Amazing Olive Oil

We are making some amazing olive oil this season. 

And, what an unusual season it has been.  Our yields are more than double the yields from our previous highest year. And, we are still harvesting in January (only twice before have we harvested this late).  Furthermore, we may be only halfway through our crop at Long Meadow Ranch.  So, another ten days of picking are probably required. 

We started picking in our oldest olive orchard yesterday, which has traditionally been the source of our exclusive Prato Lungo oil.  The oil is just amazing: soft, almost sweet, with hints of tropical fruits and even honeydew melon. 

We are blessed to have inherited this orchard from our original pioneer, E.J. Church.  Imagine planting these hillside orchards with cuttings from around the Horn in the early 1870s.  The trees were lost in the forest for more than sixty years and then we restored them to health over the past fifteen years.  Incredibly, the trees (still an unidentified culitvar despite multiple DNA test) make truly world-class olive oil.  We are the very lucky benefactors indeed. 

Sean McEntire, our olive oil maker, and I are immensely enjoying every afternoon as we sample the lots of freshly made oil.   Yesterday the oil seemed more like an elegant drink than a condiment.  We can't wait to share it with our family, friends, and fans.