TUSCAN BLEND: Sonoma County, harvest end of October. From Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino. Fine flavor: grassy, artichoke, balanced bitterness. Could be mistaken for Italian.

Olive Oil seems to have become the new wine business. A lot of people are becoming olive growers and having oil made, either directly or by third parties. This is interesting to see, since in the early 90s, the only substantial oil production in California was that of the Sciabica family in Modesto. They have been at it since 1932.

I am the chairman of the Los Angeles International extra virgin oil competition held the first week of February at the L.A. County Fair at Pomona. This is our 26th year as the first, and I like to think, most important tasting in the U.S. This year, 2025, we tasted almost 500 oils submitted from California and around the world. The breakdown of entries was 177 from the US; 68 Italy; 49 each, Spain and Greece; 45 Turkey; 39 Portugal; and 13 Chile and Argentina. Even Japan with 2 entries. Eighteen well qualified Italian, Spanish, Greek, Israeli, Chilean and Californian tasters rendered judgement on these oils.

The Olive Truck, a traveling mill, the Mori-Tem mill, placed in a 40 foot container on the bed of a truck, has once again shown that the most up-to-date system will generally make the best oil. No more stone crushers and hydraulic presses! Using “under vacuum”systems preserves freshness and allows oils to keep better and longer.

The Olive Truck is owned by Samir Bayraktar, from Turkey, who first used this method of going to the groves to make oil in Turkey, and several years ago brought the same method to California. His production has been making winning oils ever since.