The words on an oil or vinegar label are doing real work. Here is what they actually mean, so you can read any bottle, ours or anyone else's.

On olive oil

Extra virgin means the oil was pressed mechanically, without heat or chemicals, and passed a taste and acidity test. It is a grade, not a marketing word.

Cold pressed means the fruit was worked below about 27C, so the aromatics survive.

Harvest date is the most useful number on the bottle. Fresher is better, and a producer who prints it is telling you they are proud of it.

Single estate means the fruit came from one property rather than being blended from many.

On vinegar

Aged in wood means time in barrel, which is where the sweetness and depth come from. Longer is usually richer and always dearer.

Acidity, shown as a percentage, tells you how sharp it is. Lower reads rounder on the tongue.

Glaze or cream is vinegar reduced until it will sit on a plate instead of running off it.

On everything else

Cold filtered keeps a bottle clear without heat. Unfiltered leaves a little sediment, which is harmless and often a good sign.

Best before is about flavour, not safety. Oil past its date is dull rather than dangerous.