For 10 years, family owned Rancho Olivos farm in Santa Ynez, near Los Olivos, has been crafting superior artisan Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The olives are grown, harvested, milled, and bottled locally in Santa Ynez. The farm sells eight different types of olive oil. The different varieties and their distinctions are listed below:
Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil - self-pollinating spanish Olive Varietal known for its mild flavor; good for dipping, using in vinaigrettes or grilling vegetables.
Italian Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil - crafted using four Italian Olive Varietals. It is best used in pasta with parmesan, or in Pesto and with Tomatoes and Mozzarella as it has a fresh grassy taste and peppery finish.
Garlic Flavored Olive Oil - made by crushing fresh garlic with olives. Good for dipping as it is rich in flavors such as fresh olives and roasted garlic.
Meyer Lemon Flavored Olive Oil - milled with Rancho Olivos’ own lemons and olives. With its citrusy flavor, it is perfect on fish, chicken, or salads.
Basil Flavored Olive Oil - olive oil milled with fresh basil, making it perfect in Italian cuisine as well as on fish.
Jalapeno Olive Oil - handcrafted since 2016, it features delicious olive flavor with an added snap from green peppers; perfect anywhere you need a little bit of added spice.
Garlic-rosemary Flavored Olive Oil - blend of garlic flavored olive oil and rosemary flavored olive oil, making it terrific on winter squash.
Blood Orange Olive Oil - giving every dish added flavor, the zesta orange aroma pairs well with balsamic vinegar and can also be used in stir-frys.
The flavored olive oils are never made with infused oils, making their shelf life as long as their regular Extra Virgin Olive Oils. All of their olive oils are available in 250ml, 375ml, and 750ml bottles. The prices are $20, $23, and $39, respectively. In addition to Extra Virgin Olive Oil, they also sell local honey and jam. In fact, the owner, Shannon, is so talented that she put together her own cookbook. In addition, she has recipes of the month posted on her website. For more information about their products or recipes, you can head to their website ranchoolivos.com. To place an order, you can contact them by email at info@ranchoolivos.com, or by phone at (818) 426 2512. To follow them on social media, or if you just want to say hi, you can find them on Instagram (@oliveoilscout) or on Facebook (@ranchoolivos).
As a result of the coronavirus, the owner says they are spending more time using social media to promote their online sales. In addition, they are also reducing shipping costs to customers. Now, the shipping price is a flat rate of $5. What a great deal! Besides buying online and having the products shipped to your home, they also offer free delivery services in Santa Ynez, and roadside pick-up. Lastly, they also have a shop in Morro Bay that is open for business on Saturdays (they used to be open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as well, but are now only doing appointments for those times because the travel industry is down). Back in April, the owner said the lack of visitors at the farm combined with the lack of business in Morro Bay, meant sales were down 80%. Luckily, in August, the owner reported that business was good, but still uneven.
The owner, Shannon, says, "[The] pandemic has certainly caused us to lose normal business. We are always outside, and right now selling organic tomatoes and peppers. We wear masks and have sanitizer and clean between groups. We have had to spend more money on recyclable/compostable tasting cups and individual bread bags. All of this takes time and costs extra of course. But being outside all the time gives us and our guests a good experience."
With so many olive oil varieties, there is something that suits everyone. Times are hard for everyone, so do your part in supporting local businesses like Rancho Olivos.
Best,
Emily & Talia