Robert Granados of Richmond Olive Oil Co. (Photo by Jay Paul)
If you’ve never heard of an olive oil sommelier, that’s because the niche pros are few and far between. Luckily for Richmonders, the city is home to one of the country’s 200 experts. Robert Granados recently opened Richmond Olive Oil Co. at 3545 W. Cary St. in Carytown. At the store, the qualified specialist — part food nerd, part scientist — does everything from lab testing oils for purity to sharing knowledge about cultivars and growing regions and bottling olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
RM: Where are you from originally? Have food or health always been a part of your life?
Robert Granados: I’m originally from Los Angeles. I ended up on the East Coast because of the Navy. I grew up as a McDonald’s kid, but I boxed for about 25 years and had tons of concussions from that. I became genuinely concerned about the welfare — the well-being — of my brain. Every book I read by health and science journalists and neurologists kept harping on olive oil and its health benefits, how it’s great for preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia and Parkinson’s, and it’s good for inflammation, for arthritis and for brain health. It’s really healthy all around, so I was drinking it in the mornings, just pouring shots. And this guy said to me, “You know, I have a friend in North Carolina who has a business doing that, you should look into it.” And that was four years ago.
RM: How did you become an olive oil sommelier?
Granados: I got my license and started doing farmers markets in Carytown and at St. Stephen’s in 2021 and got a decent following of people. I went to the Tuscany Olive Oil School. It was three months long. I learned to test oil for intensity, viscosity, astringency and bitterness, but really, just how to taste and smell. I teach people what to look for when it comes to extra-virgin olive oil. I’m creating a basic awareness for people so they can see what quality is. I can actually lab test for extra-virgin grade. From that, I can tell you if damaged olives have been used in the production, if there was a manufacturing defect, if the oil is old or if it’s even olive oil at all, because a lot of what’s presented as olive oils in the U.S. are cut with a different type of oil, and then they’ll throw spirulina or something in there to just give it that green [color]. So you can come to me, and I’ve already verified that everything’s extra virgin.
RM: Why open a brick-and-mortar business?
Granados: I feel good about what I’m selling. I’m bringing something healthy to the people of Richmond, and [olive oil] is a unique gift. You can also come in and shop different foods from Italy, from Portugal, from Chile, from Sweden. And you can give someone a nice, little healthy gift, and I feel good about that. Right now, I’ve got 40 oils infused with flavors such as gremolata, bacon, jalapeno, pesto, Tuscan herbs, harissa. I’ve also got versatile cooking olive oils that are extra-virgin and finishing oils.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
