By Kun Covington | Certified Olive Oil Sommelier & Founder of Lovevoo
Kun Covington’s journey into the world of extra virgin olive oil began with a thoughtful gift from Italy. When his son was four months old, a friend sent the family three boxes of high-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil to celebrate the baby’s upcoming introduction to solid foods. After the bottles were finished, Covington struggled to find comparable quality locally, inspiring him to import Italian olive oil for his family.
With nearly 30 years of experience in international advertising and brand strategy, Covington recognized a broader issue: consumers often purchase premium products without understanding what makes them valuable. This realization encouraged him to explore the connection between product quality and consumer education.
To deepen his knowledge, Covington completed professional olive oil sommelier training in New York and studied olive oil production in Italy. Through tasting classes at the University of Utah’s Lifelong Learning program, Utah Valley University’s Continuing Education program, and private events, he discovered that many consumers lacked basic knowledge about olive oil. Common questions concerned freshness, storage, flavor differences, and the best ways to use expensive extra virgin olive oils.
These experiences convinced him that offering a premium product alone was insufficient. Consumers also needed the knowledge to identify quality, preserve freshness, and appreciate the product’s characteristics and cultural heritage. This educational philosophy became central to Lovevoo, his business dedicated to carefully selected Italian olive oils and consumer awareness.
Lovevoo’s participation in Pompa LIVE 26, held October 16–18 in Houston, reflects this mission. The company planned to distribute 300 travel-size, 30-milliliter bottles of Italian extra virgin olive oil, encouraging attendees to explore the product at home. Rather than simply offering samples, the initiative aims to inspire curiosity and practical learning.
Participants can discover three positive sensory characteristics of extra virgin olive oil: fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency. They can also learn how olive varieties, production methods, and storage conditions influence flavor and quality. For health-conscious consumers, the experience provides an opportunity to understand an everyday ingredient more meaningfully. Covington emphasizes that olive oil is an important component of the Mediterranean dietary pattern, which has been studied for its relationship with cardiovascular health, while encouraging accurate information instead of exaggerated health claims.
Looking ahead, Covington hopes to expand olive oil education through universities, community programs, nonprofit initiatives, and collaborations with qualified health and wellness professionals.
What began as a family gift has evolved into a broader mission to help people understand, appreciate, and confidently choose quality extra virgin olive oil. For Covington, the greatest value of olive oil lies not merely in the product itself, but in the knowledge and discovery it offers consumers.
AUTHOR BIO
Kun Covington is the founder of Lovevoo and a certified olive oil sommelier. With nearly 30 years of experience in international advertising and brand strategy, she now brings her passion for education, Italian craftsmanship, and healthy living to American consumers through olive oil tastings and community engagement.
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