Common Negative Attributes:

-Fusty:  Characterisitc flavor of oil obtained from olives stored in piles, which have undergone an advanced stage of anaerobic fermentation.

-Musty:  Characteristic moldy flavor of oils obtained from fruit in which large numbers of fungi and yeast have developed as a result of its being stored in humid conditions for several days

-Muddy sediment: Characteristic flavor of oil that has been left in contact with the sediment in tanks and vats

-Winery- Vinegary:  Characteristic flavor of certain oils reminiscent of wine or vinegar.  This flavor is mainly due to aerobic fermentation in the olives leading to the formation of acetic acid, ethyl acetate and ethanol.

-Rancid:  Flavor of oils, which have undergone a process of oxidation.

-Heated or Burnt:  Characteristic flavor of oils caused by excessive and/or prolonged heating during processing

-Hay/Wood:  Characteristic flavor of certain oil produced from olives that have dried out

-Rough:  Thick/pasty mouth-feel sensation produced by certain oils

-Greasy:  Flavor of oil reminiscent of that of diesel oil, grease, or mineral oil

-Vegetable Water:  Flavor acquired by the oil as a result of prolonged contact with vegetable water

-Brine:  Flavor of oil extracted from olives that have been preserved in brine

-Esparto:  Characteristic flavor of oil obtained from olives pressed in new esparto mats, green or dried

-Earthy:  Flavor of oil obtained from olives, which have been collected with earth or mud on them and not washed

-Grubby:  Flavor of oil obtained from olives, which have been collected with earth or mud on them and not washed

-Cucumber:  Flavor produced when oil is hermetically packed for too long, particularly in tin containers, which is attributed to the formation of 2-6 nonadienal.

-Metallic:  Flavor that is reminiscent of metals.  It is characteristic of oil, which has been in prolonged contact with metallic surfaces during crushing, mixing, pressing or storage.

Common Positive Attributes:

-Fruity:  Set of the olfactory sensations characteristic of the oil, which depends on the variety and comes from sound, fresh olives, either ripe or unripe.  It is perceived directly or through the back of the nose.

-Bitter:  Characteristic taste of oil obtained from unripe olives.  Perceived on the back of the tongue.

-Pungent:  “Piquant” or biting tactile sensation characteristic of certain olive varieties or oil produced form unripe olives.  Perceived in the throat.

Photo credit: UC Davis

Early harvest olive oils tend to be fairly green in color, causing bitterness in the oil.  The bitterness in the oil is a desirable flavor, giving the oil sought-after grassy, pungent accents.  These oils tend to be more expensive than late harvest oils because more olives are needed to make the same amount of oil.  Early fall harvest oils also tend to have higher levels of polyphenols and antioxidents, which help increase the shelf life of the oil.

Late harvest olives aren’t picked until the winter when the olives are ripe and deep in color.  While these olives produce a larger volume of oil, it is risky to wait until winter to pick olives.  With early onset winter weather, the olives can be damaged by the harsh winter frost.  Opposed to the grassy flavors of early harvest olive oils, late harvest oils have a mellow, smooth taste.

Photo credit:  http://www.karaoliveoil.com.au/facts.html

“France produces approximately 2,500 tons of olive oil per year in nine regions of the country. Aix-en-Provence has the Aglandau variety of olive cultivar that produces a unique olive oil with a slight bitterness and an aroma of almonds and hazelnuts that complements the regional French Mediterranean cuisine. Ardeche has the Rougette variety that produces a very distinctive olive oil with a woodland aroma and slightly herbal flavor with suggestions of fruit. Aude and Gard produce a very well balanced, fruity olive oil characterized by a smooth texture primarily from the Lucques and Picholene varieties of olive cultivar. Corsica has primarily the Picholine and Sabina varieties of olive cultivar that produce a green colored olive oil with an herbal bouquet slightly suggestive of green vegetables and a peppery, fiery bite to its flavour. The Corsicans are known to vary their harvest times according to the desired flavor that they wish to produce by harvesting in the winter for a more bitter flavor from less than ripe olives and harvesting in the spring for a sweeter flavor oil from ripe olives. Corsicans create an olive oil that complements their cuisine influenced by North Africa and Southern Europe in their featured specialties such as couscous, tajines, carpaccio, gazpacho and spicy seafood dishes.

