From sun-drenched, food-obsessed Spain to your table! Three alluring extra virgin olive oils have been rushed to you at their peak!

• These charismatic Andalusian oils, bursting with healthful antioxidants, will bring vibrant and enticing flavors to your spring menus.
• All come from award-winning artisanal producers.
• All are Club exclusives and are available nowhere else.
• As always, all have been certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin.

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As I started to write this report, I found myself daydreaming that I was at one of the quick-stop ventas (diners) attached to gas stations along the byways of southern Spain, munching on Marcona almonds drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Then I was thinking of velvety jamón Ibérico, delectable grilled artichoke hearts, and savory torta española, all splashed with vibrant, herbaceous, fresh-pressed Spanish extra virgin olive oil.

Of Pandemics and Peninsulas

If, as poet T. S. Eliot wrote, some people measure out their life in coffee spoons, I measure mine in memorable meals during olive oil hunts. With the ongoing global pandemic, though, your Olive Oil Hunter has now spent a full year stateside—missing the people, places, and collaborative discoveries that I am devoted to sharing with you. My mission has never wavered, however, and this quarter, my quest involved providing Club Members with the finest, most flavorful oils from Spain.

The ancient Greeks named it Iberia, the fist-shaped peninsula comprising Spain and Portugal. Olive trees, first introduced by the Phoenicians and Greeks, have thrived in the sunny, dry climate for thousands of years. The ancient Romans greatly expanded olive cultivation in the region, which they renamed Hispania, to feed the Roman Empire’s enormous appetite for olive oil.

Today, Spain reigns as the world’s largest producer of olive oil. The southern province of Jaén, approximately the size of Connecticut, produces almost 50 percent of the world’s supply. This year, Jaén’s output was more than that of Italy, Greece, and Portugal combined. As I’ve quipped, though, most of that is bulk oil I wouldn’t allow on my table—unless it were in a lamp. I work with only a very select few of Spain’s finest producers.

The Ultra-Premium Pioneers

About 15 years ago, a handful of quality-minded olive oil producers in Spain turned their sights to excellent artisanal EVOO, with a focus on local varietals, high polyphenol content, and extraordinary flavor. In the ensuing years, these pioneers—who represent only about 1 to 2 percent of Spanish producers—have shifted the landscape of Spanish olive oil, creating some of the most exquisite oils in the world as well as demand for them. The rise of premium EVOO has coincided with the experimental gastronomy of virtuoso Spanish chefs such as Ferran Adrià (of the late great restaurant elBulli), who champion exquisite food-and-oil pairings.

I am proud to have been scouting for fresh-pressed EVOO in Spain since 2005. On that trip I met the celebrated producer Francisco “Paco” Vaño of Castillo de Canena, now a cherished friend of the Club. (Learn more about Paco below.) On a recent pandemic-style Zoom call, we reminisced about those early days—back when there was little interest in the caliber of olive oil he aspired to produce. “But you believed in us,” he said, bringing a lump to my throat. (I may have needed to turn off my video to brush something from my eye.)

The Merry Band Steps In

The irony of a pandemic is that while our human lives are turned upside down, many other living things—olive trees, for instance—carry on, largely unaffected. Spain anticipated an excellent olive harvest; the challenge for me was how to visit the most promising groves in order to make selections for my Club.

Last quarter, the Pressing Report introduced two of my dearest friends and charter members of the Merry Band of Tasters, Tjeerd Belien and Duccio Morozzo della Rocca. This harvest, Tjeerd, a peripatetic jack of all trades who speaks five languages, was at the ready in a kitted-out motor home, which allowed him to travel and lodge self-sufficiently. Duccio, an internationally renowned olive oil expert based in Rome, met up with Tjeerd in Spain. I trust them both implicitly to channel my palate and preferences.

The years I’ve spent building relationships with producers and learning specifics about their groves were rewarded. Tjeerd and Duccio overnighted me samples from several of our favorite farms and, intercontinentally, we tinkered with ratios until alighting on this trio of winners. These three exclusive blends are all from award-winning producers who are thrilled to be collaborating with our Club: Finca Gálvez, Aroden, and Castillo de Canena.

EVOO Connects Us

Tjeerd and Duccio agreed that during this time of isolation, it was especially life affirming to collaborate on something so nourishing and fundamental. Olive oil courses through daily life in Spanish towns—when people hear you are interested in olive oil, they brighten, invariably promising to put you in touch with their cousin or neighbor who grows olives. One of my favorite details from the trip was Tjeerd’s description of a talkative priest moonlighting as a cheesemonger, who stopped in periodically to make purchases from the Aroden mill and to chat—his sheep’s milk cheese is cured in their olive oil.

I am delighted to have managed a spectacularly successful “remote hunt” to secure the dazzling beauties before you. Two of these combinations are firsts for my Club and for the producers as well. Read on for more insight into the artisans, detailed descriptions of the oils, and tantalizing regionally inspired recipes to enhance your enjoyment of these Spanish masterpieces!

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: Finca Gálvez, Jaén, Andalusia, Spain
• Olive Varieties: Arbequina
• Flavor Profile: Mild

I never dreamed a worldwide pandemic would interrupt my annual trips to the Iberian Peninsula. It did, of course, deepening my appreciation for the enduring relationships I have built in nearly 20 years as the Olive Oil Hunter. With movement often restricted between countries, provinces, and even villages, I’m very thankful that our exclusive Club’s needs were anticipated by top producers in my Iberian winners’ circle.

Among them is Finca Gálvez, an artisanal producer I’ve known since 2005. The family owned two olive farms when we met. Since then, it has added to its holdings and now controls nearly 3,000 acres. All are located in the fertile drainage basin of the Rio Guadalquivir (“Great River”), one of Andalusia’s most valuable natural resources. It is Spain’s only navigable river and supports millions of olive trees—the largest manmade forest in the world—and other flora and fauna.

Until 1999, the Gálvez family made high-quality bricks from the area’s red clay. Ironically, that same clay gives brothers José and Andrés an edge in producing ultra-premium olive oil—their goal since their father redirected the clan’s energies to agriculture. The densely compacted vermillion earth prevents unrestrained foliage development, sending more resources to the olive fruit and intensifying the oils’ flavors and aromas.

Prolonged droughts convinced the brothers to invest in a sophisticated irrigation system a few years ago; it delivers carefully calibrated water rations. (Only about one-third of Spain’s olive trees are irrigated, which underscores the Gálvez family’s commitment to quality.) They also employ environmentally friendly practices, such as encouraging wildflowers and grasses to flourish between the olive trees. (See the photo on page 5.) Not only is the soil protected from erosion, but the undergrowth helps it retain precious moisture and nutrients while sustaining the area’s abundant wildlife.

In fact, this year the family added world-renowned biologist Patricia Cano to the team. She has vast experience working with olive oil producers on multiple continents, and is expected to help Finca Gálvez develop an even more dynamic and integrated approach to the cultivation of olive trees.

Had anything else changed since my last visit? “Every year seems more difficult,” sighed Andrés during one of our Zoom conversations. “It was a complicated season for Spain.”

Echoing other Andalusian producers, he blamed hot dry weather for suppressing yields. Harvest crews worked during the coolest part of the day—6 a.m. to 11 a.m.—picking and transporting the olives to the modern mill with its state-of-the-art water-cooled systems. Protecting the fruit (and its delicate polyphenols) from heat is a critical step in producing the most healthful, highest-quality olive oil.

Italian master miller Duccio Morozzo della Rocca and Tjeerd Belien—my invaluable agents on the ground—evaluated many samples, and we selected two special Arbequinas to make a unique blend that I’m delighted with. Both oils were harvested from the same grove (albeit at different times), yet presented different profiles. Though it’s the mildest oil in this quarter’s trio, it is exceptionally well balanced, with intoxicating aromas, ample structure, and provocative flavors.

Finca Gálvez is thrilled to once again be chosen for our Club, grateful to be in the hands of in-the-know olive oil aficionados. Despite pandemic-related challenges, the family added nine important awards to its impressive portfolio, all displayed on the wall of their beautiful classroom, which they’re hoping to reopen soon. Not only were their oils named among the top 20 in the world for the sixth time by Flos Olei, the authoritative guide to the planet’s best extra virgin olive oils, they also won coveted gold medals in the New York International Olive Oil Competition, Olive Japan, and the London International Olive Oil Competition.

I’m beyond grateful for the many talented and dedicated people, like the artisanal producers at Finca Gálvez, who helped me fulfill my obligation to you during the past year, dear Club member—putting the world’s finest fresh-pressed olive oil on your table. But I am counting the days until my Merry Band of Tasters and I can resume our rewarding annual harvest trips. I sorely miss the interpersonal connections of the past years. And the food, oh, the food.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

This blend of two Arbequinas, harvested from the same grove but at different times, has amazing synergy. There’s grass and green banana on the nose along with baby spinach, foraged greens, fennel, citrus zest, thyme, hazelnuts, and a honeysuckle-like sweetness with notes of vanilla and baking spices. It blooms on the tongue with the flavors of banana, golden apple, almonds and walnuts, tomato, the mild bitterness of endive, and the tingling heat of fresh ginger and white pepper. A rich mouthfeel with a satisfyingly long finish.

Pair this genial olive oil with scrambled eggs, Spanish tortillas, or omelets; bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches); garbanzo beans or white beans; green salads with tender lettuces and fruit; Iberian or Serrano ham; crudités; roasted Marcona almonds or other nuts; fresh, mild cheeses; lentils, rice, farro, or quinoa; sweet potatoes; cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, or fennel; roast chicken or pork; tofu; simple pasta dishes; mild fin fish, scallops, octopus, calamari, or shrimp; melon; and baked goods (like the olive oil cake recipe below).

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: Cladium, Aroden España, Priego de Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain
• Olive Varieties: Hojiblanca, Picuda
• Flavor Profile: Medium

Meet Aroden, an award-winning family-owned almazara (olive mill) located in Spain’s stunning Sierras Subbéticas National Park.

Acting on a tip, I first became acquainted with Aroden’s small but talented team in 2011. I faithfully auditioned their signature oil, Cladium, pressed from the cultivar Hojiblanca, for years before finally selecting it for Club members. I remember well the frisson of excitement that ran through the Aroden offices when the announcement was made; general manager Luis Torres couldn’t stop smiling! And though I couldn’t deliver the good news in person this year, I saw via Zoom that my selection of Aroden’s Cladium for the third year in a row elicited the same genuine, ebullient response.

