How did you settle on the green color?

When we talked to people at California Olive Ranch who grow the olives and make the oil, they told us clear bottles are the worst thing you can store olive oil in. Light harms olive oil. Yet every single bottle from Europe we looked at was clear. While retailers might say that consumers want to see the olive oil, we wanted to do what’s best for the oil. So we chose green. Also, green seems to equate with fresh, natural, and sustainable.

How did you come up with the idea for the olive-shaped finger grips on the bottle’s side?

We realized that nobody had thought of the idea of putting finger grips on the bottle. When you use the finger grips on the California Olive Ranch bottle, the bottle tips perfectly for pouring. People also tell us they like the grips because they make it easier to hold the bottle and avoid dropping it.

Is there any particular scene that stands out during the entire creative process for the new bottle?

I remember the four of us being in a room, all saying: ‘We know what we want to do. Are we going to have the courage of our convictions to do it?’ Looking back on all that, now that it’s been a big success, you could say: ‘Of course we should make the bottle green and have a totally different shape and swim completely against the stream.’ But it wasn’t such an easy decision. I give Gregg and Claude full credit for deciding to buck the tide.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

The new bottle reflects a team effort. Our CEO, Gregg Kelley, and I worked closely with Ron Vandenberg and Kim Caruana of the crack design firm Berkeley Merchant, in Berkeley, Calif. The four of us spent many hours huddled in a room hashing out ideas and going over different bottle designs.

Ron is co-founder of Berkeley Merchant. Here’s the first of a two-part Q&A in which Ron gives his perspective on how the new bottle came about.

What was the inspiration behind the new bottle?

When we first got involved with designing it, we saw an opportunity to reinvent the olive oil category and Americanize it. We decided against doing what California’s wine industry did initially with its bottles, which was to mimic the bottles French, Italian and other European winemakers were using. We wanted to create a uniquely American approach to olive oil, instead of copying the Europeans.

How does the new bottle differ from European olive oil bottles?

All the bottles from Europe we looked at had a more female form: soft shoulders and more of an hourglass-like figure. They also didn’t have big spouts for pouring.  We decided we’d do the opposite. When the new bottle stands on the shelf next to all the competitors, it looks completely different. It also feels beautiful in your hand.

Did you have any other U.S. companies in mind when you were designing the new bottle?

Starbucks is a uniquely American brand, and proudly so. Starbucks has its own take on every coffee drink. It’s a uniquely American coffee drinking experience. We decided we wanted to do for extra virgin olive oil what Starbucks has done for coffee. We wanted to be different from the Europeans in every way but one — the romance behind the growing of olives and the making of olive oil. We wanted the bottle to reflect that romance, but it would also reflect the romance of the American West.

How do you achieve that romantic western image?

The label on the new bottle dates back to the old label art on the crates of fruits and vegetables that came out of California’s Central Valley in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. The companies employed the greatest artists of the time. The California Olive Ranch label also reflects an element of the famous artwork that emerged under the Depression-era federal art projects, like the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.).

In our case, we decided to make the olive rancher the hero. When you look at the new label, our iconic figure is the rancher with the heroic pose, as well as the big sky and the endless olive groves.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

Photo by by Peter Loftus

The British celebrity chef’s prodigious use of olive oil has become a regular topic of conversation on the popular messaging service. We keep our eye on Twitter traffic for news and information about extra virgin olive oil. And lately, lots of Tweets have been coming from U.K. viewers of Oliver’s cooking shows on the telly.

And for good reason. Jamie Oliver really likes to cook with EVOO. We’ve already noted the British celebrity chef measures it by the “glug” instead of a “drizzle.”

Judging by the Tweets we’ve been tracking, others have taken notice, too.

“Does Jamie Oliver bathe in olive oil? He uses SO MUCH!!” exclaimed someone identified by the Twitter moniker @petestuart. (Even if he doesn’t, it’s worth noting that Italian film legend Sophia Loren attributes her natural beauty to “spaghetti and the odd bath in virgin olive oil.”)

There was this Tweet yesterday from @LilyyBoo_TW: “just drizzled some peppers in olive oil- I feel like Jamie Oliver. HUZZAH!”

