🐬 California Coast Gold

I've gone through so many EVOO I cannot keep up! Before I left for this trip, I had over 70 empty bottles on my shelf. I will do my best to review a small set of my favorites that I finished between June and today. I will work backwards, starting with a 25 mile bike ride from La Jolla down to Liberty Station. I was surprised to walk by this shop, Baker & Olive.

I purchased a bottle of the Arbequina, and it is delicious. 

You'll notice the producer is the Valencia Food Company in Oakland. The EVOO would thus be sourced from Northern Hemisphere estate partners, possibly California mills, Spain, or Portugal. We cannot say for sure. Either way, the mild flavor was lovely. Much of the time there is emphasis on the peppery kick or burn, and sometimes I just want a mild flavor instead.

The Olive Oil Emporium in Old Town San Diego

On a different 25 mile bike ride (one through Fiesta Island) I stumbled on Old Town San Diego and the Fiesta de Reyes. While Dia de los Muertos does not happen until November, they put up decorations early so visitors can enjoy at the end of the summer. These are probably amazing to see at night!

It was a beautiful celebration of Mexican, Central and South American cultures. In a shop I saw a row of dresses with roses. I like to wear roses in my hair, and immediately saw myself dancing in these dresses. I do not see myself that often in the world, so it was a nice feeling.

 And here is the Olive Oil Emporium, as a part of the complex.

I enjoyed my time in the store, primarily because I talked to the woman that checked me out for much longer than was required. She was an older, and beautiful Mexican woman that lived to the south. I asked her many questions about the area and the shop. It turns out they were nearing on a year in business, having replaced the previous Temecula Olive Oil Company. She took an immense amount of time to wrap and tape my oils, which suggested to me that she was enjoying the conversation too. I also appreciated the bubble wrap, because the ride back was long and quite bumpy at times.

My adventurer heart is filled by these kinds of trips. Part of it is being fully immersed in the world, and another part is the physical movement and working hard toward reaching a goal or destination.

They made it home safely... to the salt lamp in my stay. 🧂

Il Fustino in Santa Barbara

I spent some time in Santa Barbara and Montecito, and stopped by Il Fustino.

This store was stocked! The woman that checked me out was also really fun to talk to. The picture below shows flavored oils, but the other side of the store (the silver fustis) was all EVOO, and from California producers. As is common in stores like these, they order them from mild to robust.

I bought four. I have no shame. 😁

This part of my trip I was still traveling with my best friend. His family lives in Southern California and he is averse to travel (airplane or driving himself) so I decided to physically drive him down to his family for his birthday, and of course enjoy the trip myself. This picture might illustrate the difference between filtered an unfiltered EVOO.

Of this set, the Mission is buttery (as expected) and my next favorite two are the Arbequina and Spanish varietals, with the Arbequina being the more mild of the two. The Ascolano is not my favorite. I think it might just be the olive variety that I do not like the aftertaste of. Will I consume the entire bottle still, and quickly? Absolutely.

The Mill at 43 Ranch

This was entirely unplanned, and that is what makes it so spectacular! One of the charging spots for my car had an olive oil producer, sheep, and a small store! This is the Mill at 43 Ranch in the Salinas Valley.

What is so spectacular about this experience is that you can see the olives and trees and production equipment alongside that produced the oil you are about to enjoy. 

To quote my friend, "It's like a lemonade stand with a lot extra steps." 😂

I bought two (out of the three EVOO) and am considering making a stop there on the way back or ordering to try the last variety. These are delicious. The best way to describe them is dense in flavor. My favorite is the Picual, which is richly grassy. Helen's Blend has more of a peppery kick and is at-another-level delicious.

You can read more about the family on their website. For another charging stop, I picked up a local EVOO from a small shop in a town called (I kid you not) Los Olivos. I very much enjoyed the message on the back of the bottle, and am about halfway through it.

Sindyanna of Galilee

When one of my colleagues heard that I liked olive oil, he wanted me to try Sindyanna of Galilee, which is a non-profit organization based out of Israel that sells olive oil, along with a few other products. What makes the business special is being founded by Arab and Jewish women, and emphasizing fair trade. What does that mean? Fair trade is a movement that is focused on the well-being of farmers and workers in developing countries. We take it for granted that we have safe working conditions and fair pay, but that is not always the case.  job opportunities, and cultural cooperation. You can read about the organization or watch a short video here.

I really enjoyed the video in that it showed the olive processing and bottling, from behind the scenes. And the EVOO are delicious, and thank you to my colleague for the unexpected and wonderful gift! Along with winning international awards, I can give my review here! Both were immensely flavorful. The organic had a herbaceous quality, and although I cannot verify this by taste, it tasted how I imagine Za’atar would. The house blend was more fruity and finished with light bitterness. I consumed the bottles quickly, if that reflects my sentiment! I was curious how fair trade is enforced, and from this page I found the WFTO.

And finally, four from Olive Oil Lovers that I am enjoying on my trip and at home. I will give a special shout out to the red bottle - it is exquisite. The Castilo de Canena first day harvest Arbequina from Andalusia, Spain. While it is not the color of the Ecto Cooler slimer, It is the greenest EVOO I have seen to date. I love everything that I try from this producer. I really need to go to Spain!

For other reports, I tried a sample of Tamia EVOO, and it reminded me of grape skins. Alright, I am still actively on adventures! I have driven down the entire West Coast, seen many beaches, kayaked in the ocean, crashed into waves, run along beaches, and biked endless miles. Aside from the driving time, I brought my entire working setup and have been surprisingly productive. Before I head back I am thinking of jumping off a cliff and paragliding above the sea. Wish me a good time! 😁