If you are familiar with wine tastings, you know the drill. Visit a beautiful vineyard, sample various white and red and maybe blush varieties, and see how they pair with crusty bread and aged cheeses. However, you may not know that you can visit a central coast California olive farm and do the same thing, only what you'll be sampling is delicious Tuscan style or Italian blend olive oil.
For those of us not versed in judging extra virgin olive oils, visiting a grower may be the best first step. You can read about 'bold and assertive' and 'peppery' flavors, but these terms don't tell the inexperienced much. A visit to one of the family-owned and operated groves can also be a highlight to a trip to the Golden State.
The majority of central coast grove are family owned and operated, and many award-winning oils are produced there. These small groves are a deliberate mix of cultivars. Authorities agree that a mixed grove produces a better oil in the end, as do hand-raising and harvesting techniques. An extra virgin oil is blended and bottled within one day of harvest. Extreme care is taken to protect oils from heat and light during the process, as well as during storage.
It's fun to read descriptions of the different products and of the groves they come from. You will see that olives are picked when ripe, but green ones may be mixed in for a better flavor. The top growers look down on the imported brands sold in most supermarkets. It's true that California certified extra virgin oils have met far stricter standards than those which regulate international trade.
California certified oils proudly carry a seal awarded after each year's product is screened with chemical tests and blind tastings performed by a panel of trained specialists. The tests judge the acidity of the oil, which should be low, and the purity. The tasters are skilled at judging freshness and purity and pass only the ones that meet their high standards.
And California oils are good. In 1900 one won the highest gold medal awarded at the Paris exposition. Central coast growers have won many international competitions held in California and abroad. Growers proudly point to their trees, which trace back to Tuscany or in some cases to trees planted at the first California missions founded by Spanish monks. This is saying a lot, because only two of those historic groves were left by the late 1800s. This historic preservation effort is just another thing that earns respect for the region's farmers.
Olives can only grow in dry, sunny, hot climates where winters are mild. For this reason, they are often grown along a southern seacoast. They need limestone soils that are well-drained and not too rich, which makes for sickly trees. When they are happy, they live for hundreds if not thousands of years. Fortunately, the Golden State has the 'terroir', or environment, to allow olives to flourish.
If you are heading for the Golden State, plan a visit to one or more of the groves on the central coast. The artisan growers there are waiting to introduce you to the finest oils - and maybe their vinegar and wine as well.
For those of us not versed in judging extra virgin olive oils, visiting a grower may be the best first step. You can read about 'bold and assertive' and 'peppery' flavors, but these terms don't tell the inexperienced much. A visit to one of the family-owned and operated groves can also be a highlight to a trip to the Golden State.
The majority of central coast grove are family owned and operated, and many award-winning oils are produced there. These small groves are a deliberate mix of cultivars. Authorities agree that a mixed grove produces a better oil in the end, as do hand-raising and harvesting techniques. An extra virgin oil is blended and bottled within one day of harvest. Extreme care is taken to protect oils from heat and light during the process, as well as during storage.
It's fun to read descriptions of the different products and of the groves they come from. You will see that olives are picked when ripe, but green ones may be mixed in for a better flavor. The top growers look down on the imported brands sold in most supermarkets. It's true that California certified extra virgin oils have met far stricter standards than those which regulate international trade.
California certified oils proudly carry a seal awarded after each year's product is screened with chemical tests and blind tastings performed by a panel of trained specialists. The tests judge the acidity of the oil, which should be low, and the purity. The tasters are skilled at judging freshness and purity and pass only the ones that meet their high standards.
And California oils are good. In 1900 one won the highest gold medal awarded at the Paris exposition. Central coast growers have won many international competitions held in California and abroad. Growers proudly point to their trees, which trace back to Tuscany or in some cases to trees planted at the first California missions founded by Spanish monks. This is saying a lot, because only two of those historic groves were left by the late 1800s. This historic preservation effort is just another thing that earns respect for the region's farmers.
Olives can only grow in dry, sunny, hot climates where winters are mild. For this reason, they are often grown along a southern seacoast. They need limestone soils that are well-drained and not too rich, which makes for sickly trees. When they are happy, they live for hundreds if not thousands of years. Fortunately, the Golden State has the 'terroir', or environment, to allow olives to flourish.
If you are heading for the Golden State, plan a visit to one or more of the groves on the central coast. The artisan growers there are waiting to introduce you to the finest oils - and maybe their vinegar and wine as well.
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You can visit sanpauloolivefarm.com for more helpful information about Tour A Central Coast California Olive Farm.
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