Oliver is a crusader for healthy eating. The first season of the ABC TV series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” featured the chef attempting to revolutionize the eating habits of Huntington, W. Va. (The Los Angeles public schools, however, recently opted against proceeding with a similar Oliver venture.)

Given Oliver’s penchant for olive oil — one Tweet even noted his last name contains the word “olive” — we’ve collected a sampling of some of our favorite Tweets:

• “Jamie oliver bloody loves olive oil” (@emswebby)
• “when Jamie Oliver says a swig of olive oil, he means half a bottle!” (@emma_beecher)
• “Me leaving the house: “Keys, wallet, phone.” Jamie Oliver leaving house: “Parmesan, anchovies, crushed garlic, lemon, glug of olive oil”…” (@enotriauk)
• “Jamie Oliver – keeping the olive oil supply-demand balance in check since 2001” (@rossess86)
• “Jamie Oliver loves his olive oil #justsayin!!!!” (@JojoCardle)
• “News warning: Jamie Oliver has used up all reserves of olive oil!” (@NattyPop)
• “How much olive oil does Jamie Oliver use? He must go through vats of the stuff on a weekly basis.” (@Farhana_Munshi)
• “Jamie Oliver might as well change his name too Jamie Olive-Oil.” (@CydneywithaC)
• “Jamie Oliver must have shares in olive oil and lemons.” (@adam_bannister)

Like @LilyyBoo_TW, maybe you’ll think of Jame Oliver the next time you drizzle your food with olive oil or pour a glug in frying pan. Better yet, maybe you’ll Tweet about it.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

Formerly called Olio Nuovo, Limited Reserve is sold during — and a short time after — the olive harvest.

What makes this oil so special?

FRESHNESS: Limited Reserve is the freshest oil we produce, because it’s bottled straight from the press. There’s no  filtering or time spent in the settlement tank.

TASTE: When you put a spoonful of Limited Reserve in your mouth, you experience a peppery, fruity, pleasantly bitter burst of fresh olive oil taste.

AVAILABILITY: The California Olive Ranch team  bottles Limited Reserve just once a year.  It doesn’t even make it to store shelves because it’s made to order.

USE BY DATE: You must open and consume this oil much sooner. Its eight-month shelf life is less than half that of our other oils. That’s because we don’t put Limited Reserve into tanks at our two mills for a few months to allow the fruit particles and other sediment to settle. Those fruit particles eventually  ferment.

Limited Reserve is great tossed with pasta. You can also use it to prepare a seasonal dish of sautéed pumpkin cubes and cannellini beans. Or drizzle Limited Reserve on good crusty bread and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. The possibilities are endless.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

It will be within the next few weeks! If you want to be the first to know, click here to be notified when the oil is available to order.

When we first started bottling this stuff we called it Olio Nuovo (an Italian term) to reflect that it’s the first “new oil” we press each year. It’s sold during, and a short time after, the olive harvest.

The oil makes its debut this year as Limited Reserve.

The main reason: Not everyone speaks Italian (neither do we, for that matter). As much as we liked the name Olio Nuovo, it was clear from what people told us the name wasn’t readily understood. Besides, the oil is from California, not Italy, and we’re proud of it!

After mulling and debating several options, we settled on “Limited Reserve.” The name reflects the oil’s limited production, shorter shelf life (eight months versus two to three years for most other oils), and fleeting availability.

What makes this oil so special?

FRESHNESS: Limited Reserve is the freshest EVOO we produce. The oil is  bottled straight from the press, without any filtering or time spent in the settlement tank.

TASTE: When you put a spoonful of Limited Reserve in your mouth, you experience a peppery, fruity, pleasantly bitter burst of fresh olive oil taste.

AVAILABILITY: The California Olive Ranch team  bottles Limited Reserve just once a year.  It doesn’t even make it to store shelves because it’s made to order.

USE BY DATE: You must open and consume this oil much sooner. Its eight-month shelf life is less than half that of our other oils. That’s because we don’t put Limited Reserve into tanks at our two mills for a few months to allow the fruit particles and other sediment to settle. Those fruit particles eventually  ferment.

