The Tasting Panel magazine

March 2013

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PROVISIONS Extending the Olive Branch A VISIT TO PASOLIVO OLIVE RANCH story and photos by Megan Wieczorek W General Manager Cheryl Wieczorek. ���The beauty of olive oil is that there���s nothing manmade about it. We just have to coax it from the earth,��� says Cheryl Wieczorek as husband David surveys the orchard. 38 / the tasting panel / march 2013 hen you think ���harvest,��� it���s likely that your mind loods with images of emerald vines heavy with ripe grape clusters. But there is another harvest that includes just as much time, expertise and hard work. It���s one that involves long days in the ields, long nights sorting and grove after grove of willowy branches illed with green and black fruit ready for the picking. Ever since their bustling harvest came to a close about four months ago, Pasolivo olive ranch in Paso Robles, California has been busy producing and bottling this year���s prized olive oil. The picturesque 131-acre ranch has 45 acres planted with olive trees of eleven different varieties, ranging from Tuscan to Californian. The top quality of Pasolivo���s olive oil is a direct relection of the Central Coast���s terroir and the team���s extensive knowledge of how to work with the land to produce a great product. ���The same terroir that makes Paso Roble���s Westside grapes of the highest quality in the region also provides the backdrop for a high-quality olive oil,��� remarks Cheryl Wieczorek, General Manager of the ranch. (Wieczorek is the author���s aunt. ���Ed.) ���The ideal soil and climate here are very similar to that of the Mediterranean and Italy, the top olive-oil producing regions in the world.��� Not only does the climate make Pasolivo���s location an ideal one for a burgeoning olive ranch, but the booming wine industry in Paso Robles facilitates the inevitable marriage between wine aicionado and food enthusiast. As purpleteethed consumers trickle into the quaint, welcoming tasting room after a long day of wine tasting, Pasolivo���s extensive selection of olive oils and artisanal food products is ready to cleanse palates and provide variety. While Pasolivo sells premier essentials such as its Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a California Blend of varietal oils, the ranch also produces a unique line of lavored oils���lemon, lime and tangerine, to name a few���that appeal to the more adventurous taste buds. With the proliferation of the farm-to-table movement across the United States, olive oil has seen a surge in popularity in recent years���and it���s here to stay. As consumers gravitate toward healthier and fresher ingredients, craft olive oil has become an indisputable staple in the kitchens of professionals and novices alike, and Pasolivo is leading the charge in California. Slowly but surely, Pasolivo olive ranch might just expand your idea of harvest. www.pasolivo.com

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