Thanksgiving Weekend 2010 we stopped on the drive from San Francisco to L.A. at Pasolivo Olive Oil Company in Paso Robles, CA. It so happened they were picking and pressing the first crush of extra virgin olive oil at the moment we arrived. It’s made from Italian varietals including Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Lucca and Moraiolo. The press is smaller than I imagine—a large living room area, about the size of Pasolivo’s busy gift shop. I had my iPhone, and decided to do a quick video.
I’d never tasted oil fresh from the olive before. It was as much like wine or juice as oil—fragrant and sharp and grassy, it tasted as much of the trees as of the olive.
The pint jar you see in this video retails for around $40. And it’s worth it.
This is not the olive you use in your Hanukkah menorah this weekend, or to fry the latkes (heaven forbid). You pour it over some fresh mozzerella, or you just pour it on a white plate, swipe your finger across it, and lick. Happy Hanukah.
Watch the Video: