Balzana

Balzana is one of the oldest extra virgin olive oil brands in California. It has won many awards and accolades over the years. It is made from up to ten different olive varietals and is a medium-strength oil.

Many years ago, Merritt Edmunds decided to create a California artisanal extra virgin olive oil after having tasted a delicious olive oil from Italy. For ten years Merritt made fabulous olive oil relying primarily on his own labor. During the latter few years of this period, he began to mill a lot of fruit from and at Figueroa Farms. The rigorous work and long hours took their toll on Merritt and he finally decided to reduce his involvement in the production side of the business, focus more on the tasting and blending side, and sold Balzana to Figueroa Farms. Merritt still selects the oils and the proportions that make up the Balzana extra virgin olive oil blend. Merritt may use up to ten different olive varieties, predominantly Italian varietals, which come from a number of groves. This provides a broad palette for creating the theme, flavor profile and balance that he wants.