Hojiblanca (“white leaf”) is one of 262 varietals on the Iberian Peninsula. (Its meatiness and high fruit-to-pit ratio makes it a popular table olive, too.) According to legend, Hojiblanca olives were introduced to the region—then called Baetica by the occupying Romans—when a traveling canvas merchant gave a local farmer a cutting of uncertain origin. Despite being planted on a steep slope in calcareous soil, the tender olive tree slip not only survived but thrived. Perhaps, the farmer reasoned, propagations could satisfy Julius Caesar’s latest decree—that millions of olive trees be planted to sate Rome’s appetite for Hispania’s highly-regarded oils. (Historians now credit the Roman Empire with helping modern-day Andalusia, nee Baetica, become the world’s largest producer of olive oil.)

Aroden’s premium oil, CLADIVM, plays on the Roman connection by using an antique spelling (it swaps a “V” for a “U”). The word “cladium” comes from the sawgrass that grows nearby.

Currently, ownership of the award-winning mill and some 81,400 olive trees is shared by five families. Additional olive fruit is purchased from area farmers who contractually follow Aroden’s explicit instructions.

When deemed at the peak of flavor by Luis, the olives are picked during the coolest part of the day, then rushed to the gleaming state-of-the-art mill for pressing under the supervision of master miller Fernando Sánchez. Especially prized is olive fruit grown on the slopes of La Tiñosa, the highest peak in the province, where daily temperature differentials are more extreme. Luis calls La Tiñosa “the Magic Mountain.” It’s home to peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and more than 70 species of smaller birds. Hike to the top, and your route might be intersected by the shadow of a Griffon vulture; their wingspans can exceed nine feet.

The just-completed season was challenging, Luis noted, due to lack of rainfall during the olives’ maturation cycle. As the harvest approached, ill-timed rains threatened the crop, endangering the fruit earmarked for the premium extra virgin olive oil he hoped to press exclusively for my Club members.

So confident was Luis in the quality of the fruit, he mobilized his team for an earlier harvest—my preference anyway. It was a gamble that paid off. My longtime colleagues, master miller Duccio Morozzo and experienced olive oil taster Tjeerd Belien, were impressed with the Hojiblanco samples. The oil could be made even better, Duccio argued, by adding a small amount of Picudo. We determined 90/10 was the perfect ratio between the oils. Luis, it turns out, has great affection for Picudo. He remembers fondly his grandmother’s cured Picuda olives and laments that her recipe has been lost.

The inclusion of Cladium in the trio of EVOOs sent to Club members meant even more to Aroden this time than it did the previous two years. Pandemic-related obstacles prevented them from selling their oils through normal channels—trade fairs, high-end restaurants, gourmet stores, and the like. So to put their premium olive oil in the hands of Americans like yourself who appreciate its flavors and health benefits is a real coup for this hard-working team.

They showed their gratitude by inviting Duccio and Tjeerd to a sumptuous lunch in the beautiful backyard of Luis’s family home. The photos they sent me of the celebration reminded me yet again of the importance of creating and maintaining personal relationships with these passionate artisans. I will be back. In the meantime, enjoy this extraordinary extra virgin olive oil at your own table.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

Hojiblanco, enhanced with a touch of the cultivar Picuda, is a hardy example of Olea europaea. Vegetal and intensely green on the nose, it evokes black kale, wheatgrass, artichoke, celery, tomato leaf, pungent culinary herbs like parsley and basil, and fresh pear. Remarkably well-balanced with perfectly calibrated bitterness. To the taste buds, it delivers tart Granny Smith apple, dark leafy greens, nasturtium, and celery leaves. Notes of spicy black pepper prolong the seductive finish.

This luxurious oil will complement a variety of foods, including salads or braises featuring dark leafy greens; hearty vegetable- or cream-based soups; avocado toast; grilled salmon, tuna, or swordfish; charcuterie; oysters or clams; beef or veal; duck; baked apples or pears; tomato sauce; eggplant; mushrooms; root vegetables; and yogurt or ice cream.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: Castillo de Canena, Selección Especial, Jaén, Andalusia, Spain
• Olive Varieties: Picual, Arbequina
• Flavor Profile: Bold

“This term, EVOO, is getting more complex every year,” muses Francisco “Paco” Vaño, longtime friend of the Club and the cofounder of Castillo de Canena, designated “Best Olive Oil Company in the World” by Flos Olei in 2016. I met Paco, as he is known to everyone, on my first scouting trip to Spain. At the time, Castillo de Canena was a very young company that had bottled its inaugural batch of premium extra virgin olive oil just two years before, in 2003.

I should note that the Vaño family has owned olive groves in the province of Jaén since 1780. Their mill is named for the family castle (castillo), an elegant 15th-century manor that overlooks the small town of Canena. But make no mistake: Paco’s dapper, Old World sensibility belies his 21st-century entrepreneurial savvy and ground-breaking vision.

For almost two decades, Paco and the dedicated team at Castillo de Canena have been at the forefront of the movement for premium quality and innovation in Spanish EVOO. “You have to make a habit of excellence,” Paco says. Putting those words into action, as he always does, Paco and his team unveiled a brand-new olive mill just in time for this season’s harvest. The structure—white stucco faced with burnished metal that looks like aged wood—is beautifully integrated into the landscape.

Their former mill was housed in a room the size of my Asheville apartment. Incredible, internationally acclaimed feats of oleic magic happened inside that compact space! With the new facilities, the Canena team has more room for experimentation and innovation. There’s even a refrigerated receiving chamber at the mill to keep the olives cool as they arrive from the grove.

When a forward-thinking artisan like Paco develops a new technique that helps develop greater complexity of flavor and aroma in fresh-pressed olive oil, he may keep the secret briefly—maybe for a season, “to sweep the awards” (said with a wink)—and then he’ll share the findings with his peers, to raise everybody up. “It’s all about making the region better,” Paco says. He views the new mill as an investment in the community for the next generation.

His dedication and care extend to the natural environment as well. Castillo de Canena emphasizes the importance of biodiversity in the grove, which spans 3,700 acres of rolling hills and many different microclimates. Native plants and grasses thrive among the olive trees and sheep munch on the grass. At last count, 117 bird species have been identified. In light of the newly enacted laws that protect birdlife in the region, Paco observes, “That’s a great sign—that there are insects, that the birds are able to feed themselves.” A flourishing ecosystem, with insects to aerate the soil and pollinate plants, makes for healthier olive trees.

Duccio and Tjeerd reported that the olives were beautiful, with several standout oils as potential Club contenders. In a group tasting over Zoom, I savored the several different pressings of Picual—the varietal is one of my perennial early-harvest favorites from this farm—but found it a bit “short,” in olive-oil parlance: excellent but in need of something more to truly blossom. The synergy of olive oil blending never ceases to amaze me: a tiny quantity of Arbequina makes all the difference, endowing the oil with dimension and complexity that go beyond mere addition. Paco has never before combined Picual and Arbequina, and he is delighted. “You created an entirely new sensory profile for Canena!”

Thanks to the Club, this is something I can do—because producers trust me and my team, we can push the envelope, taking olive oil in new directions. They reciprocate by introducing us (and you) to oils that nobody else has experienced. Paco shared some words expressly for my Club Members: “You’re receiving the best olive oil in the world, experiencing a different range of aromas, learning about different uses for these oils in your cuisine.”

When we attained the perfect ratio of Picual to Arbequina, my olfactory senses transported me to Spain. The only thing missing was the traditional celebration with Paco, toasting another sensational collaboration over a delicious meal, drizzled generously with our fresh-pressed creation. “When you come next year,” Paco assures me, “we’ll have two celebratory meals.”

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

This stunning oil is green and beguiling, a delight to the senses. Inhale its aromas, and you’ll detect fresh-cut grass, green walnuts, green tomatoes, fresh rosemary, wild mint, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and green tea. A small sip of this elegant but muscular oil reveals a cornucopia of flavors—kale, spinach and other dark leafy greens; rosemary and thyme; arugula; artichoke; and chicory. Very harmonious on the palate with a languorous, peppery finish and just the right amount of astringency.

We recommend pairing this powerful oil with aged cheeses (called curado in Spanish), such as Manchego, Idiazabal, or Cabrales; rustic breads or tomato bruschetta; pesto; pasta with tomato sauce; grilled or roasted lamb; oily fish like sardines or mackerel; roasted brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsnips, or broccoli rabe; chicory, endive, or radicchio salads; potatoes; and chocolate.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

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Recipes

• Tapa of Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce (Champinones al Ajillo) Common in tapas bars throughout Spain, this mushroom appetizer can be served on its own as a tapa or as a side dish with beefsteak. It can be made up to a day in advance: cover, refrigerate, and reheat. Add the lemon juice and parsley just before serving. view recipe
• Samfaina Similar to French ratatouille, Samfaina is a Catalonian vegetable relish that is long-cooked to a marmalade-like consistency. It is wonderful on fish, eggs, potatoes, or even toast. The key to its success is to dice the vegetables into small pieces. It will keep, covered, for several days in the refrigerator. view recipe
• Rib Eye a la Plancha with Brioche Salad Thick-cut bone-in rib eye steaks, sometimes called “tomahawk steaks,” are becoming common in American meat markets. One steak can weigh more than 2 pounds and can easily serve 2 to 3 people or more. They are best cooked rare to medium-rare. view recipe
• Refried Cannellini Beans with Saffron Nearly all of us have eaten refried pinto beans. But refried cannellini beans are a revelation! And they look beautiful topped with a verdant pool of fresh-pressed olive oil. view recipe
• Low-Carb Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas) Albondigas (Spanish meatballs) are a popular offering in tapas bars. They differ from Italian meatballs in their seasonings and smaller size—about an inch in diameter. Serve on toothpicks. view recipe
• Garlicky Shrimp Sauté Though known colloquially as “Santa Barbara spot prawns,” these sweet, buttery-tasting Pacific-based crustaceans are harvested from San Diego to Alaska. If they’re not available at your local market, buy the best shrimp you can find, preferably wild-caught. view recipe
• Classic Olive Oil Cake with Orange Glaze Moist and satisfying, this cake can be made from ingredients you likely have on hand. Instead of making a glaze, you can simply brush the finished, cooled cake with olive oil. It’s great for breakfast, tea, or dessert. (We also like it with fresh berries and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.) view recipe
• Braised Chicken with Salmorejo Sauce Chef Katie Button, who trained with Spanish celebrity chef Ferran Adrià at his internationally acclaimed restaurant elBulli, later opened Cúrate Bar de Tapas in my hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. This original recipe featured rabbit, which is more popular in Spain than it is in the US. We like it made with chicken. view recipe
• Asturian Pork and Bean Stew Asturias, a seaside principality located in northwestern Spain, is renowned for this hearty stew featuring various cuts of pork and large creamy beans known as fabes or fabadas. We love to finish this dish (perfect for a chilly day) with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. view recipe
• Mark Bittman’s Spanish Cod with Chickpeas and Sherry Cod, chickpeas, and sherry are among Spain’s most iconic foods. This dish requires mere minutes of active time, but when paired with a salad (such as the Orange and Fennel Salad on page 14), can be served with pride to guests. view recipe

Italian Olive Oil Producers Enjoy the Best Harvest in Years!

