Pasolivo: Olive Oil from Paso Robles

Does your olive oil taste like baby vomit? Yes, that is certainly a very strange question, but I will explain the relevance shortly.

As I mentioned yesterday, we had a Pasolivo olive oil tasting during our lunch at Thomas Hill Organics. You might not know but the history of olive oil in the San Luis Obispo region extends back to the 1700s when Spaniards planted olive trees at various missions. By the mid-1800s, there was a thriving olive oil industry there, and the industry continues to the present. There are currently over 25 olive oil producers in San Luis Obispo County.

Joeli Yaguda led us on our olive oil tasting and she was a fun and knowledgeable person. I sat next to her and she was an engaging conversationalist. Karen Guth began planting olive trees on her 140-acre ranch, Willow Creek, in 1996. Her son, Joshua Yaguda, learned the art of olive milling and Joeli, his wife, assists with their business, Pasolivo.

The ranch has over 55 acres planted with more than 9000 olive trees. There are a dozen olive types including: Ascolano, Coratina, Frantoio, Kalamata, Leccino, Lucca, Manzanillo, Mission, Moraiolo, Pendolino, and Sevillano. They have farmed organically for five years but do not possess any certification. In 2005, they imported a Pieralisi Major II press, a state of the art olive mill from Italy which has really assisted in production.

They currently produce five different olive oils, including:

**Pasolivo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tuscan Blend (a blend of Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Moraiolo, and Lucca olives).
**California Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a blend of Manzanillo and Mission olives)
**Meyer Lemon Flavored Olive Oil
**Lime Flavored Olive Oil
**Tangerine Flavored Olive Oil

They used to make the infusion oils with fruit peels but that became more difficult with their new pressing machine, so they now use distilled, organic citrus oils.

Now back to the baby vomit. Joeli shared with us a copy of an Olive Oil Tasting Wheel, which describes the terminology used to describe the smell and taste of olive oils. And one of those descriptors is baby vomit! Obviously it is a flaw, and if I ever tasted it in olive oil, I would never touch that brand again.

You may be familiar with the Wine Aroma Wheel, which was developed in the early 1980s. A similar item, the Mojet Wheel, was designed in 1993 to describe olive oil. It provided fifty different descriptors but that apparently was insufficient. Thus, Richard Gawel, of the Australian Olive Association Tasting Panel, created the Recognose Wheel, a more advanced version which has 72 descriptors, 25 which concern flaws. The descriptors were compiled by analyzing their occurrence in olive oil tasting notes and the experiences of top olive oil tasters.

So baby vomit must be a common enough flaw to have earned itself a spot on this wheel. Other flaws included bacon (how can anything bacon-flavored be a flaw?), cucumber, earthy and blue cheese. Who knew olive oil could be so complex?

We did a taste test of the Tuscan and California blends, using the blue glasses you can see in the top photo. We would first inhale, taking in the scent of the olive oils, and then taste it, swirling it around our mouths as if we were tasting wine. The Tuscan blend seemed more herbaceous, with some bitterness on the finish, while the California blend had more fruit in the taste, even hints of banana, and seemed less bitter on the finish.

I received a bottle of the Tuscan blend to take home, and have been using it, from cooking to simply dipping some fresh bread into it. It has a delicious freshness to it, and is comparable to many other olive oils I have tried from Italy and Spain. Next time you are considering buying some olive oil, give some consideration to those from Paso Robles.

And beware of baby vomit!

Dante: Patio Party on May 2

Start the summer off with a special Patio Party at dante. Their patio is opening once again and they want to celebrate with an afternoon of lavishness. Sip cocktails and get a complimentary sneak-peek of the new tantalizing lunch menu while overlooking the Charles River. New design and décor create a stylish and sensuous ambiance for the space.

WHEN: Sunday May 2, 1-5pm

COST: Gratis

Space is limited. To reserve your spot call: 617-497-4200.

dante
5 Cambridge Parkway
Cambridge, MA
Phone: (617) 497-4200

Villicana Winery: Delicious Rosé

Joining us for lunch at Thomas Hill Organics were Alex and Monica Villicana, the owners and operators of Villicana Winery (pictured above). They were very nice people, personable and charming. Their winery is very small, producing less than 1800 cases, and with future plans to produce no more than 5000 cases a year. They own about 72 acres in the westside of Paso Robles, but their vineyards cover only about 13 acres, planted with Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Zinfandel. They also purchase some fruit to make some of their wines.

