The lush and fertile Sabina region in Italy is just half an hour outside of Rome, but the peaceful, gently rolling hills seem as if they are million of miles away from the bustle of the city. In fact, fine olive oils were produced among these hills well before the founding of Rome. To make this luscious bottle, olives are collected in an early harvest in October and November by hand or with simple tools, and a perfectly calibrated blend is crafted from a variety of local olives to create this extra-virgin oil. Once extracted, the oil with a D.O.P. status (which stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta, or Protected Denomination of Origin -- a certification of quality that meet strict production standards) boasts a yellow-greenish color and pleasantly fruity fragrance, and the flavor is assertive while remaining gentle and sweet.

This is a great all-purpose olive oil; reach for it to dress salads and make vinaigrettes, or drizzle on fresh fruits. Use it as a dipping sauce for warm, fresh bread, or try it in soups, stews, and marinades for meat and poultry.

Fairway Marketplace is brought to you by Fairway Market, a specialty food chain that started back in 1933 with a small fruit and vegetable stand on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Today, Fairway Market is legendary for its experts and expertise in all things food, and a relentless obsession with quality throughout all of the different departments in its stores. In December of 2011, Fairway launched this online shop, so that we could bring the best of the best of what Fairway offers, at the same great values, to those who don’t live near one of our stores. Why keep all of this foodie goodness to ourselves? That simply would not be fair.