Presenting a Trio of Exclusive Club Selections for Your Table

• A nearly ideal growing season, unprecedented in recent years, set the stage for a beautiful collaboration between the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club and award-winning artisanal producers from family farms in Tuscany, Abruzzo, and Sicily.
• Available nowhere else, these outstanding extra virgin olive oils will bring joy to your cold-weather meals.
• All were rushed to the US by jet to preserve their intoxicating aromas, complex flavors, and healthful polyphenols.
• As always, all have been certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin.

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How best to frame the story of my quest to bring you the world’s best and freshest olive oil in this, the last quarter of the year? Borrowing from the profound introductory paragraph of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

The good news is that this set is one of the most stunning trios of Italian olive oils I’ve assembled in at least a decade. For the family-owned farms that produced these just-pressed oils, 2020 was anno buonissimo! The bad news—for me personally, anyway—was that I was unable to physically be there for this epic harvest.

This was very distressing to me—a cruel irony, as Italy has long been one of my favorite olive oil destinations for many reasons. Chief among them is Italy’s intimate relationship with the world’s most important evergreen, Olea europaea. It has been going strong for thousands of years and plays such an important role in Italy’s unique culture. The country is home to more than 550 varieties of olives, most of which thrive nowhere else; many of them have made custom-blending oils a real joy over the years.

An Especially Sweet Victory

On the other hand, I was thrilled for the olive farmers who, despite the hardships imposed by the coronavirus, enjoyed nearly ideal growing conditions all season long: a spring that treated flowering trees tenderly; a warm summer that discouraged attacks by pests; well-timed rains; and a cool but frost-free fall that accommodated an early harvest (always my preference). They needed and deserved that bit of extraordinary luck after the hardships many have endured in previous harvest seasons.

Earlier this year, Italy was one of the first Western countries to restrict travel during the pandemic. So it was clear months ago that my annual visit to Italy was not in the cards. Fortunately, I had two quarters’ worth of experience finding premium extra virgin olive oils in Chile and Australia by relying on dependable longtime contacts, residents of those countries who know how exacting and meticulous I am.

Introducing My “A” Team

As the Italian harvest approached, I was in the best position I’d been in in months, considering international travel from the US was impossible. From Rome, I was being advised by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca, a world-famous olive oil expert and master miller I’ve collaborated with for 10 years. Poised to join him, once the harvest began, was one of my dearest friends, Tjeerd Belien, a Dutch citizen and an intrepid world traveler. (His first name is pronounced “cheered.”) We have known each other since 1996. Not only is he the photographer whose work always illustrates the pages of the Pressing Report, but he also speaks five languages and is an accomplished olive oil taster, a logistical genius, and the best person on the planet for channeling me in the field.

Plus, he can drive anything—trucks, cars, campers, etc.—and on the left side of the road, too, a skill that comes in very handy when we’re visiting olive producers in the Australian Outback. After renting an RV in Germany (see photo above), Tjeerd stocked up on groceries (many European hotels and restaurants are closed during the pandemic) and as planned, rendezvoused with Duccio in Italy. Duccio had already identified the season’s most promising producers—all families with whom we have long and successful working relationships, including the Pruneti brothers in Tuscany, the Di Mercurio family in Abruzzo, and Salvatore Cutrera in Sicily. These names will be familiar to longtime Club members who have previously enjoyed their outstanding olive oils.

The Best Italian Olive Oils in a Decade, Says Expert

We kept in very close touch, exchanging opinions on samples and blends and handling the myriad details necessary to get these precious oils to your door. Tjeerd created a vivid “you are there” connection for me with phone calls, emails, photos, and video recordings, as he knows how dearly I love the hunt for Italy’s “liquid gold.”

Duccio continues to rave about the oils—some of the best he’s tasted in his professional career, he says. I have to agree. This trio of polyphenol-rich olive oils is incredibly well-balanced, with exquisitely long finishes and parity between fruitiness, spiciness, and bitterness. I couldn’t be prouder of these exclusive creations, or of the extraordinary effort exerted by so many people to put them in your hands.

These ravishing EVOOs will be amazing additions to your winter kitchen. Their robust healthfulness and food friendly characteristics will delight and astound you. As always, I’ve included Italian-inspired recipes to show off their finest qualities, as well as detailed tasting notes and recommended food pairings.

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: Salvatore Cutrera Exclusive Signature Selection, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Ragusa, Sicily, Italy 2020
• Olive Varieties: Tonda Iblea, Nocellara del Belice
• Flavor Profile: Mild

The Olive Oil Hunter was born in Sicily. Figuratively speaking, that is—T. J. Robinson was born in North Carolina, but my love of fresh-pressed olive oil and my mission to bring it to America year-round started back in 2003 on the rocky island wedged between the toe of the Italian boot and the coast of North Africa. At a Sicilian harvest celebration, someone handed me a small glass of indescribably fresh, green, life-affirming olio nuovo—“new oil”—and my life changed forever.

Native Sicilian Salvatore Cutrera takes it a dimension further: “I was born in an olive mill,” he says. “This is my habitat, like the lion in the savannah.” Salvatore and I got to know each other three seasons ago, in 2017. In our initial encounters, I had the sense I was being sized up—Is this guy the real deal?—but my discerning palate won him over, and Salvatore excitedly shared with me (and you, my lucky Club members!) what he calls his “secret stash,” pressed from his very finest olives, reserved for only those who can truly appreciate it.

Salvatore and I are thrilled to feature an exclusive Cutrera blend as a Club selection this year. “It was a perfect season,” he announced. “In 20 years we have not had such a beautiful season.” While Italy is home to more than 550 olive varieties, the groves at Frantoi Cutrera, intriguingly, are devoted to two: Tonda Iblea and Nocellara del Belice, both of which are popularly served as table olives. (I adore great olive oils pressed from table olives, as the fruit is cultivated for its intensity of flavor.)

Duccio described the choreographed “craziness” at the Cutrera mill during the harvest as “well organized, military-Sicilian style,” running 20 hours a day, with trucks laden with bins of just-picked olives arriving nonstop from the groves. “A beehive,” evoked Tjeerd. “Everyone has a role.”

Salvatore explained his uncanny ability to step from his office into the fever-pitched activity of the mill, always intuiting where he is needed, and for what. “It’s not just tasting and smelling that makes you a great miller—perfect managing involves using all the senses. When you are inside the mill you see, smell, hear, touch. You listen to the rhythm and noise of the equipment, and you know if something must be done.”

The intense productivity of the mill is made possible by the extended—and extensive—Cutrera family. Salvatore’s two sisters and both his brothers-in-law are involved in the business, as are some of their children, totaling at least 12 of the employees. They are always looking forward, striving for perfection.

Last season the mill implemented a heating exchange system, in which a long stretch of tubing allows the olive paste to be cooled to an exact temperature, reducing the time and heat exposure, increasing the aromas, and allowing for better oils.

“Next year,” Salvatore promised, “you will visit my new facility.” In the ambitious, groundbreaking project, connecting corridors of glass will allow all production areas to be visible to each other and to visitors, promoting olive oil education by drawing locals and tourists alike to observe the process. Seventy-five huge olive trees encircle the structure. All the state-of-the-art equipment and holding tanks will be brand-new, and Frantoi Cutrera plans to premiere a technique for transporting each just-pressed oil directly to its corresponding storage tank, under temperature-controlled conditions, with no oxygen exposure. Among attempts to evoke the scale and importance of the new mill, I think Duccio described it best: “It will be a cathedral of olive oil.”

I can’t wait for you to taste this exquisite blend—it exemplifies all the sensuous characteristics of Tonda Iblea, fortified by Nocellara del Belice. Even though I have worked with these two varietals in the past, this particular blend is one of a kind. Every year is different; as Salvatore observed, “You must put the season in context in order to understand how to work with the olives to produce the very finest oils.”

He then returned thoughtfully to the idea of craziness, opining that to create something truly great, one needs to have a little touch of insanity. “I see the same craziness in T. J., the passion we share.”

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

Green in the glass and on the nose, this intoxicating olive oil is perfumed with the scents of tomato, tomato leaf, fresh basil and mint, green apple, baby fennel, celery, and walnuts, punctuated with the spiciness of arugula and white pepper. In the mouth, my tasters detected fresh-cut grass, green tomato, and minerally baby spinach with Belgian endive-like bitterness. We were captivated by the nuttiness of Nocellara del Belice and the tomato-ey notes delivered by Tonda Iblea.( Both varietals are natives of Sicily.) Extremely well-balanced with a warm, lingering finish.

This oil would be perfetto with fresh bread; mild white fish, such as sole or cod; lobster, shrimp, or crabmeat; chicken; risotto, polenta, and other grains; white beans; squash; salads featuring fruit and/or nuts; crudités; tomato bruschetta; pizza; pasta; potatoes; roasted pears with pistachios; mild cheeses; or a variety of soups, such as chickpea, tomato, minestrone, potato, or cauliflower.

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: Frantoio Mercurius, Penne, Abruzzo, Italy 2020
• Olive Varieties: Dritta
• Flavor Profile: Medium

For the past two years, veteran Club members have received a phenomenal extra virgin olive oil pressed during the Italian harvest called Frantoio Hermes. The name, as fans of Greek and Roman mythology will recognize, was a play on the producer’s surname, Di Mercurio.

Somehow, this diminutive 60-acre family farm in rural Abruzzo snagged the attention of the high-end Paris fashion house founded in 1837, also known as Hermes, which flexed its legal muscle to force a name change. Thus, the olive oil brand that delighted Club members in 2018 and 2019 is now known as Frantoio Mercurius.
(Sometimes, Goliath wins.)

But you win, too, dear Club member, as the oil pressed during the current harvest by this small boutique farm is once again—for the third year in a row—outstanding. (Usually, olive trees require at least one season to recoup their vigor.) The name may have changed, but this family’s unwavering commitment to quality continues to impress. Among the many awards Claudio Di Mercurio and his team have won in a mere 10 years is the much-coveted “Frantoio dell’ Anno” (Mill of the Year) by the prestigious Italian food and wine empire known as Gambero Rosso.

Almost as precious to Claudio are the compliments he’s received from my appreciative Club members. He grins widely when he recalls them. He is still incredulous that the extra virgin olive oils he and his family produce from Dritta olives, an early ripening varietal unique to Abruzzo, are on the tables of olive oil-savvy Americans like yourself.

Dritta is one of several hundred Italian olive cultivars. The name translates to “sweet,” “dependable,” or “trustworthy.” As an adjective, the word dritta can be applied to people as well—certainly, it’s appropriate for the sweet and trustworthy Di Mercurio family.