The 2009 Viognier ($24) is one of their wines where they purchase grapes from a grower in the Templeton Gap area, one of the coolest areas in Paso Robles. The wine is made with Alsatian yeast, has an alcohol content of 14.3%, and 20% sees new French oak for about 6 months. Only 29 cases of this wine were produced. Though I am often not a fan of 100% Viognier wines, this was appealing. It had an aromatic nose, a nice crispness and some delicious apple and melon flavors. Plus, it went very well with our appetizers.

A much bigger wine was their 2007 Estate Syrah ($30), a blend of 80% Syrah, 10% Grenache, and 10% Mourvedre. This wine sees about 33% new French & Russian oak, and 67% neutral French & American oak. It also has an alcohol content of 15.74% and only 125 cases were produced. This dark red wine has lots of spice, dark berry flavors and smoky notes. It is a full-bodied wine, with a long finish and good complexity. It borders on the line of using too much oak, so much will depend on your preferences on the use of oak. But, I think it complemented well my burger.

My favorite of their wines though was easily the 2009 Vin Rosé ($18), and it was also one of my favorite wines of my visit to Paso Robles. First, Syrah (45%) was whole cluster pressed and then blended with a saignée of Mourvèdre (35%) and Grenache (15%), while a small bit of Viognier (5%) was added. The wine has an alcohol content of 14.7%, sees no oak, and only 167 cases were produced. It reminded me of an Old World Rosé, dry with restrained red fruit flavors. It had nice acidity, prominent strawberry flavor, and was quite refreshing. It was also an excellent food wine, pairing well with most everything we had to eat. With such a tiny production, you may not get the opportunity to taste this wine, but if you do, seize the moment.

Thomas Hill Organics: Local & Organic

The culinary scene in Paso Robles is up and coming, with several restaurants opening within the last few years. One such place is Thomas Hill Organics, a Market Bistro and Wine Bar, which is located in downtown Paso Robles. They have only been open since January 2009, but have already acquired some well-justified renown.

The owners, Debbie and Joe Thomas, used to run a CSA but decided to take a chance on opening a restaurant. They also own a ten-acre, organic farm where they have over 800 fruit and nut trees, a vineyard of Italian grapes, and raised beds with greens, garlic, tomatoes and various seasonal vegetables and herbs. All of this organic produce is served at their restaurant, and they sell some of their excess to other local establishments. Their menu changes weekly, depending upon what is available and in season. They purchase as much local as they can, from their bread to their meat.

We stopped there for lunch and were seated in their open-air courtyard, which was very pleasant in the warm weather. Our lunch was also to be a tasting of wines from Villicana Winery and olive oil from Pasolivo. (More details of those tastings will follow in other posts.)

We received several appetizers for the table, and then were able to order off the menu. The lunch menu has Appetizers, Salads & More, and Sandwiches. There were two choices of Appetizers ($7-$14), eight choices of Salad ($7-$15), and five choices of Sandwiches ($11-$14). The choices are intriguing, with creative combinations of ingredients. I also note that they are accomodating, and can omit any ingredients that you may not like.

The initial appetizers included:

*Early Spring Pea Salad with House Saffron Ricotta, Mint Italian Salsa Verde
*Thomas Hill Arugula Salad with Blood Oranges and Bacon Avocado
*Bagna Cauda of Purple Potatoes and Farmed Fresh Hard Boiled Eggs
*Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette and Candied Kumquats

All of these appetizers used different types of Pasolivo olive oils. Presentation was very nice, and the dishes were good, with tasty combinations of fresh flavors. My favorite of the four was the Bagna Cauda, though the Saffron Ricotta was also especially tasty. The appetizers were very popular with most of our group.

For my entree, I chose the THO Charter Oak Burger and Chorizo with Cambazola Cheese, and Bacon and accompanied by a Field Green Salad ($14). What a compelling burger! The bread was very fresh and soft while the burger was moist and flavorful. There was chorizo mixed in with the beef and its spices were very evident, and quite delicious. The Cambazola cheese, which is kind of a combination of a soft-ripened triple cream cheese and Gorgonzola, was creamy with the tang of a blue cheese. I am unsure if I have ever tasted this cheese before, but I will be seeking it out now.