MILLING AND SELECTION PROCESS: To craft Limited Reserve each fall, we harvest our olives and then quickly press them to preserve their freshness. We process the resulting olive paste in a centrifuge to separate the oil from the water and sediment. Bob Singletary, our veteran miller, personally tastes each batch of oil as it flows from the centrifuge spout.  After he’s tasted all the oil, Bob selects 20 to 30 of the best and brings them to  headquarters. Our management team then conducts a blind tasting test, with everyone tasting and grading each sample. We analyze the aroma and pungency.  We talk. And then we settle on the particular oil that becomes Limited Reserve.

BOTTLING: Right after we select the oil our milling team fires up the bottling line and starts bottling Limited Reserve. It’s November. By contrast, we typically start bottling our other oils the following February.

FLAVOR PROFILE: Limited Reserve’s flavor profile combines a strong and fruity aroma; the oil is smooth and buttery on the tongue; and it delivers a nice peppery finish.

COLOR: Very dark green. When you hold the bottle up you can see the sediment that’s escaped the centrifuge.

OTHER NOTABLE POINT: Our Limited Reserve differs from similar oils shipped from Europe. Ours hasn’t been sitting on a boat for four to six weeks.

USES: I particularly like Limited Reserve on salads because the flavor just explodes. It’s also great drizzled over bruschetta,  white pizza, roasted vegetables – or tossed with pasta. And, of course, it’s great for dipping crusty bread. We’ve also drizzled it over poached eggs. The possibilities are limitless.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

I’ve been writing about our olive varietals, starting with the Spanish Arbequina olive. Next up: Arbosana, another Spanish varietal we grow and crush into EVOO.

We have some 10,000 acres of olive trees under cultivation in northern California. They produce three olive varietals: Arbequina and Arbosana, both from Spain, and Koroneiki, from Greece. Last week I focused on Arbequina, our No. 1 varietal. It accounts for about 70% of our olives.

Arbosana is our No. 2 olive, representing about 20% of the olives we harvest using a system known as “super high-density” (SHD) planting. Arbosana also happens to be the second largest olive varietal grown in California. A recent report from the Olive Center at the University of California, Davis, finds that Arbosana accounts for 16% percent of California’s SHD acreage, or 1,688 acres.

Like Arbequina, the Arbosana tree is small in stature. Similarly, the Arbosana tree is a workhorse, producing large numbers of olives.

Our Arbequina and Arbosana EVOOs also happen to be the two single varietal oils we produce. Our Miller’s Blend, by contrast, combines our Arbequina and Arbosana EVOOs.

How do the Arbequina and Arbosana olives differ?

“The Arbosana variety has fruit that looks very much like Arbequina, but matures about three weeks later,” writes olive oil expert Paul Vossen, farm adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Sonoma County.

Arbosana also yields a more “robust” oil than Arbequina, which produces a “delicate” EVOO. In particular, Arbosana tastes more peppery, or pungent. The olive also delivers a higher level of polyphenols – the chemical substances found in plants that may cut the risk of heart disease and cancer.

And the taste? Arbosana delivers hints of green tomato, almond, and green banana.

Olive oil expert and cookbook author Fran Gage recommends serving robust oils such as Arbosana brushed atop bruschetta, in Spanish romesco sauce, and with all things chocolate. We’ve baked chocolate  madeleines using our Arbosana EVOO, substituting the olive oil for butter. They were phenomenal.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

Hundreds of varieties of olives are grown around the globe. We grow three varietals in California: Arbequina, Arbosana, and Koroneiki. We use the olives to produce single varietal oils — namely our Arbequina and Arbosana EVOOs — as well as blended oils like Miller’s Bend.

I’ll focus on the Arbequina olive here and look at Arbosana and Koroneiki in future posts.

We have some 10,000 acres of olive trees under cultivation across northern California, from Fresno north to Corning. Arbequina is our No. 1 olive. It represents 70% of the olives we harvest using a system known as “super high-density” (SHD) planting.

The Arbequina olive hails from Catalonia, in Spain. It has become a favorite among growers here in the Golden state. A recent report from the Olive Center at the University of California, Davis, found that Arbequina accounts for 78% percent of California’s SHD acreage, or 9,400 acres.

