2009 Olive Oil Blending Underway

Today we began tasting through and rating oils made from our Italian cultivars. The Italian cultivars (like "varietals" in grape vines) we produce are Frantoio, Moriaolo, Pendolino, and Leccino.

Typically, these Italian cultivar olive oils produce a dramatic amount of spiciness (pungency) in the back of your throat, causing you to cough or clear your throat.

A particularly pungent oil is a "two cough oil" - something we try to make! After much discussion and evaluation of these oils, we are beginning to see the blend for the Napa Valley Select.