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GOURMET NEWS MARCH 2016 www.gourmetnews.com SPECIAL FEATURE 1 6 BY LORRIE BAUMANN "Sometimes you stop looking, and your passion finds you," says Tom Sutherland, Co-founder and Brand Manager for The Olivique. "That would be the definition of how olive oil came into my life." It happened one day at the elevator in his apartment building in Madrid. Sutherland ran into a neighbor there, who told him, "Now I know why I met you," Sutherland tells the story. "We're going to conquer America." "I said, 'Wow! I thought Christopher Columbus did that," he replied to his friend. "He said, 'Don't be silly. I'm talk- ing about olive oil.'" From that casual conversation sprang The Olivique, a two-year-old company that came to the Winter Fancy Food Show this year to launch four varieties of Spanish extra virgin olive oil as part of a delegation of food producers spon- sored by Spain's National Trade Com- mission. The Olivique oils are each made from a different olive varietal: Picual is a unique oil that rich in oleic acid and has a strong flavor with notes of wood and fresh herbs. Koroneiki, an olive that's native to Greece but is now also being grown in Spain, produces an oil with full body and robust taste with a peppery fin- ish. It's also very rich in oleic acid. Cor- nicabra is a milder oil with note of fresh herbs and tomato that pairs beautifully with salads or vegetables. Finally, Arbe- quina is the olive that produces the oil that's most familiar to many Americans. It has a delicate, grassy taste with notes of apples and almonds that en- hances subtle flavors without overwhelming them. Each of The Olivique products is pure extra virgin olive oil, Sutherland says. "Some folks are adding cayenne and lemon, not only to olive oil but to balsamics. We don't do that," he says. "Our slogan is truth, simplicity in olive oil." He points out that infused oils may ac- tually be blends that disguise bad char- acteristics, such as age. The Olivique, by contrast, depends on transparency, veri- fication and certification by third-party laboratories and customer education to sell oils that each have a portfolio of doc- umentation that's available to the com- pany's distributors from its web site. "We wanted to have as much documen- tation as possible, so that people can ac- cess as much documentation as they wish," Sutherland says. The Olivique oils are produced in the region around Toledo, Spain, which is not the highest-producing olive oil re- gion in the country. "We went to Toledo because we wanted to participate in newer denominations that are producing oils that are very interesting, young and fresh," Sutherland says. The olives come from family farms that haven't been in large commercial production in the past and have trees that may be up to a hundred years old or more. The newer orchards, in which the Spanish Olive Oils that Marry Traditional Purity with Modern Science trees were planted in straight rows, are harvested with modern machines, but the older orchards, in which there are no straight lines, are harvested by one of the last migrant olive-picking families on the Iberian peninsula. They spread cloths on the ground beneath the trees and then shake the branches with long poles until the olives tumble down onto the cloths. "Our olives don't sit on the ground, not even for a minute," Sutherland says. "The olives fall onto a cloth, and then the olives go straight to the mill. That's been from the beginning of olive trees, and that's how it still happens. When they finish, it goes straight to the mill for crushing." "It's also beneficial to collect the olives under a full moon. It helps to make it much more romantic, and it affects the flavor somehow," he adds. "We're start- ing to work with the moon cycles. I do believe it has an influence. Fortunately for us, we're very grateful to have a sci- entific mind in our romantic quest." The Olivique oils are currently being sold in Zabar´s in New York, Jimbo´s, Bay Cities and Vicente Foods. Distribu- tion is through Gourmet Merchants American (GMA). For more information, visit www.olivique.com. GN BY LORRIE BAUMANN Bariani Olive Oil puts California on the table. The company, founded in 1990, of- fers California Balsamic Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Raw Honey, White Truf- fle-infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a small line of body care products. The family originally came to the U.S for university studies in Sacramento, California, then decided to stay and be- came citizens, said Emanuele Bariani. They founded a company in Sacramento and then found a piece of land in Zamora, California, that had 120-year- old olive trees growing on it. They started picking the olives and pressing them for oil that they gave to their friends, and after a while, they de- cided that they'd just make a business of it, Bariani said. A plug from Martha Stewart in 1999 helped the business take off, and the product line grew. "We have our own bee hives that produce the honey," Bariani said. "The only thing we Bariani Olive Oil: A Taste of California import are the truffles. Domestic truffles are available from Oregon, but they're not as fragrant as the Italian ones." The company distributes its products throughout the U.S. and will ship directly to consumers in areas where retailers are not available. For more information, visit www.barianioliveoil.com. GN BY LORRIE BAUMANN Sweet and tart, rich and earthy, Sonomic Almost Vinegar is a blend of unfer- mented grape juice and balsamic vinegar for rich flavor with less acid than pure vinegar. Available in two versions, Sonomic Al- most Vinegar is 100 percent grape, and you can be certain you've ever tasted anything like it. This unique ingredient is less acidic than vinegar and richer than balsamic. Sonomic Red, made with Cabernet grapes, has the rich, intense flavors of deep, dark fruit and the consistency of an aged balsamic. Sonomic Gold, made with Muscat grapes, has a rich golden color and flavors of honey and apricot. "They're almost like a reduction," ac- cording to Caryn Reading, who owns the company with her husband, Bill Reading. It doesn't take much Sonomic to dress up a salad or vegetables or to finish grilled meat or fish. "Salad is a great starting place, but that's just the begin- ning," Reading says. "You're only limited by your imagination." The Sonomic Red is particularly good when paired with salmon, pork or lamb or poured over strawber- ries. Sonomic Gold is particularly good when used to finish fish, or blended with Dijon mustard to make a glaze for salmon baked in foil on the grill, she adds. Sonomic is a great cocktail ingredient, and it turns fruit and ice cream into impressive desserts. Reading rec- ommends a beverage made by combining So- nomic Gold with sparkling water and mint or lime, but says that it's also a good cocktail ingredient when mixed with vodka. Paired with cheese, Sonomic makes a delicious hors d'oeuvre, says Reading. Sonomic Almost Vinegar is made by Sonoma Portworks in Petaluma, Califor- nia, and has been in business there for 21 years. In addition to So- nomic, Sonoma Port- works has a portfolio of unique ports, after-din- ner wines and grappas. Sonomic Almost Vinegar is a product that evolved from those dessert wines, according to Reading. After a signifi- cant period of product development, Sonoma Portworks has been making the Sonomic Al- most Vinegars for the past five years. "It's not like anything we'd tasted," she says. "Bill is in charge of production, and he likes the opportunity to be cre- ative. When he decided to make wine, he didn't want to do yet another chardonnay Sonomic Almost Vinegar—Not Like Anything You've Tasted or zinfandel. So he has specialized in ports, and now our almost-vinegars. I am the 'official' taster. I love to cook, talk about food, and think about flavor. I enjoy talking to people in our tasting room." "Our slogan is 'You've never tasted anything like this,' because when people taste Sonomic Almost Vinegar, that's what they say. Then they say they love it, and then they ask how they can use it. I only need to give them an idea or two, and they're off and running with ways to use Sonomic. That's a conversation I re- ally enjoy having!" Among her other ideas: grill a pork tenderloin and then glaze it with Sonomic Red, or make a salad dressing of the Sonomic Red plus Meyer Lemon Oil. To amp up the acid, just add a squeeze of lemon. Sonomic Almost Vinegar has a shelf life of a year or more. An 8.45 fluid- ounce (250 ml) bottle has a suggested re- tail price of $16.00. For more information, visit www.portworks.com. GN

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