Haute Provence uses principally the Aglandau as well as the Bouteillan and Picholine olive cultivar varieties to create a smooth, densely textured olive oil with a fruity flavor to complement their regional cuisine that includes lamb, seafood, pumpkin, courgette’s, peppers, cheeses, and white meats. The traditional cuisine of Les Baux includes white meats, lobster, bass, vegetables, cheeses and pasta dishes that incorporate the locally produced olive oil made from the Aglandau, Grossane, Picholine, and Saloneque olive cultivars to produce an oil with a fragrance of white flowers and fruit blossoms and there is a slight suggestion of bitter almonds associated with this oil. The region of Massif de l’Esterel and Nice grows the Cailletier olive cultivar that produces a very refined, light, yellow colored olive oil with a delicate and slightly sweet flavor and a bouquet reminiscent of almonds, acacia and hawthorn. The region of Massif des Maures and Haut Var have a number of olive cultivars, some dating back to very old times indeed, but the principal ones include Aglandau, Bouteillan, Grossane, Picholene and Ribiers which are grown in order to produce a sweet and slightly spicy olive oil with an aroma of white fleshed fruits and a smooth texture that complements the seafood, lamb, bouillabaisse, salads and dishes incorporating pine nuts. The Tanche variety of olive cultivar is grown in Nyons that produces a sweet and at the same time slightly milky flavored olive oil with a nutty aroma suggestive of hazelnuts and almonds that complements the regional cuisine consisting of seafood, salads and fruit tarts.”

For many years, French olive trees have thrived in Napa Valley.  While they may not be as prominent as Italian and Spanish olive varietals, they are still used in many of our exquisite oils made around the Valley.  Check out our local producers on our website to see who puts French olives into their oil blend!

Source: http://www.frenchentree.com/france-provence-food-drink/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=17271

Photo credit:  http://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/a/advertising-art/poster-advertising-olive.html

It is said that some of the oldest olive trees come from Italy.  With the history of Italy’s olive-based culture, it would only be natural to assume that the country produces some of the finest olive trees in the world.  The quality of the olives has been identified by olive oil enthusiasts world-wide and has led to an increase in Italian olive groves internationally.

In 2004, there were over 350 varieties of olive trees identified in Italy.  While many varieties are cultivated, three main olive varietals thrive world-wide: Frantoio, Pendolino, and Leccino.  While Tuscany proves to be one of the best regions to grow olives in Italy, there are many other olive-growing regions within Italy: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Sardgna, Sicilia, Trentino, Umbria, and Veneto.  The trees growing in these regions produce a wide range of flavors depending on the region in which they are grown in.  While the flavors vary, Italian olives tend to produce bold oil with a peppery kick.

Try one of our local Napa Valley oils, which contain Italian olive varietals, and it will make you feel like you’re soaring over the hills of Tuscany.

Source (1): Lifeinitaly.com

The four main growing regions in Spain include: Andalucia, Castilla, Extremadura, and Catalonia.  The Andalucia area is the largest oil-producing region, creating approximately 75% of Spain’s olive oil.  It is located in southern most part of Spain, giving the region a typical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters.  The olives typical to the region include: Picual, Hojiblanca, Lechin, Verdial and Picudo.  Picual is the most popular variety, representing 50% of Spain’s total crop.  The picual olive has become increasingly popular because it produces a fairly stable, good quality oil that doesn’t have a high likelihood of becoming rancid.

The Castilla- La Mancha region of Spain is located in the middle of the peninsula.  The climate in this area is “markedly continental, with this characteristic decreasing toward the west and as the altitude increases above 1,000 meters.  Rainfall is not abundant, especially in the interior of the sub plateau, although the influence of the Atlantic in the western regions causes an increase in rainfall.”  This region produces about 14% of the olive oil from Spain using the Cornicabra olive varietal.

The southeastern part of Spain contains a region called Extremadura, where 6% of Spain’s olive oil is produced.  In this region, the climate is continental as well, with hot summers, warm winters and scarce rainfall.  The olives that thrive in this area for the production of oil are Cornicabra, Carrasquena and Morisca.

Catalonia is the final large region of Spain, producing about 4% of the oil in Spain.  It is in the northeast corner of the peninsula, giving the region a climate common to a Mediterranean region.  The olives grown in this area are Farga, Empeltre and Arbequina.

In general, oils produced with Spanish olives are very smooth and lack the peppery kick that Italian oils tend to have.  While Spanish oils are buttery, they still maintain hints of tropical fruits (i.e. bananas and pears).  Due to the exquisite flavor that Spanish olive produce, Spanish olive trees have been sought after within the country and internationally for many years.

Source & photo credit: http://www.oliveoilfromspain.com/OOFS/everything/regions.asp

There are several different types and categorizations of olive oils that are widely accepted:

-Extra virgin olive oils

-Virgin olive oils

-Refined olive oils

-Olive oils

-Olive pomace oils

The premium olive oils within these categories are the virgin olive oils.  These oils consist of oil obtained only from crushed olives using mechanical/physical means “which do not alter the oil in any way.  They have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging, and filtering” (oliveoilsource.com).    Essentially, they are a pure, natural product.

Extra virgin olive oil has a free acidity of .8% or less.  The International Olive Oil Council has several standards and characteristics that also have to go along with a low acidity level to classify an olive oil as “extra virgin.”  These oils account for under 10% of the oil produced and tend to be the most expensive and flavorful.

