The results of the 2006 Yolo and Los Angeles county Fair Olive Oil competitions have been released.  Yolo is the second largest olive oil competition in the United States, second only to the L.A. County Fair Wine and olive oil competition. Fifty five oils were submitted and six judges were on the panel at Yolo.

The Los Angeles County Fair received 386 oils from 246 producers. There were a total of 28 Best of Class Awards, 138 Gold Medal Awards, 121 Silver Medal Awards, and 46 Bronze Medal Awards. This year’s competition received oils from Argentina, Australia, Crete, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States.

LA County Fair: 2006 SPECIAL AWARDS

BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – DOMESTIC – LIGHT
Stella Cadente Olive Oil
Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Maurino, Moraiolo, Mendocino

BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – DOMESTIC – MEDIUM
California Olive Ranch
Arbequina Blends, Oroville

BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – DOMESTIC – INTENSE
Lunigiana Estate
Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Maurino, Moraiolo, Sonoma County

BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – INTERNATIONAL – LIGHT
Mas Des Bories
Provence DOP, Aglandau Bouteillan, France

BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – INTERNATIONAL – MEDIUM
Te Arai Olive Estate
New Zealand Mono Cultivar, Frantoio, New Zealand

BEST EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL – INTERNATIONAL – INTENSE
Olivares de Quepa SA
Chile Mono Cultivar, Picual, Talca, Chile

BEST FLAVORED OLIVE OIL
Round Pond Olive Oil
Orange, Rutherford

Kudos to Sue Ellery at Stella Cadente who received Best of show and a gold medal for her new Persian Lime oil at Yolo as well as the best light extra virgin oil at  the LA competition.  According to a recent article in Forbes, "She is the only California producer to have won this prestigious award twice in the history of the olive oil competition."   As well as being honored with Best of Show, Stella Cadente also won a Gold Medal and "Best of Class" in the same category, and a Gold Medal for their Meyer Lemon Oil.  Forbes reported that they have won more awards for their oils than any other California producer.

California Olive Ranch won the medium intensity flavor domestic category proving that a big producer with mechanized equipment can turn out a boutique quality product.

The Intense category award went to Lunigiana Estate, a label that Ed Stolman created in 1995 at The Olive Press.  Lunigiana Certified Organic Olive Oil won the Best of Show Medal as well as a Gold Medal in the Organic Olive Oil Category at the Yolo County Fair.  Lunigiana has won First Place in Italy's BIOL Organic Olive Oil competition every year since 1999. In addition, Lunigiana was named "Best Foreign Oil" in Spain's ECOLIVA competition in 2002.  The Olive Press won a total of 9 awards at Yolo and 9 at Los Angeles.

Best Flavored Olive Oil went to Round Pond in Rutherford. Their Blood Orange Olive Oil is a unique fusion of estate-grown Blood oranges and Round Pond Spanish variety olives.

For a complete listing of all winners click for  Excel spreadsheet

Olive Fly Hits Hard

There have been big increases in olive fly trapping in California this season. Several factors have contributed.

Last year many table olive producers had poor quality fruit and with the high cost and unavailability of labor to pick, the fruit were left on the tree. Olives left in the orchard give the fly a chance to multiply and over winter. 

Olive Growers Council Chairman Rod Burkett of Strathmore was quoted in their newsletter as saying that "We cannot and will not continue farming olives under current economic conditions. Growers are continuing to leave the industry by selling, bulldozing trees or simply abandoning their groves."  Abandoned groves are a haven for the olive fly.

The fly is naturally migrating to previously lightly infested areas.

What to do:

Olive fly info:

1.)UC Davis 2006 recommendations
2.)California Olive Oil Council website
3.)Olive Oil Source olive fly info page
4.)UC Davis pest management

Early detection - consider the PHEROCON Olive fruit fly kit which contains 6 yellow stick traps, 6 sex pheromone lures, enough product to service six different sites for up to 4 weeks. Call 866-785-1313 for suppliers.  McPhail traps are more effective but slightly more costly and  difficult to maintain.

Marshall Johnson of the Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside UC Kearney Agricultural Center in Parlier has a great presentation with up to date information about the fly. Click for pdf file

Dow Agro-sciences announces GF-120 label Revision

GF-120 may be applied to olives without filing a Notice of Intent (NOI). The material is no longer under Section 18 requirements.

Federally Restricted: No
State Restricted: No
Toxic to Bees: No
Toxic to Fish: No
Notice of Intent required: No
Closed Mixing System: No
Toxic to Birds: No
Avoid Drift: Yes
Avoid Water Contamination: Yes
REI: 4 Hours
Posting Required: No
Organophosphate: No
Carbamate: No
Feed/Graze Treated Area/Crop: No

Click For complete Label

 California State University, Fresno’s Estate Reserve Oil pleases the judges.  

