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Fine olive oil, like fine wine, is readily available and delicious.

Look for "extra-virgin" on the label. This simply means, among other things, that the oil contains less than 1 percent oleic acid, which, in turn, means the olives were pressed before they started to deteriorate.

This tends to be the most expensive olive oil and the most desirable condiment, but unlike fine wine, olive oil does not improve with age; it just gets old.

Many labels carry a harvest date, and to most pallets, the best-tasting oil is no more than 2 years old. In any event, when you puchase, be sure the "use by" date has not been reached.

A mere drizzle of this lovely oil, sometimes with a pinch of salt, on the right food supplies a condiment that could not be more simple or delicious.

Another bit of information on the label will nudge you toward that "right food". It is fun to pair the characteristics of the olive oil with what we know of the results of conditions in the particular region where the olives were grown.

This is a quick and probably incomplete guide to the general characteristics of olive oil from some of the world's premiere olive production areas:

TUSCANY

A favorite olive oil producing area, where the oil is green and fruity-grassy. Some taste the suggestion of wheat grass, others taste artichokes. There is a peppery note in the finish. It is especially favored with starchy things, like bread, beans and potatoes.

LIGURIA

Oils from the Italian Riviera are very different. They are produced form riper, more viscous olives, and have a more buttery-nutty flavor. These oils from Italy are especially delicious with grilled fish.

PROVENCE

Olive oils from Southern France are much like oils from Liguria.

ANDALUSIA

This great olive oil region produces rich oils with a distinct personality. The flavor is kind of grassy-minty, something like the wines made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. They lend a decided "Spanish" flavor to a wide range of dishes.

GREECE

Greece offers a wide range of flavors and some of the best bargains in fine olive oil. The one flavor that seems constant is that of olives. Surprisingly, this is not always true of all olive oil from around the world.

CALIFORNIA

California olive growers are involved in a great deal of experimentation, and it is hard to generalize results. There are expert producers still finding their way. Many are working toward new and characteristically California flavors, others are pursuing the tastes of European oils with astonishingly delicious results.

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