Rock Hill Ranch, Katz - California

375 ml Bottle - Suisun Valley, California

Gold Medal Winner at the 2007 Yolo County Olive Oil Tasting! Rock Hill Ranch was selected out of over 500 oils from 18 countries - and only 20 golds were given to oils domestically grown.

Katz Rock Hill Ranch Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is organically produced with sustainable farming methods. All of the fruit for the oil is grown in the Suisun Valley, which is bordered on its northwestern flank by the Napa Valley. This historic area has been an active agricultural region since the 19th century and is also a recognized appellation for wine grapes.

Here lies Rock Hill Ranch, an area of loamy soil - full of sand and clay - ideal for growing olives. The hills surrounding the valley contain compacted volcanic ash called "tuff," or tuffo in Italian. These are similar soil conditions to those that the Tuscans point to for making Tuscany the "best" region for growing olives.



About the Oil:

Hand-harvested and bottled unfiltered, this fresh-flavored oil has an expansive nose of artichoke, almonds and herbs with a lush mouth feel and a pleasantly pungent finish. A worthy successor to the previous of gold-medal winners, it complements simple fish and vegetable dishes, makes an authentic pesto, and a balanced and fruity dressing for greens. It proudly bears the California Olive Oil Council's "certified extra virgin seal," your assurance of authenticity and high-quality.

Katz Rock Hill Ranch EVO is made from Taggiasca and Casaliva cultivars (70%), which are native to the Ligurian and Lombardy regions of Italy respectively; both are grown on the Rock Hill Ranch. These varieties are both noted for their soft and persistent fruitiness with sweet overtones, producing a lush mouth feel. The remainder of the blend is the Leccino cultivar (30%). This Tuscan cultivar is grown up the road from the Katz's Rock Hill Ranch and added to give the finished oil its green hue and classic grassiness and herbaceousness.

All of the olives are handpicked and taken to an olive mill operated by a Jesuit Monk who has made it his "mission" to mill the best oils under the most pristine conditions. A modern two-phase press is used without any additional heat at any step in the process - often some heat in the form of hot water is used to increase yields. All of their oils are cold-pressed in the truest sense of the word.

About the Producer:

Albert and Kim Katz have completed their third transitional year for all of their olives using organic and sustainable farming practices. They are proud to have made this commitment, and we are thrilled to further our longtime support of organic farming.