In most grocery aisles, olive oil looks the same: rows of green bottles labeled “extra virgin,” revealing little about what’s inside. But to 1997 University of Virginia alumna Claudia Hanna-Veysel, the differences are vivid. Different olives bring distinct flavors – grassy, peppery, fruity, even reminiscent of tomato vines – and can transform a dish.
A Level 2 olive oil sommelier, she’s on a mission to answer a big question.
“The question I get over and over again is, ‘What kind of olive oil should I use?’” Hanna-Veysel said. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there.”
Hanna-Veysel, center, a member of 鶹ƽ Class of 1997, celebrates during Final Exercises before beginning her career in finance. Now, in addition to running her business, Olive Oil Flights, she hosts a podcast and teaches cooking classes at UVA and James Madison University. (Contributed photo)
Her company, , helps people explore how oils from different regions shape flavor and elevate everyday cooking. The idea traces back to the summer before her fourth year at UVA.
The summer that changed everything
While studying abroad in Cyprus, Hanna-Veysel fell in love with the Mediterranean way of life, its culture, its food and, ultimately, her future husband.
She spent the summer working for a small import-export firm through a study abroad internship, gaining an early look at global commerce and small-business operations. But the experience quickly became personal.
“I fell in love with the island. I fell in love with my husband, quite truthfully,” she said. They met in the final weeks of her summer abroad. “I was like, ‘Call me when you get back to America.’ And he did.”
That summer shaped a life that now spans Charlottesville and the Mediterranean, where the couple and their three children split their time.
A surprising discovery
After graduating from UVA and earning an MBA at Emory University, Hanna-Veysel built a career in finance, working in boardrooms from Virginia to Atlanta. But she was drawn back to Cyprus, immersing herself in a culture rooted in food, history and olive oil, often bringing bottles back to the U.S. for family and friends.
Hanna-Veysel poses with her husband, Ant, and their children, Ella, Benjamin and Vivienne. The family splits time between Cyprus and Charlottesville. (Contributed photo)
Years later, while teaching Mediterranean cooking at 鶹ƽ Student Health and Wellness Center’s teaching kitchen and at James Madison University, Hanna-Veysel kept hearing the same question: Which olive oil should I buy?
When she dug deeper, she was stunned.
“It really floored me when I discovered that 80 to 90% of the olive oil that we have at the supermarkets is flat and rancid,” she said.
Most oils, she learned, lose their flavor and health benefits long before reaching American shelves. To understand why, she trained as an olive oil sommelier.
“Olives are similar to grapes,” she said. “But all we’ve been consuming is the ‘red blend’ of olive oil.”
That realization didn’t just change how she cooked. It led her to launch a business, Olive Oil Flights.
The idea
Each of Olive Oil Flights’ curated collections features three extra-virgin oils from different countries and varietals. The goal is simple: help people taste the difference with side-by-side offerings.
“The ‘aha’ moment is when they say, ‘That one tastes way different,’” she said.
Hanna-Veysel teaches people to think about olive oil the way they think about wine, with each having a distinctive flavor, intensity and ideal pairing. Some oils, like Spain’s picual, deliver a bold, peppery kick that pairs well with grilled meats. Others, like Sicily’s nocellara, are smoother and more fruit-forward.
“You can actually taste the tomato vines in the oil,” she said, noting it pairs well with fresh dishes like Caprese salad or tomato-based stews.
Her flights are available , at the UVA Bookstore, Foods of All Nations and other Charlottesville retailers, and through tastings and events she hosts across the region.
“I want people to start purchasing olive oil based on varietals,” she said. “I hope what I’m doing creates more transparency for consumers.”
That transparency extends to her sourcing of olives. She works primarily with female producers across the Mediterranean; many connected through the Women in Olive Oil network.
Hanna-Veysel says a study-abroad experience began her love of Mediterranean culture. (Contributed photo)
“Agriculture is a really tough business,” Hanna-Veysel said. “And for women, it’s even harder. It’s my way of giving back.”
Building a following
She has expanded her reach through launched in 2023 with American Public Television, which explores food history and culture.
Her advice to consumers is simple: focus on freshness. Start with the harvest date, not the “best by” label.