While I savored the many photos, videos, and olive oil samples Tjeerd and Duccio sent me from the farm, I felt wistful that I couldn’t be there in person to savor the first drops of just-pressed olive oil on the family’s warm-from-the-oven bread, steaming soup, garden-fresh salads and vegetables, cured meats, and more. Nostalgia overwhelmed me when I saw a recording of one of Claudio’s sisters stirring pasta into a huge pot of boiling water over an outdoor propane burner fashioned from a tin wash tub. I remembered so well the family’s warm hospitality from my first meals at their table, and later, the comfortable and informal way we related at the end of long days in the groves or at the mill.

Weariness, of course, is much easier to cope with when the harvest is as sensational as this one was in both quality and quantity. The entire season, Claudio noted happily, was almost picture-perfect. No curveballs from Mother Nature! Cooler temperatures in the spring and early summer made for good flowering (if there are too many buds, the tree’s energy can be sapped as the fruit develops) and were inhospitable to the pests that sometimes threaten the crop. Well-timed fall rains helped the fruit mature, as did optimum differentials between daytime and nighttime temperatures. (The latter is critical for the development of intoxicating olive oil aromas.)

Claudio, an electrical engineer by training (his wife, Olga, is a medical doctor), relentlessly searches for ways to improve the quality of the oils the family produces. This year, he invested in a device that produces inert nitrogen gas, which is used by the world’s best olive oil producers to displace any oxygen that might come into contact with the fresh-pressed oils. Nitrogen inhibits premature oxidation and protects healthful polyphenols.

In another new development, the Di Mercurios’ 19-year-old son, Antonio, has taken a year off from his schooling to learn the olive oil business from the ground up, a source of great pride for his parents.

If you are unfamiliar with it, Abruzzo is a region in South-Central Italy about 60 miles east of Rome. The Di Mercurio farm, its beautiful hills studded with olive trees, is located near the Adriatic Sea and the ancient city of Penne. Just over the ridge is an otherworldly area resembling the American West where American-made films, such as “spaghetti Westerns,” were shot in the 1960s and 70s. (See the photo above.)

I can’t wait for you to taste this exclusive and very special olive oil, which is available only to members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club. I promise it will be a singular experience.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

For the third consecutive year, this personable oil, pressed from rare Dritta olives, stays mostly in character. Herbal and grassy, it’s evocative on the nose of almonds, artichokes, green bananas, golden apples, cinnamon, mint, red peppers, and chopped winter greens. Abundant polyphenols give it a Szechuan peppercorn-like spiciness in the mouth, tempered with the flavors of arugula, radicchio, artichoke, hazelnuts, celery, and lime zest. Beautifully calibrated. Anticipate a pleasant and protracted finish.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: Frantoio Pruneti, San Polo in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy 2020
• Olive Varieties: Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio, Pendolino
• Flavor Profile: Bold

When you walk into Frantoio Pruneti, the air is alive and tingling with peppery, spicy, pungent polyphenols and the scent of fresh, green olive oil. I fervently missed that olfactory experience this season; if I close my eyes and imagine standing in that space I can smell the greenness, and my throat practically tickles from the oleocanthal in the olives.

Brothers Gionni and Paolo Pruneti are fourth-generation olive oil producers with gold-medal-winning, diversified groves located sixty miles from Siena. Their extra virgin olive oils consistently reap the most coveted honors, with at least four appearances on the Top 20 list of Flos Olei, the connoisseur’s guide to the world’s best olive oils. On my very first visit, in 2012, I was so smitten that I presented one of their brilliant oils as a Club selection, and we have collaborated a number of times since. The impeccably maintained groves, comprising more than 30,000 trees, carpet the hills in and around the town of San Polo in Chianti, along the storied wine route between Siena and Florence.

Gionni shared exuberant news early: “This is going to be a great season!” For the first time in fifteen years, the Pruneti groves enjoyed normal weather (or, rather, what used to be considered normal weather)—a hot summer, with enough rain to create plump fruit, but not too much moisture; and a pleasingly cool fall. This provided for an early harvest—my timing preference for maximizing the complex flavors and plentiful perfumes in the resulting oils—and for a manageable, standard workday for the harvest team. (The hotter temperatures of the past several years have dictated that harvests start before dawn and end before midday in order to protect the picked fruit from the blistering heat.)

I can’t lie to you—I was deeply disappointed to miss the best Tuscan harvest in more than a decade. But I couldn’t ask for a better virtual reality experience than via my two most trusted colleagues, Tjeerd Belien and Duccio Morozzo, who served as my nose, palate, eyes, and ears in the Remote Italian Olive Oil Hunt of 2020.

Tjeerd shared a steady stream of details, starting with “Gionni is thrilled with the olives… and beyond exhausted.” During peak harvest time, the mill runs round the clock, and the brothers swap shifts: Gionni works from 8 a.m., when the harvest day starts, past midnight, then sleeps four to five hours on a pullout bed. Paolo covers the second shift, from about 10 p.m. to the early morning.

Running the olive mill (frantoio) and the business is truly a family affair. Gionni oversees the production process while Paolo handles marketing and also fills in at the mill. Their father, Gilberto, is retired but continues to make rounds, while the youngest generation enjoys hanging out with the harvest team and witnessing the olives’ journey from the tree to the mill to the table. Little Lorenzo, Gionni’s 7-year-old son, wears big earmuffs to protect his ears from the whir and din of the equipment as he marches around, monitoring the progress. You can see one of Paolo’s daughters, Elisa, in the groves with the harvesters and her papa above.

This season, Gionni explained, they installed a new disc crusher with a differently shaped grid that helps maximize the aroma in the resulting oil. (Olive crushers are of three varieties—knife, hammer, or disc—each with particular attributes.) The team also shortened the pipe that transports the olive paste, keeping it cooler and further optimizing the aroma and flavors in the final product.

Gionni and Duccio share a history going back to 2006. They met while working for Alfa Laval, the renowned manufacturer of world-class olive-milling equipment, and both are master millers, the highest level of expertise in olive oil production. As longtime colleagues and friends, it was meaningful to them both to collaborate on this exclusive, quintessentially Tuscan-style blend for our Club.

Gionni experienced a moment of confronto (reckoning) as Duccio reminded him how receptive the Club would be to a bold, robust oil: his eyes lit up and he got a big smile on his face. The two olive oil geniuses put their (curly) heads together, “channeling T. J.,” as they put it, and arrived at a gorgeous blend that embodies the finest qualities of Tuscan olive oil: it’s bold, dazzling, harmonious, and exceedingly food friendly.

Paolo and Gionni asked that I extend their congratulations to the Club for helping educate Americans about high-quality extra virgin olive oil. From Tuscany, in the form of the shimmering bottle of liquid gold you hold in your hands, they send their very warmest “Saluti” and “Grazie!”

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

In the past, I have referred to a robust Pruneti blend as “Tuscany in a bottle,” and the description is still apt. The nose is dominated by the scents of almonds, green bananas and apples, vanilla, fresh oregano, fennel, and wheatgrass with white pepper for spiciness and marzipan (almond paste) for a touch of sweetness. So substantial, it’s almost chewy in the mouth, reprising almonds along with wild greens, black kale, nasturtiums, sage, and the assertive spiciness of mixed peppercorns. Pulls no punches, but was described by one of my tasters as “a joy ride on the palate.” Indeed.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

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Recipes

• One-Pot Pasta with Sausage and Spinach Hearty, filling, and needing only one pot, this comforting dish will warm a three-dog night. I first cooked with passata (strained uncooked tomato purée) during a visit to Italy, but have since found passata on some upscale American supermarket shelves. view recipe
• Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake Rustic and moist, this Ligurian cake deserves a place in your olive oil baking repertoire. It will infuse your kitchen with the scents of late fall—apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. No frosting is required, but we wouldn’t say no to a drizzle of warm honey or a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream. view recipe
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions with Mushroom Lardons Some of our favorite members of the Brassica family, brussels sprouts, star in this vegan-friendly mélange of seasonal vegetables. Large king oyster or shiitake mushrooms can be found at many supermarkets or Asian food emporiums. Feel free to substitute other meaty mushrooms, such as portobellos or creminis. view recipe
• Sicilian-Style Grilled Artichokes Longtime friend of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, author and TV host Steven Raichlen, shared this recipe from his forthcoming book, How to Grill Vegetables. It pays homage to Italians’ love of grilled artichokes. Here, this delectable botanical (yes, artichokes are technically flowers) are grilled directly in the embers of a wood or charcoal re. view recipe
• Dry-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce Nothing says “special occasion” more eloquently than beef tenderloin. To make sure the mild flavor of the meat is front and center, we rub it with a fragrant paste of fresh herbs, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil before ovenroasting. You can even skip the red wine sauce and drizzle the sliced meat with more… view recipe
• Maine Downeast Pumpkin Bread Make a double batch of this moist bread, as it freezes well and is great for sharing with family and friends. If you’re a “from scratch” kind of person, you can make your own pumpkin purée from pie pumpkins. view recipe
• Antipasto Bites For a carb-free version of these colorful, festive skewers, replace the cheese tortellini with cherry tomatoes, marinated mushroom caps, or pepperoncini. view recipe
• Ribollita In the spirit of cucina povera (poverty cuisine), Italian mothers and grandmothers have repurposed for generations a thick vegetable stew (every family has their own recipe) by submerging bread and cheese in it and reheating. view recipe
• Sweet Potato Soup with Sage Pesto A cornucopia of seasonal flavors comes together in this creamy vegetarian soup. It’s homey, yet you can serve it to the most sophisticated palates in your best china or rustic soup bowls. It gets a double hit of fresh-pressed olive oil, which is used in the vibrant, herbaceous pesto as well as the soup. view recipe
• Kale Salad with Grana Padano Tuscan kale is sold under several names and might be labeled dinosaur kale, black kale, cavolo nero, or lacinato kale. Grana Padano is an aged cow’s milk cheese from Emilia-Romagna. If you can’t find it, substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano. view recipe

No Worries, Mate! Against All Odds, Your Olive Oil Hunter Proudly Presents Three
Magnificent Fresh-Pressed EVOOs from Australia

• Enticingly food-friendly and brimming with antioxidants, these dazzling EVOOs were rushed to our shores by jet (no small feat).
• All are custom blends created by yours truly, procured from award-winning Australian producers (also no small feat).
• All are Club exclusives, available nowhere else in the US.
• All are certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin.

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G’day, mate! It’s that Down Under time of year—when the freshest, most flavorful olive oils on earth come from Australia, our seasonal opposite. Mother Nature doesn’t shift the global harvest schedule, even while a pandemic continues on her watch.