The Arbequina tree is relatively small. It has weeping branches. The oval-shaped olives the tree produces are small, too. The olive resists frost well. It ripens relatively early versus other varietals.

In Europe, you can sometimes find an Arbequina olive tree put in a pot and placed at the front entrance of cafés.

Our Arbequina EVOO is a “delicate” oil that delivers a lot of fruit aroma, balanced pungency, and a very pleasing clean taste. In particular, we find it tastes of ripe tropical fruits, apple, and fresh artichoke.

Our Arbequina EVOO won raves from Cook’s Illustrated for the oil’s “fresh, sweet, fruity flavor and pleasing hint of bitterness.”

Different olive oils, like different wines, pair well with particular foods. Arbequina goes well drizzled over meats to bring out the meat’s sweetness. It also goes well with “strong” pestos such as one made from wild arugula and dishes that use blue cheese. Arbequina makes a delicious ice cream, too.

We recommend using Arbequina for baking, particularly when substituting olive oil for butter. Try it in pound cake. You won’t be disappointed.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

At 34, Oliver has climbed to the top of the cooking world. He’s a TV star, operates restaurants, has his own magazine, and has penned a number of cookbooks. His recipes contain amusing directions, being at times detailed and other times vague.

“Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces,” he writes for his roasted chicken breast with pancetta, leeks and thyme.

“Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good glug of olive oil, small knob of butter, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together.”

More examples:

• His recipe for oven-baked rigatoni with wild boar salami calls for “a good glug of olive oil.”
• The grilled or roasted monkfish with black olive sauce and lemon mash specifies “a couple of glugs of extra virgin olive oil.”
• And the crispy tortillas with guacamole says “3 glugs of extra virgin olive oil.”

So how much is a glug? “A glug is, um, a glug,” replied Oliver’s spokesman Peter Berry. “There’s no real ‘definition,’ as such but everyone knows what a glug is.”

Uh, okay.

We did, however, find a explanation of sorts on the forums section at Oliver’s web site.

“When you pour olive oil from the bottle it will usually come with little interruptions when air goes back into the bottle. The result is a sort of  glug, glug, glug … sound,” wrote a fan identifying herself by the moniker SusanneH. “One of those is as much as you need” for a glug.

SusanneH went on to explain “the exact amount is not so important and may depend a bit on your personal taste. So if you use roughly 1-2 tablespoons you should be fine.”

We tried to define a glug ourselves the other night while making a variation of garlicky spaghetti with Olio Nuovo (we substituted Arbosana for the Olio Nuovo.) The recipe called for about three-eighths of a cup of olive oil, providing us with the opportunity to measure how many glugs went into it. We lost count after about 20 of them.

We turned our attention to twirling and slurping the pasta.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

So how much olive oil is in a “drizzle?”

I plugged the phrase into Internet search engines. Here’s what I got back: images of glass cruets dubbed olive oil “drizzlers,” recipes using the term, and an amusing newspaper article about a couple who like to bring a “flask” of olive oil to restaurants so they can drizzle it covertly on food they order.

I turned to friends in the food world – namely chefs and cookbook authors – and asked them what a drizzle involved.

“I think of it as a very fine stream applied from a bottle that is passed quickly over the finished dish. If the bottle doesn’t have a pouring spout, covering half of the bottle opening with a thumb will allow the correct amount to flow.” Fran Gage, author of “The New American Olive Oil: Profiles of Artisan Producers and 75 Recipes.” Her recipes have been featured here.

“A drizzle changes depending on what I’m drizzling on. Fish needs just a light finishing. Tomatoes need a good splash. Here’s what to consider: Is the olive oil filling a supporting role, or is it an equal player?” Trey Foshee, chef at Georges at the Cove in La Jolla, Calif. His recipes have been featured here.

“It’s the finishing touch that dresses up a dish at the last minute. It usually consists of a teaspoon or two, and goes together with a sprinkling of some fresh chopped herbs, and possibly a squeeze of lemon or lime juice (or a wedge of one or the other placed on the plate).” Steve Johnson, chef-owner of the Rendezvous in Central Square in Cambridge, Mass. His halibut recipe has been featured here.

OK, so not everyone agrees on an exact definition. What’s yours?

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch