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www.gourmetnews.com Gourmet News • Oli e Aceti 17 Rafael Salgado Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 100 Percent Purely Spanish Rafael Salgado Extra Virgin Olive Oils from Spain were reintroduced in the U.S. this past spring. A fifth-generation Spanish company, Salgado has been producing high quality pre- mium olive oils since 1875. Like a fine crafted champagne, Salgado uses a "coupage" of premium olives to create its distinctive blends. Arbe- quina, hojiblanca and corni- cabra olives provide distinct and consistent flavor in every drop. All Salgado products are made with 100 percent Spanish olives from the region of Andalusia. This region cultivates the most flavorful olives in the world and accounts for 80 percent of Spanish olive production. New to the Source Atlantique portfo- lio, Rafael Salgado's Extra Virgin Olive Oil line is now in stock. Packaged in dis- tinctive glass bottles and available in three sizes: 17 fluid ounces (½ liter), 25 fluid ounces (750 ml) and 34 fluid ounces (1 liter). For more information, call 201.947.1000. MERCHANDISING SOLUTION Ariston's Refill & Save Program Since 1997 Ariston Specialties has been featuring the Refill & Save program. Today, the company offers up to 20 different olive oils and balsamic vinegars for stainless steel "fustis," refillable tanks from which your customers will refill their bottles as they need a new supply of oil or vinegar, therefore creating an olive oil and vinegar station in your store almost ef- fortlessly. Should you want to go the prepackaged way, the same variety is available to you. For more information, visit Ariston Specialties at www.aristonspecialties.com.. AMERICAN OLIVE OILS Boyajian Infused Oils Whether making the perfect pasta or an impecca- ble pizza, customers choose Boyajian Infused Oils more than any other brand. If you don't offer Boy- ajian, now is a good time to start. Contact the company about fall specials and free samples. Call 800.965.0665, email customerservice@ boyajianinc.com or visit boyajianinc.com. SPECIALTY OILS La Tourangelle La Tourangelle produces about 20 different spe- cialty oils in a range of sizes. Extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil and canola oil are offered as organics, there are nut oils including Roasted Walnut Oil – historically, one of La Tourangelle's biggest sellers; Roasted Pecan, Roasted Pistachio, Roasted Almond Oil and Roasted Hazelnut Oil that are useful for finishing dishes after they're cooked or for salad dressings; and a range of spray oils that appeal to low-fat cooks. La Tourangelle's newest packaging option is a spray can that appeals to home cooks who are al- ready very familiar with PAM. La Tourangelle offers sprays for extra virgin olive, roasted walnut, roasted pistachio, expeller-pressed grapeseed, av- ocado and canola oils as well as Thai Wok and toasted sesame Spray Oils. For more information, visit www.latourangelle.com. Morgenster Extra Virgin Olive Oil Morgenster Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the oil of South Africa, estate bottled and produced in Stellenbosch, the acclaimed wine and olive growing region outside Capetown. It's a blend of fourteen cultivars of Italian origin, the most robust and flavorful from the best olive-growing regions of Italy. This in- tensely fruity oil tastes of artichokes, green apples and almonds followed by a long peppery finish. Morgenster Extra Virgin Olive Oil was awarded the high- est possible rating of 98 points in the presti- gious Flos Olei in 2014 and 2015, and was also a sofi Award finalist in 2015. The 500 ml bottle retails for $30. Call 207.828.2000 or email contact@therogerscollection.com. Opportunity Arises for Greek Olive Oil BY MICAH CHEEK With California, Italy and Spain facing risks to olive oil production, Greece is poised to make gains in the American olive oil market, says David Neuman, CEO Gaea North America. Greece has so far avoided drought, olive flies and the transmission of Xylella fastidiosa, the pathogen that is in- fecting olive trees in the Apulia region of Italy. While the crushing, bottling, and storage capabilities of Greece are high enough to take up lost European sales, the biggest obstruction to increasing produc- tion is the traditional attitudes of olive farmers, according to Neuman. While much of the Greek economy has been in freefall, the Greek olive market has produced stable and consistent yields in recent years. The wide spacing of trees and hillside growing areas has made a switch to factory farming unfeasible. While this has resulted in production levels that are low compared to yields in factory-farmed areas, the Cretan farmers have kept a growing environment that is now very conducive to premium oil manufacturing. Europe and America's current olive oil crisis is overshadowed by suspicions of fraud in the American market. With major olive oil companies are facing legal conse- quences for mislabeling practices, and the USDA making critical steps in defining the Extra Virgin label, a focus has been put on smaller olive oil producers that can verify the sources of their olives. This could translate into higher sales of premium extra virgin olive oil from Greece due to negative press surrounding other Mediter- ranean oils and increasing knowledge of olive oil quality from retail buyers and their consumers. Retailers, Neuman says, now have the opportunity to: "Stop re- warding brands of bad quality with shelf space and promotion." GN

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