Estate Reserve – California State University, Fresno's first extra virgin olive oil  was released at Farm Market March 9.  It is the first full release from its “olives-for-oil” project launched last fall. The project operates at   Fresno’s Agricultural Laboratory, the 1,053-acre University Farm on the northeast side of the campus.

Dr. John D. Welty, university president, joined Gino Favagrossa, Fresno State orchard manager, and Dr. Ganesan Srinivasan, director of the university’s farm operations, in presenting the new extra virgin olive oil. Also present was Dr. Daniel Bartell, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, and Dr. James Farrar, Plant Sciences Department chair.

Favagrossa said the new release is priced at $10.95 for a 500 ml vintage bottle designated with the first release year. He said the Estate Reserve is a unique “blend of Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki oils; fruity with a mild pungency that leaves a pleasing, persistent taste reminiscent of green herbs, tomato and banana.”

Proceeds from olive oil sales, like all student products, help strengthen Fresno State's teaching and research program in agriculture, Dean Bartell said.

“The new olives-for-oil project contributes to Fresno State's mission in promoting world-class agriculture by researching new technologies and teaching and training our students in modern agriculture,” Bartell said.

The "olive for oil" project is conducted on a 22-acre block of super high-density plantings under the academic auspices of the university’s Plant Science Department.

The olives were mechanically harvested, then processed and bottled by the California Olive Ranch, a partner in the venture. The planting system was showcased in October when the first harvest was completed. It was the first commercial mechanical harvest of an olive plantation for oil from a super high-density planting in California’s Central Valley. Shortly after, a limited specialty release, Olio Nuovo, was pressed and made available for the holidays as an appetizer to the Estate Reserve full release.

“This is a true partnership project between industry and Fresno State to make the latest and best research and practices available to farmers,” President Welty said. “This first vintage blend of olive oil, proudly produced by our students on our farm and processed and packaged in collaboration with California Olive Ranch, Is another excellent homegrown Fresno State product.”

Srinivasan noted that the demand for olive oil has accelerated as consumers have become more aware of the health benefits and it has become a hot culinary product.

The United States imported 64.5 million gallons of olive oil in 2002, said Alan Greene of the California Olive Ranch at Fresno State’s Olive Field Day in October, while California olive oil production for 2004 was just 383,000 gallons.

“With this new technology of super high-density planting of olive trees and the right soil and climatic conditions, California could expand its acreage in olives for oil plantations and could not only satisfy the domestic market but also become a major player in the export market for extra virgin olive oil,” said Srinivasan, whose doctoral degree is in agronomy and soil science.

The Estate Reserve is available at the Fresno State Farm Market, which is open 9 a.m-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays. For more information: Farm Market 559.278.4511, University Farm 559.278-2011

 Strictly Olive Oil, a business dedicated to olive oil marketing and education, has been purchased by Nancy Ash, a specialty foods marketing consultant who specializes in olive oil. The former owner, Betty Pustarfi of Pebble Beach, California, is retiring from the food industry to pursue other interests.

Strictly Olive Oil evolved from Betty’s professional experience as a gourmet foods retailer, her background in marketing, and her personal interest in olive oil. As a retailer she found that customers were reluctant to buy expensive extra virgin olive oils without first tasting them. By offering samples and knowledgeable guidance to her customers, Betty greatly increased sales of quality olive oils. Later Betty expanded the business by offering comparative tastings through other retailers, at food festivals and at trade and consumer seminars. Strictly Olive Oil™ became a vital link between the international olive oil community and U.S. importers, distributors and retailers.

Nancy’s professional interest in olive oil began in 1993 while employed by Manicaretti, an importer of artisanal Italian foods based in Oakland, California. Since then Nancy has trained as a taster and tasting panel leader in both the U.S. and Italy, and has served on the California Olive Oil Council’s tasting panel since its inception in 1998. She also has an extensive background in specialty food sales and marketing, and most recently worked with Restaurant LuLu Gourmet Products.

“I want to present tastings that are both fun and educational”, states Nancy, “and felt that the opportunity to continue Strictly Olive Oil’s educational programs was perfect for me. Extra virgin olive oils have a range of flavors just like wine, and I want to show people how to pair these flavors with other ingredients in their cooking, and how to tell the difference between good flavors and defective ones.”

Nancy plans to include educational information as well as recipes on Strictly Olive Oil’s new website, which is currently being redesigned.