Nor does your Olive Oil Hunter. At this point in the calendar I’m usually knackered from the 20,000-mile round trip to Oz. I love the annual journey, visiting groves that I’ve watched develop and flourish over the past decade and collaborating with the ingenious Ozzie producers, many of whom are now dear friends. In just 25 years, Australia has given rise to a charismatic, innovative olive oil culture, pioneered by scrappy small-scale growers and guided by cutting-edge agricultural science. My appetite is also geared up for Australia’s vibrant and exciting food scene, which reflects and reinterprets Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences.

The Oz-Stars

As you’ve likely surmised, though, this year I was not able to travel. Even before it was clear that any trips to the Southern Hemisphere would be confined to Zoom, I began drafting the team for a remote olive oil quest. The clutch players in Australia would be two longtime friends of the Club: Leandro Ravetti, best described as an “all-around olive oil genius,” and the incomparable Melissa Wong, whose meticulous judgment and discerning palate I trust implicitly.

Leandro predicted early that Australian growers would have a challenging year. The hot, dry weather that olive trees crave failed to materialize; summer was cooler than normal, with a lot of rain, which restrained the olives’ development. As harvest time approached, average temperatures were a full 3ºC below average, and the rainfall hit record marks. As Leandro described it, “Winter came early to Australia,” and Mother Nature closed the door on the growing season.

Highly skilled producers are no strangers to strategizing around lousy weather, and I was heartened to learn that two of my favorite award-winning Australian farms, Annie Paterson’s Nullamunjie Olive Groves and the Oasis farm of John and Marjan Symington, were seeing gorgeous fruit on their trees. Leandro’s expertly cultivated groves in Boort would be my third ace in the hole.

Going the Extra Mile

For the growers, the pressing question was how to staff the harvest safely. Australian olive farms rely heavily on seasonal workers, who range from youthful European backpackers to “grey nomads,” retired farmers in their 60s. There are also the “double-timers,” who work the harvests in both hemispheres, as well as the invaluable tech experts. With international travel at a halt, however, many of the workers this year were rookies. Usually they would lodge in a nearby town, but, understandably, this year that was not feasible. Leandro and his team came up with an ingenious solution: the creation of an “RV bubble” on the farm, so each harvest worker or couple was able to stay safely isolated in a private RV, with all the amenities.

(More Than) a Little Help from My Friends

Enter Melissa. She and I have been friends for more than 20 years, going back to my days at the Food Network in New York City. In recent seasons, she has hosted Grand Tastings for me and my Merry Band of Tasters at her beautiful home in Melbourne. She is an ultra-savvy scout and always has the scoop on up-and-comers on the olive oil scene.

Melissa served as my “palate on the ground,” shipping me a weekly batch of promising EVOO samples, which I’d evaluate to identify any Club contenders and report back. From those select few, I would curate exclusive blends. When a time-sensitive delivery from Leandro’s grove was delayed, the ever-resourceful Melissa booked an Uber to courier the sample to her home so she could send it on to me.

Intuitively, Melissa anticipated our needs far in advance—things one would ordinarily take for granted, such as thermal blankets to insulate the oils while transporting them to the States. Cargo space on planes was extremely scarce, as very few flights were going in or out of Melbourne’s Tullamarine terminal, so Melissa and I spent weeks beforehand negotiating for travel spots for your precious oils.

Scott Sanders, the globe-trotting consultant and miller who’s spent the last 3 seasons with the Oasis team, joined Melissa to oversee the blending of this quarter’s selections, matching the blends on a larger scale—perfectly—to those I’d created stateside.

When I reflect on all the extra efforts that went in to creating the trio of liquid gold you have before you, I am deeply moved. I don’t think I could say it better than Leandro Ravetti, who asked me to share his words with you:

“During these very difficult times, when people are forced to be separated from friends and family, and when things are so different from what we are accustomed to, we put more emphasis than ever on ensuring consistency for the Club members—to do everything possible to put great oil on your table.”

These extremely food-friendly, health-promoting Australian gems will brighten your menus and expand your culinary repertoire, whether you’re a home baker, backyard griller, or avid gardener with more produce than you know what to do with. Explore the mouth-watering recipes below and read on to learn more about how our Oz-Star Team made it happen.

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: Leandro Ravetti 2020, Boort, Victoria, Australia
• Olive Varieties: Picual, Coratina
• Flavor Profile: Mild

I can’t think of anyone who has done more to advance the quality and appreciation of extra virgin olive oil than my friend Leandro Ravetti, whose influence extends to every olive-producing region on the planet. His time and expertise are always in demand—I rejoice when we are in the same country at the same time, because on any given day obligations might find him in Japan, for instance, adjudicating an international olive oil competition, or in California, where he teaches a master milling course at UC Davis. (Yours truly is a proud alum.)

But this year, as with almost everything during the pandemic, was different. “I haven’t left Australia in 6 months,” Leandro reflected in disbelief when we spoke recently. A fantastic cook—as accomplished in the kitchen as he is in the olive grove—Leandro confided that during quarantine he’s become a pastry chef. “I was always a savory cook, but now, it’s tarts and cakes, most of them made with olive oil!” He also described baking a batch of traditional Argentinian croissants, scrumptiously different from the French version. “They’re crunchier, less spongy, very flaky and delicious,” he mused, while I got intensely hungry on the Zoom call.

Born in Argentina to parents of Italian heritage, Leandro’s affinity for olives evolved while he was an agricultural engineering student at the National University of Catamarca.

After postgraduate studies in olive horticulture in Italy and Spain, he returned to Argentina to help nurture its nascent olive oil industry. Then, in 2001, he was recruited by the Australian company Modern Olives to be its scientific and technical director. He relocated to Victoria, where he thought he’d be staying just a year or two, but ever since, he’s called Australia home.

Leandro and I check in regularly during the growing season (as you know, Oz is on the opposite timeline). Months in advance, he declared that he and his team would do anything and everything to ensure that my wonderful Club members were provided with the finest olive oils, no matter what. True to his word, Leandro kept the Club at the forefront of his mind.

“I felt more responsibility, as the person on site,” he said, as we reflected on the extraordinary efforts this season. “I tried to think as if you were here.”

From our years of collaboration, Leandro knows my preferences, shares my insistence on the very best, and understands how discriminating my Club members are. He is also a born problem-solver, a pragmatist as well as perfectionist after my own heart.

Leandro oversees two thriving groves in Victoria, located about 150 miles apart. In order to comply with Australia’s lockdown directives, he and his team established an RV campground at the farm (see page 2), enabling the harvest workers to be in residence in a bubble, each in private accommodations with food delivered.

Early on, Leandro intuited that his Coratina and Picual olives were destined to be the standouts of this unconventional season. (As it turns out, I was present for the planting of these very trees as saplings, so in an inter-species way I feel like their godfather.) A few years back, Leandro and his team had removed scores of Barnea olive trees—though they produce lovely fruit, Barnea trees are prone to pests and other damage—and replaced them with the hardier, more versatile and flavorful Coratina, Picual, and Hojiblanca varietals.

The young trees, Leandro explained, blossomed earlier than their counterparts, and the fruit ripened sooner, which meant that the younger trees’ fruit was at an ideal place in its maturing process when the cold temperatures hit. For some of these trees it was the second or third harvest, and for some the very first.

We created an exquisite blend of Picual and Coratina: this Picual is uniquely delicate, one example of the ways that Old World varietals express themselves differently in the Australian terroir and climate. The spirited Coratina imbues the blend with additional dimension and complexity. I am so honored to be able to share this exclusive oil with you, as it represents the fruits of the labor of people on the other side of the world, pulling together in very tough times. Leandro put it perfectly: “This was a chance to give each other a hand to do what we love—sharing excellent oils with the people who appreciate them.”

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

The union of a Spanish Picual and an Italian Coratina yields an oil with a lovely, complex perfume. It’s green and grassy, presenting tomato leaf, green apple, Belgian endive, parsley, basil, vanilla, and a touch of celery leaf. Leafy greens are echoed on the palate, too—Belgian endive, romaine lettuce, along with green apple skin and a hint of mint. We tasted pine nuts as well, and enjoyed the arugula-like pepperiness and the subtle bitterness of celery leaves on the finish.

Though it’s our mildest selection, this is a very flavorful oil, one that will complement a variety of foods. We suggest mild white fish, such as cod, monkfish, or sea bass; roast chicken; shellfish, such as lobster, shrimp, scallops, or octopus; composed salads with mild lettuces and fruit and/or nuts; bruschetta; pizza; eggs; fresh cheeses; and simple pastas and risottos.

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: Nullamunjie 2020 Blend, Tongio, Victoria, Australia
• Olive Varieties: Coratina, Arbequina, Frantoio, Correggiola, Leccino, Pendolino
• Flavor Profile: Medium

For the first time in years, I spent my summer on my home turf in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. Though I have always marveled at the hazy, blue-gray beauty of the range (the oldest in North America), my heart drifted during this time to a different mountain range on the other side of the planet: the Australian Alps.

The rolling highlands in eastern Victoria are home to one of my favorite olive growers in the world, Nullamunjie’s Annetta “Annie” Paterson. I so look forward to my annual visits to her farm. Tethered to home this year, I felt the rift in my routine rather keenly. I lamented that there would be no star-gazing from her expansive veranda, no surveillance of kangaroos cavorting in the olive groves, no olive oil-splashed meals at Annie’s table with my mirthful Merry Band of Tasters.

Most of all, I missed my time with Annie, the irrepressible woman who founded Nullamunjie Olive Groves in 1998. Now a grandmother, Annie fell in love with olive trees in her twenties during a visit to Greece and recognized growing conditions there—hot, dry summers and mild winters—mimicked those of her native East Gippsland. Decades passed, however, before Annie acquired the family-owned land at the base of Mt. Stawell—formerly used to graze her father’s cattle—that enabled her to realize her dream.

Today, the farm hosts about 3,000 olive trees, all Tuscan varietals: Frantoio, Leccino, Today, the farm hosts about 3,000 olive trees, all Tuscan varietals: Frantoio, Leccino, Correggiola, and Pendolino. They have adapted well to the microclimates of Oz, the award-winning oils taking on distinctly Down Under flavors and characteristics that have captivated members of my Club.

Via Zoom, I was pleased to see Annie’s incandescent smile some 14 time zones and 10,000 miles away. She’d been hunkered down on the farm for months, having briefly returned once to her Melbourne home to collect her dogs and her husband, John.

“It’s beginning to feel a bit biblical,” Annie quipped, referring not only to the pandemic but to other major threats to her life and livelihood. Drought-related bush fires, driven by sustained high winds, raged for several months in East Gippsland. Alarmingly, the conflagration came within six miles of Nullamunjie, reaching the opposite side of the mountain and cutting off the farm.