Virgin olive oil must have a free acidity of less than 2%.  These oils are also tested by the IOOC and must pass several tests to be classified as a virgin oil.  While these oils are still flavorful, their quality is not as high as the extra virgin oils.

Refined oil is the oil “obtained by refining virgin olive oils (not olive-pomace oils) that have a high acidity level and/or organoleptic defects which are eliminated after refining” (oliveoilsource.com).  Chemicals and filters are used to refine the oil to make it fit for human consumption.  While it is physically safe for a person to consume this olive oil, many countries consider it “unfit” for human consumption due to the odorless and flavorless taste of the oil.

Olive oil is considered to be a mix between virgin and refined olive oil.  While these two combine to make a moderately priced oil, the flavor is somewhat bland.

Olive pomace oil is not fit for human consumption.  Typically, these oils are made by grinding the remaining pits and flesh of the olive after pressing the olives.  “Olive pomace oil is the oil obtained by treating olive pomace with solvents or other physical treatments, to the exclusion of oils obtained by re-esterfication processes and of any mixture with oils of other kinds” (oliveoilsource.com).  The oil is inferior and is usually used to make bath or soap products.

Information source: Oliveoilsource.com

Photo credit: http://www.kepka.org/eurolive/Eng/images/olive_types.gif

Their first harvest in 2005 was so small that they had to combine it with fruit from several ancient Mediterranean trees that grow between the vines in symbiotic harmony.  These trees, with their enormous gnarled trunks, were planted on their property in the late 19th century by a Greek who owned the land at that point in time.  While the varietal of these trees has yet to be officially identified, they are most likely Picolines. The blend created has been pure serendipity; the flavor is full, fresh and unique and the yield is small as their oil is created from first crush only.

The Gleasons hand pick their olives between mid November and mid December, depending on how Mother Nature has influenced the ripening.  They like to have a good balance of green fruit to ripe fruit to create the smooth mellow flavor with a slightly green pungency.  The olives are handpicked and then rushed to Ukiah where they are crushed, the same day, at Olivino in Ukiah.

The oil is hand bottled in small batches as needed, while the rest of the oil is carefully stored in special barrels in a cool cellar.  To date, the oil has not been for sale so only friends and family have enjoyed this exclusive and precious bounty.

Gleason olives are all grown and harvested at Summer Hill Vineyards and Orchards on Lommel Road in Calistoga.

In California, we grow several different Italian, French and Spanish olive tree varietals:

Italian: Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Maurino, Moraiolo, and Taggiasca

French: Aglandaou, Beutillon, Cayon, and Picholine du Garde

Spanish: Arbequina, Farga, Picual, Mission, Manzanillo, and Sevillano

Spanish oils tend to produce a soft buttery flavor while Italian oils have a peppery pungent finish.  French oils are sought after for their rich and complex perfume and smooth flavor.

Different olive varietals produce different flavors, leading a producer to make a simple elegant oil with one olive varietal or a blended oil with several varietals, causing the olive oil explode with flavor.

Photo credit: http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/06/p_BKS050043.jpg

Olive oil is made each fall all over the world by pressing olives from many different types of olive trees, immediately following harvest.  Depending on the grower/producer of the oil, olives may be harvested anywhere from mid-October through the end of December.  Early harvest dates tend to lead to greener, more pungent oil while olives harvested later, make a light golden mellow tasting olive oil.

Harvesting can be done in various different ways, from mechanical harvesting to hand-picking.  While harvesting the olives mechanically reduces cost, it bruises the olives, which may compromise the flavor.

Each year the harvest yield varies, depending on the weather throughout the year and the location of the olive grove.  Typically, one acre yields around 3 tons of olive oil on the coast while an acre inland will yield around 5 tons.  Depending on the varietal of the olives, one ton of olives can produce anywhere from 20 to 40 gallons of olive oil.

“Milling is the process of taking olives and extracting the olive oil.  It is often referred to as ‘pressing,’ although this is an obsolete and incomplete term” (The Olive Oil Source)”.   Producers can choose, from various methods, which way to press their olives, from stone mills and hammermills to metal toothed grinders and hydraulic presses.  The oil then goes through a complex filtration process before it is stored in a container, allowing the sediment to settle to the bottom.

Once the oil is ready to consume, the producer may choose to blend several oils together to create a custom oil blend.  If the producer wishes for their oil to be certified as an extra virgin olive oil, they send their oil to an agency to be certified.  Once the producer has the perfect blend, the bottling and labeling process begins, completing the finished product.

Source: oliveoilsource.com

Picture credit: http://www.maremmaguide.com/image-files/first_cold_press_olive_oil.jpg

GOLD:
Jaeger Family Olive Oil
Napa Valley Select
Edge Hill
Egg Ranch Olive Oil

SILVER:
5160 Farms
Harris Ranch Napa Valley
Kelseyville Olive Mill
Regina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Round Pond Estate

BRONZE:
Moose Valley Olive Oil
Prato Lungo
Round Pond Estate
The Napa Valley Reserve