Our oil is tested by an independent lab. It wildly exceeds all published standards set for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

what is it about "extra Virgin?"

Testing: Real extra virgin olive oil has several important, measurable characteristics. The California Olive Oil Council has established standards that olive oil must meet to be called extra virgin. Responsible producers have their oil independently tested to be sure it meets the standards.

CCOC Standards—Our Nov. 2015 Harvest
• Free Fatty Acid (FFA) – less than 0.5% .04
• Peroxide Value (PV) – less than 15 meq O2/kg 10
• UV Analysis
◦ A232: less than 2.4 1.51
◦ A270: less than 0.22 .10
◦ ΔK: less than 0.01 .001

Baker Wine and Grape Analysis of San Luis Obispo is the closest COOC approved testing lab to Pleasant Valley Olive Oil, so we use them. Our 2016 oil has been tested and shown to exceed each of the standards.

Taste: There is an additional component to anyone's analysis of extra virgin olive oil, taste. Simply put, extra virgin olive oil tastes good. If you can taste any defects, it isn't extra virgin. If it smells weird or doesn't smell at all, if it is greasy or heavy on the tongue, or if it tastes at all funky, it isn't extra virgin.

Real extra virgin olive oil like ours has a light, pleasant, fruity,  aroma. It's silky and smooth on the tongue, and it tastes fresh and bright. There is even a pleasant after-burn or peppery quality on the back of the throat a moment after you swallow--something we'll get to in a moment.

Here's a simple test to determine whether the olive oil you are used to is extra virgin. Are you willing to take a sip of the oil? If you're not, it isn't. You should be happy to dip a piece of bread in the oil and munch on it. Extra virgin olive oil is good for you and your body can tell.

Health: Extra virgin olive oil contains high levels of monounsaturated fats, the good fats that help reduce bad cholesterol and increase the good. Olive oil is higher than other oils in polyphenols, compounds that act as antioxidants and protect cells from inflammation and disease. Extra virgin olive oil is higher in polyphenols than other grades of olive oil.

You can often tell how high the polyphenol level is in olive oil by a sensation-ranging from a mild peppery quality to a slight choking sensation-that you may feel in the back of the throat after you've swallowed. The more peppery the finish, the more polyphenols. You'll experience a mild, but distinct, burn when you taste our oil, particularly if you take a little sip or sop up a bunch with good bread.

Extra virgin olive oil is high in vitamin E, which protects from free radicals and is believed to support skin health and protect against the effects of aging. Another interesting antioxidant found in olive oil is oleocanthal, a substance found in the pain reducing anti- inflammatory drug ibuprofen.

ABOUT OUR OLIVES

Our oil is a field blend of five varieties of olives that are typical of the Tuscan olive growing region of Italy. We chose them for their flavor profile, the quantity of oil they produce, and their cross-pollination characteristics. Olives are self pollinating, but they'll yield more when the proper pollinator is nearby to help.

Here is a list of our olive varieties and their characteristics.
    Leccino--rich and buttery with a distinctive olive flavor
    Frantoio--brightly flavorful with a sharp finish
    Pendolino--grassy and peppery with a slight bitterness-pollinator
    Carboncella--sweet and delicate with a finish of fresh almonds-pollinator
    Casa Liva--fine, light, very aromatic-pollinator
    
A field blend means that when we pick our olives, we don’t separate them by variety. Instead they all go into the mix. Each year the different varieties produce different quantities of fruit. As a result each year’s oil is slightly different from the year before. What we have found is that each year the general impression is of a light, brightly flavored oil with a distinctly peppery finish.

We're organic!

We are a proud organic producer who meets the stringent standards of California Department of Food and Agriculture Organic Program as defined by the California Organic Products Act of 2003. California's standards are tougher than the standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture's organic program. NOTE: We’ve never used glyphosate in our orchard! Never!