Extra Virgin

Specialties

At Extra Virgin, our philosophy is simple; everyone should have the opportunity to sample the best olive oil and balsamic vinegars from around the world before deciding on their personal favorites. Think of our store as a tasting emporium, a stroll through an authentic Mediterranean marketplace.

We take immense pride in bringing products to our customers that they cannot find anywhere else. Olive oils and vinegars from Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal, coupled with specialty oils from award-​winning Executive Chefs throughout the United States. This is not your grocery store oil and vinegar, this is the good stuff — the stuff that you want on your family table. What your grandmother used on her table.

History

Established in 2011.

Food has always been a passion for me and my family. Since I was old enough to reach the top of the stove, I’ve been cooking, in large part under the guidance and expertise of my mother and grandmother. As you can imagine, growing up in an Italian family, food was often the bond that brought the family together and allowed us an opportunity to share stories and spend with one another. With that foundation and motivation, I decided to leave corporate America after 15 years and begin to do what I love to do — which is cook and provide people with new experiences and smiles in their everyday cooking and culinary experiences at-​home. Our retail location in Olde Mistick Village has been open since January, although our business really began last summer, specifically as we started to build and experiment with our different flavor profiles. Our olive oils and vinegars are bottled in 500 bottle, small batches, allowing us to main maximum freshness and taste for our customers.

Meet the Business Owner

Stephen C.

Business Owner

One of my mentors would repeatedly reinforce that the best ideas sounds crazy to most when they are first introduced and that only a passionate risk-​taker will preserve and bring a positive disruption to a given market segment. For me, what stuck in his words were two things: passion and perseverance, without those, as a small business owner, you have nothing.

Similar to the advice that I’ve been given myself, start with doing something that you love and be prepared to live it and breath it for the foreseeable future. Additionally, although you think you might have all of the answers; you don’t. Listen to your customers and create a business model that is flexible and adaptable to the ever-​changing needs and desires of your customers. And, finally, be prepared to take risks each and every day.