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The process of crafting Melina's Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil is kept simple to ensure absolute purity of flavor. Every autumn, at the peak of the season, the 550 trees that blanket the hillside estate grove are carefully picked and cold-pressed the same day, often within hours, to maintain the pure flavors of this delicate olive. The combination of artisan harvest and production methods produces olive oil of the very highest quality and flavor, and has earned Skipstone Ranch the distinguished Extra Virgin certification by the California Olive Oil Council and five Gold Medals from the prestigious Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.

Typically served as table olives because of their low oil content, choosing to grow Manzanillo olives requires sacrificing overall yield for the superior quality and flavor of this delicious oil. Because olive trees are alternate year bearing, the 2008 vintage represents only 80 cases produced. This delicate oil offers an enticing grassy and spring floral aroma, evocative of the air when spring returns to the Skipstone estate. Melina’s Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil balances a rich raw walnut and almond flavor on the mid-palate, layered with spring mustard and mild spice on the finish.

The elegant flavors of Extra Virgin olive oil can become muted when cooked, so fine oils are best enjoyed as dipping oil for bread, drizzled across cooked vegetables or fish, or as a base for a flavorful vinaigrette.

Growing region: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
Orchard: 550 trees
Olive variety: Manzanillo
Harvest: November 7th-8th
Oil extraction process: stone and hammer milled
Grade: Certified Extra Virgin by California Olive Oil Council, unfiltered
Acidity: 0.10%