Dessert was a Strawberry Terrine with a homemade Champagne Ice, sliced strawberries and kumquats. A refreshing treat, it was not overly sweet and possessed bright strawberry flavors. Perfect for a warm weather day, and not too heavy for a lunch dessert.

Overall this was a very enjoyable lunch, and I would recommend the restaurant. Its intent of providing local, organic food is admirable, and the chef is creative in his cuisine. Service was excellent, and the restaurant was quite busy for lunch. This is a popular place and easy to understand the reason for such. If in Paso Robles, make sure to stop by.

Thomas Hill Organics
1305 Park Street
Paso Robles, CA
Phone: 805-226-5888

Wine Riot 3: Sherry, Vinho Verde & More

Last Saturday was quite a day! Caramel chocolates at Chocolee Chocolates. Dim sum brunch at Myers+Chang. Sampling wines at the Wine Riot. Dinner at Coppa. Drinks and more food at Oishii. It was like an Iron Man challenge for food & wine bloggers.

This Wine Riot, organized and managed by The Second Glass, was the second such event I have attended, and my prior experience was very good, with a couple minor issues. So how did this Wine Riot compare? Did my minor issues still exist, or had there been improvements?

First, the event was held in a different venue than the prior courthouse. They returned to their original spot, the Cyclorama. I liked this venue much better. Everything was on the same floor, though that did seem to make the event seem more crowded than it was last year. There was a fairly good flow to the set-up though, with efforts to place wines from similar regions in the same area.

Second, my primary complaint about the last event dealt with food issues. There was no free food, and the food they did have was not available until at least an hour after the tasting started. Plus, due to some arcane law, you could not use cash to pay for the food. This time, they had one table with free cheese, though I don't think it was sufficient. It would have been much better for at least some cheese & cracker trays at various places throughout the room. Or invite food vendors who would provide free samples. The Boston Wine Expo does well in that regard and the Wine Riot could learn from their example.

The food that was available for purchase was inexpensive and good. You could buy items from Red Bones, Legal Sea Foods, Tremont 647, Masa and The Upper Crust. Many of the items cost $5 or less, and they took cash. This was a significant improvement over last year.

The centerpiece of the event is a tasting of about 250 wines, a diverse selection from all over the world, at various price points. A number of the wines had been at the prior Wine Riot, but there were plenty of new wines, as well as new vintages. I'll present some of my favorites of the tasting, but note that I did not taste everything, and I am sure I missed some good wines.

Yellow+Blue Wines:

This was one of my big finds at the previous Wine Riot. They produce inexpensive, organic wines in eco-friendly Tetra Paks. Their 2008 Rosé was excellent, and one of my favorite, inexpensive wines of 2009. Their 2009 Rosé will soon be available, but they had their 2009 Torrontes, 2009 Malbec, and 2009 Sauvignon Blanc available for tasting. The Torrontes was aromatic, a crisp, easy-drinking wine with pleasant grapefruit flavors. I recommend their wines and with summer coming, the Tetra Paks are very useful. Take them camping, on a boat, a picnic, or more. There are no worries about broken glass or corkscrews. Plus, they are inexpensive and delicious.

Travessia Urban Winery:

This Massachusetts winery was also at the previous Wine Riot, and they are producing some excellent, inexpensive wines which I have reviewed before. They sampled their 2008 Bastard Rosé, 2008 Unoaked Chardonnay and 2008 Vidal Blanc. It is cool to know that such good wines can be produced in Massachusetts, using grapes grown here. Marco, the owner and wine maker, is a very passionate man, endeavoring to make the best wines that he can. Check out his wines and I am sure you will find why I enjoy them.

ViniVerde:

The above two wines are currently not available in the U.S., but might be in the future. I certainly hope that happens as both are delicious examples of Vinho Verde from Portugal.

The 2009 Adega Cooperativa De Ponte Da Barca is a Vinho Verde Rosé, a blend of 60% Vinhao, 30% Borracal, and 10% Espadeiro. With an alcohol content of 10.5%, this is a compelling wine with a slight effervescence, bright strawberry flavors and a crisp, clean taste. This would be a great summer wine, to sip on a sunny day and would be great with food too.

The 2009 Estreia Vinho Verde, a blend of 85% Loureiro, 7.5% Trajadura and 7.5% Arinto, only has an alcohol content of 9.5%, and is another perfect summer wine. It too has a light effervescence, with clean, crisp flavors of melon and citrus. Simply delicious.

