Tips on selecting high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
- Rich golden color indicates later harvest fruit with more buttery flavor
- Flavored oils should be infused with particular flavoring; not just include item as an ingredient
- Buy only from local purveyor so that there is knowledge of age of the oil as well as how it was made
- If growing your own olive tree, beware the olive fruit fly by using an organic spray or hanging a trap in your tree. Olive Press will crush the oil of your tree for you on their Community Press Days. See their website for more information.
- Extra-virgin olive oil must be tasted to be fully understood and appreciated. Here is how to taste extra-virgin olive oil like a professional:
- Pour a small amount of olive oil in a small cup. Place it in the palm of your hand and cover it with your fingers to warm it. After a minute or two, place the cup under your nose to appreciate the bouquet of the oil.
- Place a small amount of olive oil on your lower lip, and with the tip of your tongue, taste the oil for its degree of sweetness. Sip the oil and taste for spiciness, using the sides of your tongue.
- These are a few professional hints for tasting extra virgin olive oil, but if you prefer a more convivial method, just dip a piece of bread in the olive oil and taste it.
- Extra virgin olive oil can be used in endless ways in the kitchen. There are three distinct categories of extra virgin olive oil:
Fruity: "olivey" - green or ripe (green = grass, leaves, apple, other fruits-banana, fig). Complements grilled meat and vegetables, pasta, bruschetta without garlic, sauces with garlic, and milder cheeses.
Fruity-pungent: spicy, peppery (perceived in throat). Perfectly complements traditional, rustic dishes such as bruschetta with garlic, pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans), ribollita (vegetable and bread soup), and panzanella (tomato and bread salad).
About Deborah Rogers, Managing Partner of The Olive Press
Deborah has been called "Olive Queen" by those who know her well due to her extremely sensitive palate and unwavering standards for creating award-winning olive oils. She's had a life long passion for what she calls liquid gold and believes strongly in churning out only the highest quality extra virgin oil. Deborah is a certified master taster for the University of California at Davis Research Taste Panel.
About Olive Press
The Olive Press Olive Oil Tasting Room and Gift Shop in SONOMA, California, as well as our online store, are dedicated to anything and everything having to do with olives and olive oil. You'll find many unique and distinctive items for gift giving and for your own home. For the chef, the best of our award winning California extra virgin olive oils are offered for tasting and purchase. We also offer assorted jars of tapenades, cured olives, olive oil crackers and other tasty delicacies. In addition to our wonderful olive oils and unique balsamic vinegars, we offer a wide variety of olive themed ceramics, baskets, books, table linens and olive oil storage containers, many commissioned by and available exclusively through us. Be sure to check out our newest gift box sets, or call one of our gift experts directly, and create your own gift box combination. You may prefer to order directly from our web store. Now it's easy, quick and convenient to fill your online "shopping cart" with unique and wonderful items produced exclusively by and for The Olive Press.
The Olive Press in Sonoma
24724 Arnold Drive (Highway 121)
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 939-8900
Website: www.theolivepress.com
