Starting this weekend, Boston’s foodies will have something new to make their mouths water.

Oliviers & Co., an upscale international olive-oil seller, is opening an outpost here this Sunday. The new shop will boast a free tasting station, an in-house olive press, and 25 varieties of “vintage” oils. The Boston store’s opening is a first for the four-year-old shrine to oil, which is, um, branching out to its only non–New York location in the US. Founded by L’Occitane president Olivier Baussan, the chain has 39 shops worldwide, two of which are in New York. But with Boston’s high-end restaurant scene, and many residents’ interest in all things gourmet, store executives decided that a move north made sense. They purposely located the olive-oil emporium just a few doors down Newbury Street from L’Occitane, Bausson’s fragrance and cosmetics shop, in order to create one-stop shopping for fancy products. Oils for the face and body, oils for the tummy ...

But Oliviers & Co. isn’t just an in-and-out olive-oil-purchasing operation. Store employees encourage visitors to get their hands dirty sampling the wares. “It’s a real discovery place,” says Valerie Paik, a spokesperson for the company. Two tables and stools welcome tasters to try out anything they might desire, from typically grassy green Greek to mild and buttery Haute Provence French oils. Plus there’s the whole array of tapenades, vinegars, and sweet olive-oil cookie-like tortas to tuck into. If tasting isn’t your bag, however, bottles’ labels are constructed to guide shoppers by flavor. “It’s sort of like wine,” explains Paik. “They have not only a flavor in the mouth but also a nose to it.”

With extensive training sessions under their belts on everything from production to cooking techniques to the bouquets of flavors contained in one oil, the well-versed employees are primed to ooze all sorts of information to anyone who wanders in. They’ll explain why you had best use that oil up before its 18-month expiration date (it doesn’t age well) or the story behind the store’s most unlikely oil — a product from Uruguay produced by an expat Frenchman who brought his orchards with him to South America.

They’ll also wax wordy about all the advantages to olive-oil-based cosmetic products. (We, however, are a bit wary about slathering the stuff on our faces.)

Of course, all that talk and tasting doesn’t come cheap if the operation succeeds in luring customers to the register. The 8.4-ounce bottles and 16.8-ounce cans of gourmet oil range in price from $19 to $34.

Or you can just nibble and dip to your hearts content — for free.

Oliviers & Co., which opens this Sunday, July 1, is located at 161 Newbury Street, in Boston.

Issue Date: June 28 - July 5, 2001