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.
This is a good way to start your education in fine oils. It will help you see what they mean when they identify ones with a 'peppery' taste, or ones with 'bold and assertive' flavor. Sounds like wine descriptions, doesn't it?
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.
When oils are blended, several varieties may be crushed together. Ripe fruit may be mixed with green to get the desired flavor. Artisan growers take as much pride in their groves and oils as fine wine makers do in their grapes and their art.
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.
The Golden State has the 'terroir' for growing olives as well as grapes. Many of the farms produce both in small quantities. Terroir refers to soil, climate, and other factors that make plants flourish. Olive trees need limestone soil, superior drainage, mild weather (they do best near the sea), and lots and lots of sun. A well-established tree can live for centuries; some are believed to be over two thousand years old.
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.
This is a good way to start your education in fine oils. It will help you see what they mean when they identify ones with a 'peppery' taste, or ones with 'bold and assertive' flavor. Sounds like wine descriptions, doesn't it?
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.
When oils are blended, several varieties may be crushed together. Ripe fruit may be mixed with green to get the desired flavor. Artisan growers take as much pride in their groves and oils as fine wine makers do in their grapes and their art.
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.
The Golden State has the 'terroir' for growing olives as well as grapes. Many of the farms produce both in small quantities. Terroir refers to soil, climate, and other factors that make plants flourish. Olive trees need limestone soil, superior drainage, mild weather (they do best near the sea), and lots and lots of sun. A well-established tree can live for centuries; some are believed to be over two thousand years old.
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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