Torrential rains followed, which caused flooding and landslides on the re-ravaged land, but providentially helped extinguish the flames and cleanse the smoke-choked air. The storms also engorged river basins like the Tambo, which had been nearly depleted. Annie was especially happy about that as she depends on the Tambo to irrigate her trees.

Fearing the encroachment of winter, Annie wisely harvested her olives early. As always, she relied on local grove professionals Tom Morgan and Jack Diamond. She employed locals as pickers, too, including two stranded Belgian backpackers.

Wind exposure affected trees on the higher slopes, Annie reported, depressing yields. But the quality of the farm’s oils was stellar, a fact confirmed by olive oil expert Melissa Wong (read more about her below). Fans of Nullamunjie will recognize immediately this blend’s distinctive aroma and flavor profile.

Though she misses her children and grandchildren, Annie has savored the unexpected time she’s been able to spend on the farm this year with the trees she cherishes. Inspired by a New Zealand-based olive oil expert, a speaker at a growers’ conference, she has initiated a post-harvest pruning program. The method he advocates, called vase-pruning or center-pruning, is popular in Oceania and calls for removing select scaffold branches to within a foot of the trunk. It maximizes sun exposure in the tree’s center, encourages good air circulation, and maintains the tree’s compact shape.

“I absolutely love pruning,” Annie gushed. Dressed in work clothes and a hard hat and brandishing a chainsaw, Annie had been pruning what she calls her “shop windows”—the trees that front the road and surround her mill and restaurant, The Pressing Shed Café (temporarily closed). “I pat each of them on their little trunks when I finish and say, ‘Great job! Keep up the good work!’” Amen.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

A whiff of this oil will transport you to the Tambo River Valley in southeast Victoria. It’s fragrant with sweet grass, like wheatgrass, as well as fennel, almonds, kiwi, green banana, white pepper, and wild mint. It’s a bit nutty in the mouth—again, almonds—or perhaps hazelnuts. A little green, too, evoking baby lettuces and haricot vert. Intriguingly, I noticed the freshness of bruised pine needles, the spiciness of white pepper, and the bitterness of radicchio. This is an exceptionally well-calibrated oil that you’ll enjoy on many seasonal foods.

Try it with white beans or other pulses; rice; winter squash or sweet potatoes; tomato-based dishes; pork or veal; turkey; duck; cold-weather soups; mild cheeses; salads featuring sturdy greens like kale or chicory; salmon; and even chocolate.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: Oasis Olives 2020, Kialla, Victoria, Australia
• Olive Varieties: Coratina, Frantoio
• Flavor Profile: Bold

I remember well the day I sampled a magnificent olive oil during a Grand Tasting some eight years ago. It came from a fledgling company, then unknown to me, in rural Victoria. That was my introduction to serial olive oil entrepreneurs John and Marjan Symington, the founders of Oasis Olives and now, dear friends.

In hindsight, the couple’s ambition to acquire an olive grove in Peru in 2007 and name it Oasis seemed a bit imprudent, even to them. They realized they actually knew very little about olives. Not wanting a “stuff up” (Aussie slang for mistake) on their records, John and Marjan decided to begin their Olea europaea education closer to their Melbourne home.

The Symingtons then purchased an olive grove in the Goulburn Strathbogie region near Kialla, 120 miles northeast of Melbourne. The area has been described as “a climatic sweet spot” for olives with warm summers, adequate average rainfall, and mild winters. John immersed himself in the technical aspects of growing and pressing premium olive oils. Meanwhile, Marjan—also a miller—refined her olive oil evaluation skills and got involved in the Goulburn Strathbogie Olive Grower’s Association (GSOGA), an active group that is a valuable resource for local producers.

The 111-acre grove was terribly run-down when the couple bought it. The trees were bushy and wild and badly needed pruning. The irrigation system was broken. But the property spoke to these adventuresome rehabbers, the Chip and Joanna Gaines of the olive oil world. (If you’ve seen the Gaineses’ shows on HGTV, you’ll understand.) Since then, the tireless couple has turned the aforementioned Peruvian grove into an award-winning farm and bought a third fixer-upper in South Australia.

Oasis pressed its first Australian extra virgin olive oils in 2010. A mere two years later, Oasis won the prestigious Marco Mugelli Award given by the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition to recognize the “Best of the Best” from the winner’s circle.

“When we heard we had won this award, we had to find out what it meant and who Marco Mugelli was,” John said.

As it happens, I knew Dr. Mugelli personally. I once spent several privileged hours with this olive oil visionary. He was an agricultural scientist and engineer whose lab outside of Florence, Italy, was genius in a Rube Goldberg sort of way. He was obsessed with increasing levels of healthful polyphenols in olive oil. John and Marco would have had a lot in common, as John, a retired software engineer, is also fascinated with the potential of technology to improve agricultural products like olive oil.

In the early years, the Symington family manned the olive press themselves, so are accustomed to working with a small tight-knit team. They adapted easily to the new paradigm. In recent years the invaluable Scott Sanders, an international olive oil expert long affiliated with Oasis, has been on hand to help, joined this year by his father, wife, and harvest team from Scott’s home town.

“We’re too old to work with people we don’t enjoy,” commented John during one of our Zoom conversations.

Though always up for a challenge, John and Marjan struggled with the curve balls Mother Nature threw at them this season. A “complicated” spring—exceptionally dry—affected the fruitset of the trees. Conditions continued through early summer. Just before the harvest, epic rains fell. The onslaught turned the groves’ red clay to boot-sucking mud. Fortunately, a tractor/harvester equipped with tank-like treads arrived in the nick of time.

Despite all, the quality of the fruit was excellent. The oil’s heady aromas and bold flavors will pair beautifully with your fall menus. Though I couldn’t be there in person this year, I trust the mad skills of the Symingtons. When Meghan and I married in October 2017, we gave our wedding guests bottles of fresh-pressed Oasis olive oil. People are still talking about them!

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

Our boldest oil has a very green, evocative nose. It leads with an almond-like sweetness with hints of baby spinach and peppery arugula. Herbs like rubbed fresh thyme and sage, and spices like cinnamon, suggest this oil could elevate a holiday meal. Pleasantly bitter in the mouth and warm with spice, this oil required a large tasting vocabulary. Among the vegetal descriptors were artichoke, baby spinach, chicory, kale, green pepper, rosemary, and wild greens. Darker, spicier flavors then emerged: dark chocolate, cinnamon, and cloves. Such a refreshing astringency on the long finish, with a perfect balance of fruitiness, bitterness, and spiciness.

Reach for this oil when serving grilled meats like beef or lamb; duck; oilier fish such as mackerel or sardines; hearty soups or stews; roasted root vegetables, including cruciferous vegetables like brussels sprouts; dark breads; and stronger cheeses. Splash it on chocolate or vanilla ice cream, or drizzle over yogurt.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

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Recipes

• Lemony Greek-Style Potato Wedges One of my Merry Band of Tasters highly recommends these crisp potato wedges. If desired, substitute Dijon for the yellow mustard, or chopped fresh rosemary for the dried oregano. Parboiling the potatoes (especially with the added alkalinity of baking soda) contributes to their crispiness. Ingredients 2 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into… view recipe
• Prawns with Zingy Avocado Dip Shrimp cocktail gets a much-needed makeover! Make the dip just before serving. Ingredients 2 fresh jalapeños, stemmed and seeded1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped1/4 cup sour cream1 lime, rind finely grated, juiced1/2 cup at-leaf parsley leaves1/2 cup fresh mint leaves1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or… view recipe
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup The appeal of this autumnal soup lies in its simplicity. The sweetness of the butternut squash is enhanced by roasting and by the addition of a small amount of maple syrup. Ingredients 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved lengthwise, seeds removed3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling1/2 cup… view recipe
• Asian Cabbage Salad There’s no need to follow this recipe slavishly. Feel free to add shredded purple cabbage, snow pea pods, sliced water chestnuts, and so on. You can even turn the salad into a light lunch or dinner entrée by topping it with shredded rotisserie chicken or thinly sliced grilled steak. Ingredients For the dressing 1 to… view recipe
• Roasted Barramundi with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil Native to Australia and the Indo-Pacific, barramundi means “large-scaled silver fish” in the Aboriginal language. If it is unavailable, substitute any sustainable firm-fleshed white fish, such as halibut, sea bass, cod, or snapper. Ingredients 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, preferably mixed colors4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided useSalt and freshly ground black… view recipe
• Grilled Lamb Chops with Charred Lemon Vinaigrette Lean and low-fat pastured lamb is a popular protein in Australia, where per capita consumption per year is about 18 pounds. Here, tender loin chops are grilled quickly over a hot fire and paired with a tangy olive oil vinaigrette that can be modified by your choice of fresh herbs. Ingredients For the lamb: 2… view recipe
• Cheese, Herb, and Olive Frittata This meatless, keto-friendly frittata can be thrown together in minutes, perfect for times when you have unexpected lunch or overnight guests. For a carnivorous version, add diced ham, cooked bacon, cooked breakfast sausage, or even slivered pepperoni. Great served with a simple green salad. Ingredients 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 medium onion, peeled and… view recipe
• Fred’s Steak Though this marinade was developed in the 1950s by Los Gatos, California, meat market owner Fred Schaub, Vegemite is a thoroughly Australian pantry ingredient. If you don’t have it, you can buy it online or substitute a good concentrated beef base. We also like this marinade on tri-tip or T-bone steaks. Ingredients 2 to 3… view recipe
• Chicken with Candied Cashews Per capita, Australia has the largest population of people with Chinese ancestry of any country outside Asia. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and even Cairns house densely populated Chinatowns, which make for a lively restaurant scene. Ingredients 1/4 cup granulated sugar3/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus extra for drizzling2 garlic… view recipe
• Sheet-Pan Baked Feta with Broccolini, Tomatoes, and Lemons Greek food has taken pride of place in Australia’s vibrant dining scene, from souvlaki served from food trucks to high-end restaurants. (Most of Australia’s Greek immigrants arrived after World War II.) This sheet-pan dinner showcases some of Greece’s iconic flavors. Sturdy halloumi cheese can be substituted for feta. Ingredients 1 bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed,… view recipe

Your Olive Oil Hunter Prevails! Presenting Three Stunning Fresh-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oils from Chile

• Aromatic, intensely flavored, and bursting with healthful polyphenols, these vibrant
  extra virgin olive oils will delight you and everyone who shares your summer table.
• All were crafted exclusively for Club members from olives grown on a single awardwinning estate, and are available nowhere else in the US.
• All have been certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin.
• Despite limited transport options, I was able to rush the oils to the US by jet straight
  from the harvest.

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Life has changed in profound ways since the last Pressing Report was published. I fervently hope you and your loved ones are weathering the Covid-19 crisis with your health and good spirits intact.

