, from harvest timing and milling to final blend formulation. With a trained palate and deep technical expertise, Marisa crafts each blend to express balance, freshness, and complexity.
Education
Credentials & Licenses
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Marisa's Favorites
Sommelier Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pasta Fagioli
Common Olive Oil Questions
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Choosing a high-quality extra virgin olive oil can feel overwhelming, but a few simple details can tell you a lot about what's inside the bottle.
Look for:
- A harvest date or best-by-date so you know when the olives were picked. Freshness is one of the biggest indicators of quality.
- Third-party certification, such as the California Olive Oil Council (COOC), which verifies that an oil meets extra virgin standards.
- The producer and origin. Single-origin olive oils from a trusted producer offer greater traceability than blends sourced from multiple countries.
- Proper packaging. Olive oil should be sold in dark glass or another UV-protective container to shield it from light.
Most importantly, trust your senses. Fresh extra virgin olive oil should smell vibrant and taste lively, often with grassy, fruity, herbaceous, or peppery notes.
Learn more: 5 Surprising Olive Oil Facts That Will Change How You Shop
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Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most researched foods in the Mediterranean diet. It's naturally rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and polyphenols, which help protect the oil and contribute to its nutritional value.
Research has associated regular consumption of high-quality extra virgin olive oil with health benefits such as:
- Supporting heart health
- Helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels
- Providing anti-inflammatory compounds
- Supporting healthy brain function
- Delivering antioxidants that help protect cells from oxidative stress
The key is choosing a fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil, since freshness and proper production help preserve these naturally occurring compounds.
Read More: The 7 Major Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Yes. High-quality extra virgin olive oil is an excellent cooking oil for roasting, sautéing, baking, frying, grilling, and everyday cooking.
Pasolivo's extra virgin olive oils are lab-tested with a smoke point of approximately 420°F, making them suitable for most home cooking.
For the best flavor, use robust oils for savory dishes and milder oils for more delicate recipes.
Explore recipes featuring our award-winning olive oils.
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Yes. Olive oil doesn't spoil like milk, but it does lose freshness over time.
Exposure to oxygen, heat, and light slowly causes olive oil to oxidize, resulting in stale or rancid flavors. That's why harvest dates and proper storage matter.
For the best flavor and quality, I recommend enjoying extra virgin olive oil within about two years of harvest and storing your olive oil in a cool, dark cabinet away from the stove.
If your olive oil smells like crayons, putty, old nuts, or has a flat, greasy taste, it's likely past its peak.
Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Olive Oil Storage: How Packaging Protects Quality and Freshness
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There are three primary ways flavored olive oils are made.
- Co-milling combines fresh ingredients, such as basil or peppers, with olives during milling. This creates a naturally integrated flavor and is how many of Pasolivo's flavored oils are produced.
- Oil blending combines certified extra virgin olive oil with oils extracted from ingredients like citrus or garlic. This method works well for ingredients that cannot be milled with olives.
- Infusion involves steeping fresh herbs, fruits, or other ingredients in olive oil over time. While this is a common method for homemade flavored oils and some commercial products, Pasolivo does not use infusion. Fresh ingredient infusions can pose a risk of botulism if not properly acidified and controlled, and some infusion methods rely on heat, which can diminish the fresh flavor and quality of the olive oil. In addition, many flavored oils on the market are made with refined olive oil rather than premium extra virgin olive oil.
One important note: Once any flavor is added, the finished product can no longer legally be labeled "extra virgin olive oil," even if it was made from certified extra virgin olive oil. That's why it's important to choose flavored olive oils from producers who start with a high-quality extra virgin olive oil base or use the same production standards as their extra virgin oils.
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Fresh extra virgin olive oil should taste alive. Depending on the variety, you may notice grassy, herbaceous, fruity, buttery, green almond, artichoke, or tomato leaf notes. A slight bitterness and peppery finish are actually signs of fresh, high-quality olive oil because they come from naturally occurring polyphenols. The flavor should be vibrant and balanced, never flat, greasy, or waxy.
Read More: How to Taste Olive Oil like a Sommelier: A Beginner's Guide