Muia moved into her Carmel Valley home, there were an estimated 900 acres dedicated to extra virgin olive oil in California, with the rest of the producers more interested in table olives. Last year, according to COOC data, some 400 orchards were growing 75 different cultivars on 37,000 acres, and the state accounts for more than 95 percent of all extra virgin olive oil milled in the U.S. “For the smaller producers, it’s less labor-intensive than a vineyard, and people are becoming more aware of craft extra virgin olive oil,” Traynor says. “And Central Coast quality is second to none in the state.” From Monterey County labels, one can find a wide variety of oils. There are blends and single variety bottlings. The mildly grassy mission olive has been grown in California since the 1700s. Spanish colonizers planted olive trees as they established missions. “People like the experience, knowing where their food comes from,” Rahman says of the advantage of a small producer. Much of that olive oil is pressed at the 43 Ranch mill, the only modern facility operating in Monterey County, and one of only 50 mills in the state. Traynor opened the mill seven years ago and now works with 150 different producers from a multi-county area. From the moment they are picked, olives begin to degrade. To receive extra virgin grade in California, the crop must be harvested and milled within a 24-hour span. In many areas, this means a rush on the mill, with many producers seeking to schedule its services within a short time, often a window of no more than 30 or 45 days. Traynor explains that the microclimates of the Central Coast ease this potential problem by extending the milling season closer to 90 days. Besides, adds Evan Loewy, who crafts Like Family olive oil from a grove planted by his parents in Carmel Valley, “Greg will mill through the night, if necessary.” Growing up, tending to the grove was like a summer job for Loewy, who also founded Other Brother Beer Co. in Seaside. After college, he worked in the corporate world for a time. But he and close friend Ben Herrmann decided to leave their jobs. “We thought, ‘What should we do?’” Loewy says. “We looked at the olive orchard and thought, ‘Oh.’” The origin stories behind Monterey County’s olive oil names tend to be like that, giving the growing industry an approachable appeal that Rahman shares. “California is the new player on the block,” she observes. “We produce a small portion of the world’s olive oil.” According to the World Population Review, the U.S.—essentially California— ranks 14th among global producers at 152,000 tons in 2023, in line with Peru and Libya. Spain, the world’s leader, pressed 6 million tons, with Italy (2.2 million) and Morocco (2 million) in the distance. Even with the growing number of groves in the state, 97 percent of the olive oil sold in this country is imported. And that is the biggest reason for the quality gap experienced by consumers. Many become trained to the taste of inferior olive oil, and there is a lot out there. Newspaper investigations have repeatedly revealed mislabeling and fraud. Ships carrying olive oil from Morocco or other locations will dock in Italy, where they will receive the Italian label. Even worse, vegetable oils have been doctored to simulate olive oil. As far back as 2010, a UC Davis study reported that 69 percent of extra virgin olive oil found on grocery shelves fell short of trade standards. And there are few signs of improvement. While the International Olive Council mandates acidity content and other marks, those rules unravel when the product is shipped overseas. “There are no standards for what’s imported to the U.S.,” Rahman explains. “But people buy it.” California has established strict rules for extra virgin olive oil. In addition to the 24-hour timeframe for milling, all oil destined for the extra virgin stamp is put through a chemical analysis then sampled by a sensory tasting panel. “There’s a lot of good oil in California,” Muia says. “You can visit the people who make it and get to know them. We’re fussy about our olive oil.” 34 The Best of Monterey Bay ® Haven 2024-2025 High Top, Like Family, Daisy Hill Farms (shown above) and Holman Ranch (p. 32) are just a few of the olive oils from Monterey County. One can find imported oils at Monterey’s Tasty Olive Bar on Cannery Row. daniel dreifuss
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==