There are journeys that do not begin with certainty but with a quiet discomfort. Jade Bentel’s story with olive oil started exactly there, in a moment where something she had trusted for years suddenly felt worth questioning. What had once been a simple daily habit became a door into something deeper. It was not driven by trend or ambition, but by the need to understand what she was actually consuming and what that meant for herself and the people around her.
Jade did not come from a traditional food background. Instead, she emerged from a world defined by speed, metal, and discipline. As a precision driver and automotive expert, her life was always surrounded by oils, though in a very different form. Racing, mechanics, and engines were her primary landscape. Her brain naturally thrives on understanding how things work, whether it is a high-performance engine or a centrifuge in a mill. For Jade, the production side of Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not a foreign concept. She embraces the loudness, the chaos, and the relentless energy of the milling process as a space where she feels completely at home.
Long before olive oil entered her life this way, Jade had already learned how to taste. Growing up in Cape Town, she stepped early into the world of wine and completed South African wine courses. Although she is not a heavy drinker, that foundation was essential. It taught her how to train her palate, how to build a sensory memory, and how to trust what her senses were picking up. That sensitivity never disappeared; it simply went quiet for a while until a chaotic tasting in Kefalonia, Greece, changed everything. Captivated by the atmosphere and the expertise of the sommelier, she decided that this world was 100% for her.
Today, as a certified olive oil sommelier and the founder of Oleacita, Jade has turned that initial curiosity into a professional career. Her training has been exhaustive, from studying at ESAO in Valencia to mastering grove management and milling. She maintains a holistic perspective, believing that if you do not understand the soil and sustainable agriculture, you cannot truly understand the oil. For her, olive oil is the perfect counterbalance to the intensity of her professional life, a place where technical discipline meets a soulful presence.
What truly defines Jade’s connection to olive oil is her respect for what exists behind each bottle. She does not stop at flavor. She looks at the people, the land, and the uncertainty that defines every harvest. She understands that no matter how much expertise exists, producers are working with something fragile that depends on forces they cannot control. This awareness creates a deep respect for the relentless nature of production.
Her way of experiencing olive oil is tied to her way of living. She describes herself as a slow soul, someone who allows a rhythm to arrive rather than forcing it. Her mornings begin quietly with small rituals, including her daily shot of EVOO, which has evolved from a habit into a moment of reflection. For Jade, a good oil is like a good film. It stays with you, you go back to it, and the story behind it makes the experience even better.
Through Oleacita, Jade shares what she is tasting and learning, moving away from industry competition and toward the spirit of generosity she has found among her peers. Her writing is an extension of this vision. It is an invitation to see olive oil not as a product on a shelf, but as a living story that begins long before it reaches the bottle and continues long after it is opened. Jade Bentel is not just tasting oil; she is honoring the rhythm of the earth, one bottle at a time.