A heartfelt thanks to all who reached out to me via email or social media to wish me and my family well in these unprecedented times. Thanks, too, to the Club members who, affirming the importance of fresh-pressed olive oil in their lives, implored me to persevere. Especially since many, sheltering at home and cooking more, reported running low!

In the words of my friend and Chilean olive oil producer Juan José Alonso, “Stopping is not an option.” And that’s where this quarter’s narrative begins.

Chile is Agriculturally Gifted, But the Epic Drought Continues

Chile has long been my destination this time of year. Since 2005, I have forsaken the arrival of spring in the Blue Ridge Mountains for fall-like weather in the shadow of the snow-capped Andes. All told, I have spent about 18 months of my life there—sufficient time to forge close relationships with the country’s finest olive oil producers. My Merry Band of Tasters and I have yearly made multiple visits to their groves, met their teams, attended their harvest parties, been introduced to their families, shared many meals together, and even spent nights on their farms.

Few people know that Chile produces olive oil. (It is the second-largest producer of “liquid gold” in the Americas, an astounding 90 percent of it extra virgin.) Its rapid ascent to the world olive oil stage is due to a number of factors: the Mediterranean-like climate of central Chile; its success growing wine grapes
and other fruits for export; an absence of olive diseases and pests; an abundance of young but experienced agricultural talent;
and the willingness of Chilean olive oil pioneers to break from traditional ways of doing things, to encourage innovation and creative problem solving.

Unfortunately, an epic 10-year-long drought continues to dog the country. Rainfall in central Chile has averaged 20 to 45 percent less than normal, making it difficult for farmers to replenish their irrigation reservoirs. Runoff from snowmelt has dwindled to a trickle. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory website, the last “mega-drought”on this scale likely occurred over 1000 years ago.

Precious Relationships with Experts Pay Dividends Again

Nevertheless, my Chilean contacts were optimistic that this season’s harvest would be a good one. (Water deprivation can actually intensify an olive’s flavors and aromas, even if yields are reduced.) I was very much looking forward to my annual visit. But it was not to be.

When the seriousness of the pandemic became evident, I developed several contingency plans.

(Actually, I do this every quarter to ensure your supply of premium extra virgin olive oil is not interrupted.)

Because of the strong relationships I’ve cultivated over the years with Chile’s top olive oil producers and experts, I knew I could secure three gold-medal-caliber just-pressed oils for my Club members. The big question was, “How can I get the oils to the US as quickly as ever, preserving their flavors, aromas, and healthful polyphenols?

There were few jets servicing Chile after it closed its borders—one to two flights a week. No bueno! The freight company I’ve worked with for years was sympathetic, but couldn’t help. For the first time, I investigated shipping the oils as quickly as possible via boat in climate-controlled containers. Ultimately, United Parcel Service came to the rescue. UPS, the carrier the Club uses domestically to deliver olive oils to your door, reserved the required space on its cargo planes. They cautioned, however, that our oils could get bumped by fresh salmon, a valuable Chilean export in season now. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. You can imagine how nervous your control-obsessed Olive Oil Hunter—and now de facto Operations Manager—was until all the olive oils cleared US Customs!

Fresh Summer Produce, Meet Fresh EVOO

As for the oils themselves, I opted to collaborate exclusively this quarter with a single producer—Alonso. I have worked with this remarkable and consistent farm, called Pobeña (read more about Alonso below), for five years, and knew I could trust this estate to share its best olive oils with our Club. With over 1,100 acres of olive groves, seven varietals, multiple micro-climates, a state-of-the-art mill, and one of the strongest teams in Chile—one that understands implicitly how I work and what I expect—I knew that together, we could make our New World partnership work yet again, even under extraordinary circumstances.

We could not have done it without the help of Denise Langevin, a friend and accomplished olive oil expert from central Chile (read more about her and how we orchestrated tastings and made blends below). Denise assisted me for several weeks, becoming my “boots on the ground.”

When you taste these exquisite well-balanced blends, you’ll be amazed at how distinct each one is, even though the olives came from a single farm. As always, I’ve included recipes (see below) to complement the oils’ unique qualities. Of course, when olive oils are this fresh, you’ll want to drizzle them on everything from grilled bread to straight-from-the-garden (or farmer’s market) produce—they are absolutely mind-blowing on juicy summer tomatoes. I hope these oils give you and your loved ones a small measure of joy each time you use them, and more importantly, a satisfying sense of connection to the passionate, dedicated people who labored tirelessly to put them on your table. Stay safe.

Happy drizzling!

T. J. Robinson 
The Olive Oil Hunter®

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This Quarter’s First Selection

• Producer: Denise Langevin Exclusive Selection, Agricola Pobeña, Comuna de La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2020
• Olive Varieties: Arbequina, Frantoio, Leccino
• Flavor Profile: Mild

I was first introduced to Denise Langevin, an olive oil educator and journalist, in 2013 while visiting the Don Rafael Estate in Chile’s Lontué Valley. At the time, she was the estate’s export director. In hindsight, the meeting was providential. Little did I know what a vital role Denise would play during the 2020 Chilean harvest.

We were in touch intermittently in the years that followed, exchanging the occasional email or phone call. In the meantime, this petite woman with the ready smile and quiet demeanor was in demand as a credentialed olive oil expert, judging competitions all over the world. Rarely was she in Chile when I was (May), as in the spring she often traveled to the US for the esteemed LA International Olive Oil Competition, to Canada for the Olive d’Or, or to China, Portugal, France, Italy, Israel, Brazil, or Germany.

Spanish is her native tongue—Denise was born in Chile—but she can also converse in French or English. However, it was her fluency in the dialect used by critics of olive oil that made her such a valuable asset to the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club during this unprecedented quarter.

Just as sommeliers have their own evocative terms to describe the impressions wines create on the senses, so, too, do professional olive oil tasters. We approach each olive oil sample methodically, usually beginning with the oil we expect to be the mildest based on the varietal and typical flavor profile. (For the benefit of Club members, I always classify the oils as mild, medium, or bold in the producer profiles and tasting notes.)

First, we evaluate the fruitiness of the oil. In monocultivars, is the oil a good expression of the varietal? Next, we judge the bitterness, then the spiciness (aka pepperiness), and finally, we determine whether the oil is balanced and harmonious. Every olive oil has a life story to tell if you can recognize the clues revealed on the nose and on the palate.

Denise can follow the olive’s narrative; she and I, both with years of tasting experience, spoke the same olive oil “language”. She understood my perfectionist tendencies and need to control every possible variable until the oils are in the hands of my Club members. (Though I’m always diplomatic, I sometimes wonder if I’ve been dubbed the enfant-terrible of the olive oil world. (As long as the oils are the very best they can be, I’m happy to be guilty as charged!)

As our working relationship evolved over Skype and Zoom, Denise became my trusted surrogate in Chile. She drove from her home to the Pobeña farm numerous times (about an hour and a half each way) and interacted on my behalf with the harvest team. (I was unable to ship samples to my usual collaborator, Italian master miller Duccio Morozzo Della Rocca, as Rome had closed its Customs offices weeks earlier.)

Our routine for three weeks went something like this: On Mondays, the Alonso team would overnight numbered olive oil samples—mostly single varietals—to Denise, then seal the tanks with the corresponding numbers. She’d receive and taste the just-pressed oils, then share her impressions with me. On Thursdays, I’d anxiously await delivery of duplicate samples, then taste them. On Fridays, I’d re-taste the oils. Then Denise and I would compare notes and impressions. Our favorite oils—oils we deemed potential gold-medal winners if entered in international competitions—became the building blocks for the blends we created. Then Denise, as my designated “quality control manager,” oversaw the process at the mill of recreating our blends on a larger scale, and sealed those tanks. She was an absolute godsend, and I owe her a debt of gratitude for helping me deliver to you the beautiful fresh-pressed oils you now have in your hands.

As a way of acknowledging Denise’s invaluable help, I decided to name a blend after her. Her reaction? “I am so happy!” She chose the milder Arbequina, Frantoio, and Leccino olive oil to bear her name. Its warm and genial flavor profile echoes some of Denise’s own traits: I think it was an excellent choice, and I believe you’ll agree once you taste it.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

My Merry Band of Tasters, who joined me for a simultaneous tasting via Zoom, identified a number of aromas after we poured the mildest oil of our samples, alluringly green in the glass. Among them were almonds, green banana, kale, spinach, Golden Delicious apple, vanilla, white pepper, and a whiff of oregano. On the palate, this beautiful, well balanced oil showed a nutty side (hazelnuts), the sweetness of apple, hints of lemon zest and ginger, along with the bitter notes of Belgian endive and the pepperiness of watercress.

Try it with summer squash, sweet potatoes, mild fin fish, grilled shrimp or lobster, pork, chicken, rice, eggs, carrots, bell peppers, sweet corn, Asian curries, simple pasta dishes (including pasta salads), yogurt, ice cream, or mild cheeses (including cottage cheese), and any salad featuring fruit.

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This Quarter’s Second Selection

• Producer: Alonso, Agricola Pobeña, Comuna de La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2020
• Olive Varieties: Coratina, Arbequina, Frantoio, Leccino, Koroneiki
• Flavor Profile: Medium

In my work as the Olive Oil Hunter I’ve emphasized the importance of cultivating relationships, just as a grower cultivates trees. When I am on the ground, collaborating with producers in different parts of the world, I cherish the warm welcomes from the people I’ve gotten to know over the years, whose labor I witness and champion, and whose triumphs I celebrate. This network of professional respect and personal support enables me to find the finest and freshest olive oils on earth to share with you, my lucky Club members.

How much more crucial those relationships are when we’re 5,000 miles apart! Because of our established two-way trust, the Alonso team and I could speak in shorthand and move mountains (or, rather, precious volumes of fresh-pressed liquid gold)… through Zoom and Skype

The award-winning Alonso groves represent the culmination of more than a decade of work by brothers Juan José (nicknamed “Juanjo,” pronounced with a soft “j”) and Ignacio Alonso. Their father—a successful shoe manufacturer who, as a boy, fled to Chile to escape Franco’s regime in Spain—dreamt of producing ultra-premium olive oil in his retirement. In the mission to fulfill their father’s legacy, the brothers staked out 850 acres of land near Chile’s coast, perfect for olives, with rocky terroir and many microclimates. (It was not lost on anyone that the land selected was also in close proximity to primo waves, satisfying the brothers, who are avid surfers.)

The past five seasons I’ve visited their farm, always excited to taste the fruits of their harvest and enjoy the company of their talented team. They were excited to rally to help me fulfill this unprecedented remote Olive Oil Hunter’s quest—from another hemisphere. Truly, a first for the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club!

