There's an interesting article in today's S.F. Chronicle food section about new California olive oils made from the Spanish arbequina olive. I've seen the California Olive Ranch bottles, but haven't tried it. Has anyone else?

I have had McEvoy olive oil from Marin County. It is a multi Italian variety. Expensive adn good but I am not sure it is worth it. I have not seen this one.

Wine Notes*Tuscan Restaurant List* Wine, Opera & Food* Trip

words of wisdom to live by from Stephen Sondheim's The Frogs
{The chorus is singing a prayer to Dionysus...}
Dionysius "A hymm to me, the god of wine..."
Xanthius (His slave) "I thought you were the god of drama?"
Dionysius "I am the god of wine and the god of drama. A little wine will get you thru a lot of drama"

Yes, I've had McEvoy and that was exactly my assessment. Very good, but overpriced. The intriguing thing about the California Olive Ranch is that it's machine-harvested and not at all expensive! I won't believe it until I taste it, but it's worth a try.

Chris,
Sonoma will be holding their annual Olive Oil tasting and market on Feb. 21-22 in the square. We go every year, it's lots of fun. This pretty much marks the end of the 2 month Olive Harvest and Festival.

Hmm. That sounds like fun. It might be time for another Sonoma outing!

I guess I'll just have to think of you both on the 21st.... enjoying olive oil......



while I am sipping un'ombra and munching on cichetti in Venezia....

I'm new at this olive oil habit, but it's growing on me!

I ordered a 5-litre tin from Umbria through EVO in December. New Nov. oil--very tasty.

Now, two small olive oil producers are selling their oil at our Santa Barbara Farmers Market! They are the late harvest olives of January, just picked and bottled.

One is Fusano, California Valley Specialty Olives, whose orchard is located somewhere up toward the Sierras from Paso Robles. Their oil is mild and slightly heavy.

The other is Cook&Ladder, based in Santa Ynez Valley between Santa Ynez and Los Olivos--just over the mountains from Santa Barbara. Their oil is more Tuscan--peppery afterbite, but lighter than the Fusano.

I'm having a wonderful time getting into this olive oil thing!! And what fun! These California oils are every bit as tasty and interesting as the Umbrian oil! And I'm buying them directly from the folks who picked the olives off their own trees. That's fun, too.
Charity