90+ Cellars:

I have tasted some of their wines previously, and they generally are good wines at inexpensive prices. They had about seven of their wines available for tasting at the Wine Riot. As previously, Lot 15, a Pinot Noir, and Lot 8, a Garnacha, still impressed me. I was also very impressed with Lot 12, a Merlot ($11.99), a 2007 Napa Valley wine. I think many Merlots at this price point are very simple, innocuous wines. They taste ok but have no character. Lot 12 though was much different, a smooth, easy-drinking wine with delicious red fruits but with some character as well. At this price, it is an excellent value.


Grupo Barbadillo:

The Barbadillo winery is a family owned business, located in the Jerez region of Spain. They own about 500 hectares of vineyards spread over two estates, Gibalbín and Santa Lucía. They produce a full line of sherries, as well as a unique white wine of Andalucía, "Castillo de San Diego.” In addition, they have ownership interests in wineries in Ribera del Duero and Somontano.

The 2008 Bodega Pirineos Mesache Rosado, from the Somontano region of Spain, is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Merlot and Moristel. An absolutely delicious Rosé, this is very Old World in style. It is dry, with strong strawberry and watermelon flavors, and a touch of minerality. At under $10, this is an excellent value. Perfect for the upcoming summer weather.

I then tasted through a line-up of their sherries, including a Manzanilla, Fino, Full Dry Oloroso, Cream Sherry and a Pedro Ximenez Sherry. All of these sell for $9-$12, and are also excellent values. The Manzanilla, Fino and Oloroso were all fine examples of these sherry types, and sure to please sherry lovers, as well as those new to sherry. The Oloroso especially impressed me with delicious and smooth flavors of nuts, caramel and honey. I enjoy a nice Oloroso or Amontillado as an after-dinner drink. If you want to start getting into sherry, this line-up would be an inexpensive way to do so.

The Cream Sherry was quite tasty, with much of the flavor of an Oloroso but also a mild creamy sweetness to it. I also learned about the origin of cream sherry, which was interesting. After the end of a night of drinking, men would ask the bartender for a "small brunette," which was a tavern blend of about 80% Oloroso and 20% Pedro Ximenez. Later, British sailors would taste this blend, and fell in love with it. As it tasted creamy to them, it became known as "cream sherry." Currently, cream sherries still generally use a similar ratio as the original tavern blend.

Ty Ku:

Ty Ku produces a line including Soju, a Soju-based Liquer and Saké. At this event, they offered their Black and White Sakés for tasting. You can read my previous review of their Sakés, noting that I really love their White, though it is a very pricey Daiginjo.

Opici Imports:

This import company presented about ten different Spanish wines, so obviously it drew my interest. The 2008 Lusco Zios Albarino de Lusco ($16) was a delicious example of Albarino, great flavors of apple and melon, hints of minerality and good acidity. I note also that the vineyard is sustainably farmed. The 2007 Altos Del Cuco ($11) is a blend of Monastrell, Syrah and Tempranillo. A good value wine, with plenty of dark fruit flavors, lots of spice, moderate tannins, and a good finish. A nice BBQ wine. The 2006 Casa De La Ermita Crianza ($15) is a blend of 60% Monastrell and 40% Petit Verdot. This was a big wine, with rich blueberry and plum flavors, spicy notes and a bit of leather. Another excellent BBQ wine, perfect with a thick juicy steak. For a dessert wine, you might enjoy the 2006 Casa De La Ermita Late Harvest Monastrell ($22/500ml). A light red color, mild sweetness, and lush fruit flavors. Well balanced and perfect for a chocolate dessert, or just some fruit.

Quady Winery:

I was disappointed in this winery. I had planned to taste their two Vermouths, an extra-dry and a sweet, but by 2pm on Saturday afternoon, they were out of Vermouth. As the tasting only started at 1pm, it was unbelievable that they were already out of the Vermouth. Especially as there was still another tasting at 7pm. They obviously brought very little Vermouth to the event.

Overall, I enjoyed my time at the Wine Riot, finding some new wines to enjoy and hanging with some good people. The food was better than last year, though they still could work on providing more free nibbles, which would also help keep people less drunk. The next Wine Riot will be in the fall, so plan to be there for the event.