Olive Oil Winners Reflect Terroir of the Wine Country

The Mediterranean climate we enjoy in Sonoma County offers the same benefits to olive trees – long warm days, cooler nights – as it does to vineyards. So it’s only appropriate that the visibility of olive oil producers is rivaling that of wineries, with similarly outstanding results and coveted trophies.

Dry Creek Valley – the appellation that defines zinfandel –also shows its stuff with a number of award-winning olive oils, several of them from the eponymous Dry Creek Olive Company, at this year’s Sonoma County Harvest Fair’s olive oil competition,  in the annual Professional Food & Wine Competition.

Olive oil entries were judged by a panel of tasting experts in June. Each participating company submitted their prized olive oil blends with the hopes of bringing home a medal. Out of the 46 olive oils entered, 15 received Double Gold, 9 received Gold, and 18 received Silver.

For a second year in a row Dry Creek Olive Company won Best of Show, bringing home more medals than any other participant. Their Mediterranean Blend won over the judges, with its blend of Italy’s Coratina and Tuscan olive, Greece’s Kalamata olive and Spain’s Sevillano olive.

Overall, the Dry Creek Olive Company took home ten different awards, four of which were Double Gold medals. But they weren’t the only big winner: Glen Ellen’s BR Cohn grabbed a couple medals for its citrus olive oils; as did Sonoma’s The Olive Press.

These award winning olive oils can be sampled at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, October 4 – 6. Guests will enjoy a complete weekend of culinary delight, tasting award winning foods, wines, beers and ciders. Results for this year’s remaining food and wine categories will be released in August and September. 

The Best of Show and Gold Medal winners from this year’s Professional Food & Wine Competition will be featured in the Tasting Pavilion for three full days.

Admission to the Sonoma County Harvest Fair is free and includes entrance into the Marketplace, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting seminars, DIY educational presentations and the World Championship Grape Stomp. 

Entrance to the Tasting Pavilion is $50 per person; or $90 for two (pre-sale only). This all-inclusive tasting experience includes medal winning wine and food from this year’s professional competition, as well as local beer and ciders. 

Gates open Friday, October 4 at 4:30 pm, with the Tasting Pavilion open from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Gates open Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6 at 12 noon with tasting from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

The Double Gold Winners for 2013 are as follows:

Sonoma County Grown Olive Oil

Lot 2 – Medium

Deergnaw Olive Oil – Healdsburg (Blend: Nociara, Casaliva, Taggiasca, Coratine, Pendolino)

Ferrari – Carano Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg (Vitners Estate)

Gloria – Ferrer Winery, Sonoma (Estate Olive Oil: Arbequina, Frantoio, Lecino, Pendolino)

SRJC Shone Farm, Forestville (Blend: Arbosana, Arbquina, Koroneiki)

Lot 3 – Robust

Dry Creek Olive Company, Healdsburg (Mediterranean Blend)

Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen (Blend: Ceccino, Maurino)

California Grown Olive Oil

Lot 1 – Light

Capay Gold Olive Oil, LLC, Santa Rosa (100% Arbequina)

Dry Creek Olive Company, Healdsburg (Three Orchards Blend)

Lot 2  - Medium

The Olive Press, Sonoma (Picual)

Lot 3 - Robust

Dry Creek Olive Company, Healdsburg (Frutteto)

California Grown Flavored Olive Oil

Lot 1 – Citrus

B.R. Cohn Olive Oil Company, Glen Ellen (Blood Orange Oo-Mission)

B.R. Cohn Olive Oil Company, Glen Ellen (Meyer Lemon Oo)

Dry Creek Olive Company, Healdsburg (Mojito Lime)

Lot 2 – Herb

The Olive Press, Sonoma (Jalapeno)

Lot 3 – Other

The Smoked Olive, Santa Rosa (Santa Fe Smoked Olive Oil)