From the start, as Juanjo reported, this season posed its challenges. Chile has been in a mega-drought (that’s the scientific term) for a decade now. “We need 300 to 400 milliliters of rain to save for the summer,” Juanjo explained, “and this year we got zero.” Resourceful producers work around Chile’s lack of water in ingenious ways—for the Alonsos, it’s with a 55-acre dam that supplies the reservoirs for their groves. But with no rainfall, they had to take stronger action, making strategic decisions to allocate the scant water supply to specific trees and reducing even further the amount of water distributed to other areas of the farm.

As veteran Club members know, though, a certain degree of water stress to the olive tree can benefit the oil that results from the fruit. “Higher in polyphenols,” observed Juanjo, “and more flavor. The difference is amazing.”

José Reyes, logistician extraordinaire, served as the quarterback and cocaptain of my all-star harvest team, calling the plays and making sure that everyone and everything was in place and ready to go. He also hired the photographer to document this quarter’s experience. (In usual times, one of my trusty Merry Band of Tasters captures the breathtaking and charismatic photos that grace the Pressing Report. But he, too, was grounded halfway across the globe.)

José—whose official title is general manager—spent hours with me on Zoom and Skype calls to discuss the olive varieties that were most promising for the ultra-flavorful, high-polyphenol oils I insist on for my Club, and he shipped samples to me like clockwork. The Coratina at Alonso has been consistently excellent for years running; this season it was superlative, and I knew I wanted to build a blend around it.

With samples in hand, I tinkered and tasted until I had created a perfectly harmonious blend—a beguiling balance of aromatics, fruitiness, bitterness, and pepperiness.

Coratina’s intensity goes a long way, so it comprises about 40 percent of this blend. To soften the edges and bring out the oil’s complexity, I added a complement of Arbequina, the fragrant dynamic duo of Frantoio and Leccino (the two varietals are planted and harvested together at Alonso), and a finishing touch of zesty Koroneiki.

I’d liken this verdant, intoxicating blend to a Rhone wine—the whole is indisputably greater than the sum of its parts. When you taste it, I hope you’ll think about the individual components—and the individual people—coming together for this one-of-a-kind collaboration.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

Grassy, herbaceous, and complex on the nose, featuring arugula, kale, rosemary, mint, and parsley with touches of artichoke and citrus peel. An intense chicory-like bitterness blooms in the mouth abetted by celery leaves, fennel, kale, artichoke, arugula, parsley, and the spiciness of fresh ginger. Expect a lingering, mouth-warming finish.

This wonderful all-purpose oil would complement chilled summer soup, country-style breads, pizza, white beans, tabbouleh, lentils, grilled meats (beef, pork, chicken), grilled vegetables (eggplant, bell peppers, asparagus, artichokes), caprese salad, oven-roasted chicken with potatoes, pasta tossed with pesto or tomato sauce, charcuterie platters, salmon (see a recipe for Salmon Tartare below), aged cheeses, and chocolate cake or mousse.

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This Quarter’s Third Selection

• Producer: “El Favorito,” Miguel Ángel Molina, Agricola Pobeña, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2020
• Olive Varieties: Picual, Koroneiki
• Flavor Profile: Bold

In Chile there is a person whose judgment I trust so implicitly, whose
palate so perfectly aligns with my own, that the Club has created a special label.
This is now the third exclusive oil to appear as “El Favorito”—The Favorite—
which is an homage to the exchange I have every year with the olive oil genius
Miguel Ángel Molina.

Here’s how the scene unfolds:
The Olive Oil Hunter: Miguel, what’s your favorite oil this season?
Miguel: (puts his finger on a sample bottle or draws me a taste from a just-pressed tank of oil)
The Olive Oil Hunter: (concurs)
{The End}

I first met Miguel, the estate manager of the Alonso farm, six years ago. Immediately I sensed the perceptiveness of his palate and admired his meticulous, steady approach to the work. A largely self-taught “olive whisperer,” Miguel is also a master miller with a background in Chile’s fruit agriculture. His early career as a fruit packer informs his expert handling of olives: he is gentle and intuitive, with the understanding that perfect fruit needs special care.

In past seasons I’d tour the expansive groves with Miguel, both of us riding dirt bikes. We’d stop periodically to test certain varietals for ripeness or to join the harvest team in the picking. As this season our visits could take place only in the virtual realm, it helped that I knew exactly what part of the farm Miguel was describing and could envision him buzzing around between the trees.

Miguel was introduced to excellence in olive oil by the incomparable Don Willy at TerraMater, Chile’s oldest olive farm, founded by a trio of Italian sisters in the 1940s. Under Don Willy’s pioneering leadership, TerraMater helped elevate Chilean olive oils to world-class status in the 2000s. From his mentor Miguel learned how to test olives for ripeness, how to mill, and how to create a harmonious blend. He developed and refined his holistic understanding of the olive’s journey from the tree to the table.

Two-and-a-half hours south of the Alonso farm is the town of Talca, where Miguel and his family live. He commutes up on Monday, stays at the mill through Thursday, then journeys back home to spend three days with his wife and children. It is an exhausting schedule, but Miguel is tirelessly and enthusiastically devoted to both his family and his craft.

When I posed the question of “el favorito” this time, on a video call rather than in the familiar surrounds of the mill or amid the silvery foliage of the olive grove, Miguel took a dramatic pause. I was expecting him to say, “Coratina,” as the varietal is always a standout at the Alonso farm. “Picual,” he intoned, with the confidence of a seasoned card player who knows he holds a winning hand. He elaborated (unusual for this man of few words): “It is very difficult to make a great Picual. But this year we have a winner.”

And, as ever, Miguel’s assessment was in exact alignment with mine. I love a very green, early-harvest Picual—the kind I call “pesto in a bottle”—but the Spanish varietal can be tricky, with my desired outcome depending on the fruit (perfect), time of harvest (early), and miller (genius). This Picual was sublime solo, yet I suggested that it could be even more divine with a tiny splash of another oil to highlight its complexity and richness, and Miguel agreed. A whiff (5 percent, tops) of Greek Koroneiki did exactly that. (I am reminded of Churchill’s quip when asked for his recipe for a very dry martini: “Just nod in the direction of France.” With the micro-addition of Koroneiki, you might say we nodded in the direction of Greece.)

When Miguel and I had perfected this third oil—remotely, no less—I was so pleased and relieved I nearly wept. The camaraderie of my Chilean colleagues moved me profoundly throughout this experience, and the fact that, together, we curated a truly spectacular trio of fresh-pressed oils during one of the most challenging periods in recent memory—well, I regard it as a testament to passion, persistence, and partnership. I hope that these emerald elixirs will bring you good health and whet your appetite, all while connecting you to the big-hearted artisans who nurtured and produced them a hemisphere away.

Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

Delightful on the nose, inviting comparisons to spinach, tomato leaf, celery leaves, wheatgrass, green walnuts, basil, microgreens, and kiwi. In the mouth, it’s like a big green bouquet. Mildly but refreshingly astringent, like green tea or walnuts, tempered with the bitterness of arugula. My tasters and I called out raw artichoke, wheatgrass, green apple, romaine lettuce, spinach, rosemary, thyme, and wild mint. Finishes with a flourish of white pepper.

Pair this muscular oil with gazpacho, guacamole, sourdough bread, potatoes, crudités, grilled beef or lamb, roasted duck, oysters or other shellfish, tomato-based salads or salads featuring bitter or minerally greens, ratatouille, pasta puttanesca, plain yogurt, or chocolate cake or ice cream.

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Olive Oil and Health

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Kudos from Club Members

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Recipes

• Chilean Salsa (Pebre) Lilly, the talented cook/housekeeper at the Don Rafael farm in Chile’s Lontue Valley, shared her recipe for Chile’s favorite condiment during one of our many visits to the farm. Serve it with bread, meat, or seafood. It’s best, she says, when made less than 2 hours ahead. view recipe
• Grilled Tuna with Castelvetrano Olive Relish Feel free to substitute any meaty fish steaks or fillets for the tuna, such as swordfish, red snapper, branzino, salmon, or Chilean sea bass. If you have any leftover relish, serve it with bread or potatoes. Ingredients 4 tuna or swordfish steaks, each about 6 ounces Extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black… view recipe
• Olive Oil-Fried Eggs with Chile and Sprouts This “healthyish” version of huevos rancheros takes only minutes to make and is both satisfying and colorful—perfect for breakfast or a light lunch or dinner. Ingredients 1 cup sprouts (such as sunflower, radish, or alfalfa)1 teaspoon fresh lime juice Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling2 large… view recipe
• Hangar Steak with Olive Oil and Herbs Hanger steak—sometimes called bavette—is beefy-tasting and relatively economical. If you can’t find it at your butcher counter (we all have to be flexible these days), substitute flat iron steak. Allow 2 hours for the steak to marinate. Ingredients 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce2 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce2 tablespoons maple syrupOne 1-pound hanger steak,… view recipe
• Olive Oil Martini This unusual libation features a technique professional bartenders call “fat washing.” And once you strain the infused gin, you can reuse the olive oil in another recipe. Saveur quipped that it could (tongue in cheek) be called a “quarantini.” Ingredients One 750 milliliter bottle London dry gin4 ounces (1/4 cup) best quality extra virgin olive… view recipe
• Shrimp BLT Salad With more than 2,500 miles of coastline and cold, temperate waters, Chile hosts one of the most robust aquacultures in the world. Perhaps you have eaten the country’s succulent shrimp, said to be better than that from the Pacific Northwest or Canada. In any case, dinner can be on the table in 20 minutes or… view recipe
• Salmon Tartare Use the freshest salmon you can find for this recipe, which was shared with us by Chile-based olive oil expert Denise Langevin. We prefer wild-caught salmon or farm-raised Chilean Verlasso salmon, available online or at many supermarkets. Ingredients 1 pound boneless skinless salmon fillets, chilled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes1/4 cup finely diced sweet or… view recipe
• Skillet Lemon Olive Oil Cake Ken Gordon, a longtime veteran of our Member Services Team and a talented pastry chef, shared this recipe for a tasty skillet cake that is gluten-free, soy-free, and optionally dairy-free. Ingredients For the cake: Olive oil or butter for greasing the pan2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour1/2 cup blanched almond flour1 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon baking… view recipe
• Summer Corn Chowder This is the perfect soup to make with farmstand sweet corn. If desired, garnish the soup with diced avocado or chopped cooked bacon. Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling1 onion, peeled and diced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only1/4 cup all-purpose flour6 cups… view recipe
• Olive Oil Egg Salad We like to mound this salad in the middle of an attractive plate or bowl and surround it with Belgian endive in a flower petal pattern. It makes a lovely keto-friendly appetizer. Ingredients 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 large white onion, peeled and… view recipe