so, my girlfriend's on this quest for the legendary extra virgin olive oil that supposedly holds the key to anti aging and not gonna lie, i'm all in for that! she heard about its magical health benefits on a podcast and insisted we hit up di oliva tasting bar on 2632 east hastings street. apparently, evoo is loaded with monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory stuff - good for the heart and all-around well-being. we walked in, met lisa, the owner, who was like an evoo guru. she had over 50 organic evoos from around the world, and we got to sample them straight from these cool stainless steel vats. trying out the different flavours of evoos and balsamic vinegars was a fun and eye opening experience. i ended up grabbing a four-pack of mini bottles, two evoos, and two balsamic vinegars. lisa has gift sets readily available and even accommodated by allowing me to hand pick each flavour. i got the all natural tuscan herb and garlic olive oil and the pomegranate-quince and kaimana lychee white balsamic vinegars with high hopes of elevating my cooking skills to master chef level. i learned that you can cook with evoo, just not on high heat. plus, she's got these handy printed recipes for mash potatoes, chicken, and salads. this little local gem is definitely a must-visit. oh, and she takes cleaned bottle returns for a loonie, and looks like there's a 10% discount upon check in on yelp! read more

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If I had the resources I would want to invest in this business. I attended a tasting party here (it's complimentary!) and have already booked a date to have one of my own. Fresh olive oils and balsamic vinegars from around the globe with no additives and GMO free. If you love food and/or cooking: come here. If you don't feel you are a very good cook: come here, and the recipe and flavour tricks will kick your game up a notch. Tastings include products made with the oils and vinegars. I am not a huge ice cream fan but it was so fun to try the different vinegars as toppings. Espresso and Cinnamon/Pear blew my mind. From truffle to sesame to lemongrass mint...ALL the flavours. I don't want to do too many spoilers but I can't believe how many uses there are for the white and dark vinegars. Life altering. As was the home-made almond roca. The prices are great and there are many things that would make wonderful hostess gifts. Lisa is knowledgeable and friendly and I wish her the best. It would be a crime if this place doesn't get well known and really take off. read more

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Just got back from a free olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting at Di Oliva Tasting Bar. I highly recommend doing the free tasting party instead of just walking in and randomly sampling their intriguing wares. Typically the 2-hour tasting parties are arranged for after regular store hours. The online schedule shows only a lot of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday spots, but if you really need another day, try calling them or e-mailing them. In addition to giving you the basic info on their purity and qualify of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, you are allowed to sample all of their main line of wares. Further, they bring out some food and sparkling water where their products are creatively used -- we had hummus, salad, baked brie, skewers of cheese and tomato, popcorn, and ice cream. It's a sampler portion, so don't expect a meal or to walk away full. There is a corner of the store with an array of recipes in case you "don't know what to do" with a flavoured olive oil. There's apparently lots you can do and many places where they can be used. In addition to olive oil and balsamic vinegar, they carry a few others edible oils, as well as supporting products such as pasta. For their balsamic vinegars and olive oils, the flavours indicated come through very clearly and quite strongly. Among the flavours I tried (there are lots -- I didn't try every single one): [Balsamic Vinegar] -Alfoos Mango White Balsamic -Blackberry Ginger Dark Balsamic - hardly any ginger bite, unfortunately -Blueberry Dark Balsamic -Cara Cara Orange and Vanilla White Balsamic -Dark Chocolate -Espresso Dark Balsamic - along with the Dark Chocolate, these are two of the most intriguing vinegar flavours I discovered, flavours which you can taste shortly before the sweet-sour vinegar takes over your attention -Honey and Ginger White Balsamic -Pure Maple [Olive Oil] -Fused Eureka Lemon -Fused Blood Orange -Garlic -Non-Dairy Butter - "this creamy olive oil is naturally infused with a rich blend of herbs to create the wonderful flavour of butter"; there's definitely a buttery aroma here -White Truffle - very strong truffle aroma; a little goes a long way; they also have truffled salt -Wild Fernleaf Dill -Wild Mushroom and Sage -Whole Pepper Fused Cayenne - spicy heat builds very slowly, so if you use too much initially thinking it's weak, you'll get a surprise later [Combos] -Sparkling Water mixed with flavoured White Balsamic Vinegar - a little bit of vinegar goes a long way; I think they overdid it with the peach and the vinegar left too much of an aftertaste -Persian Lime Olive Oil and Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar [Other] -Japanese Dark Toasted Sesame Oil -Lobster Oil - The same used originally at The Cannery, and now (in different packaging?) available at Joe Fortes for $29.95 (for 375 ml); note that it does not taste like lobster MEAT, if that's what you're hoping for. Interesting ideas include: -Pairings of balsamic vinegars and olive oils for even more complex flavour. -Drizzling balsamic vinegar on ice cream (e.g., chocolate or coconut balsamic vinegar). Price at this time is as follows (more for the sesame oil and truffle olive oil): Small (200 ml) - $13 Medium (375 ml) - $21 Large (750 ml) - $34 You can get 10% off with a Yelp Check-In or during one of their free tastings. You can get $1 off if you bring back a bottle for recycling. read more

