To our Friends & Family,
We are thankful to be open during the COVID Pandemic and are following local, state, and federal COVID Safety requirements.
We are happy to refill your “clean and dry” bottles with our California Fine Olive Oil, and we are even offering Olive Oil Tastings here at our store! We are taking extra precautions and are offering tastings with single-use containers. All of our employees are wearing masks, and we require that you do as well.
What Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Why Do We Only Sell California Grown, Here At Olive Ventura?
Selecting Only the Best Products...
There are a number of classifications of olive oil and “Extra Virgin” is the highest. In simple terms, this means that it is free from defects in flavor and odor and it is 100% olive oil. There is actually much more detail than that in order to be certified by the California Olive Oil Council. There are mandates regarding harvesting methods, the amount of time between harvesting and pressing, the methods and conditions used for pressing, the actual chemical analysis of the oil, and then it must pass an actual sensory and tasting test by a panel of experts. This certification must be renewed for each variety and each grower every year.
Why from California? Unfortunately, few other places on the world have such high standards for classifying an oil as extra virgin and many that are on store shelves here have not undergone testing at all. In addition, freshness is a key factor in the flavor and quality of olive oil. Unlike wine, it does not improve with age. Our California olive oil has not been sitting in the hold of a cargo ship or in the belly of an airplane on an international flight. We deal directly with California producers.