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Di Oliva Tasting Bar just opened up. I can't believe we have this in our east van hood! An Italian tasting bar for Olive Oil and Balsamic. There's around 50 or 75 different types. After you taste, you can choose which size you'd like to buy. And it's very reasonable. 12 bucks for the small size. My personal favourite is Fig Balsamic. The character of these balsamics will make your imagination bloom. Each one inspires a different recipe. I think I'll have to make more room in my cabinets for these babies. Also the shop is sweet looking and there are more products coming. Coolness! read more

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Love this store for its quality oils and vinegars. My first go-to spot for gift giving and they will put it in a gift bag and tissue for you. It has gotten me to eat more salad as the suggested combo of oil and balsamic is so delicious and it makes such a difference with quality ingredients. The owner is very passionate and knowledgeable about her products. Very friendly and inviting atmosphere. Just bought truffle salt, with real truffle! And don't be fooled by the truffle oil in other places that chemically flavours the oils; that stuff is bad for you. VOOC sources from a place where they use real truffles to infuse the flavour. Now I can enjoy a healther snack of organic popcorn sprinkled with truffle salt. I can't wait to try their pasta and buy their truffle oil next time. You can get freshly poured bottles of oils and vinegars from sample size to a larger bottle. Here you can be assured of fresh olive oil as they are stamped with the production date and the source is guaranteed. When summer comes around it's time for flavoured oil and vinegar for my ice cream and berries because oils will help absorb those wonderful nutrients. So glad Vancouver Olive Oil Company is in the Sunrise area because we certainly need to amp up the area and I don't have to drive all the way to West Broadway anymore to get my oils and vinegars. Bring your cleaned bottles for a discount read more

I went to a tasting on Feb 16, 2016 and let me tell you it was EXCELLENT! I purchased several of the delectable oils and vinegars and was blown away by the different combinations and ideas that the owner suggested. I will absolutely be a repeat customer and highly recommend anyone who is checking out these reviews to simply go in and give it a try! A fantastic business run by a lovely woman who is truly passionate about her products!! read more

My daughter told me about this place and I go there to buy gifts accompanied with wonderful different olive oil and balsamic vinegar pairings!!! Lisa is a great help and she wraps them up really nicely too! I have continued to go there when I need a reasonably priced gift! Thanks Lisa! read more

Love this place! Best balsamic and olive oils. I love their taste test. Mmmmm can't wait to get more!

Di Oliva is a gorgeous little store on East Hastings specializing in olive oils and balsamic vinegars (although they do carry some other speciality products including (jams, oil dipping dishes, sesame oil and real truffle oil). The service is friendly, and they have a wonderful set up for tasting different oil/vinegar combinations. The flavoured oils are divine. Highly recommended. read more