Wine-lovers know all about the zinfandel and sauvignon blanc of the Dry Creek Valley in Healdsburg. They may not, however, know about the homemade olive oil and vinegar available at the Dry Creek Olive Co.
This tiny purveyor, whose tasting room is located in the Family Wineries complex on Dry Creek Road west of the General Store, is arguably one of the region’s best-kept secrets.
Tastings are completely informal; you walk in and the lone “bartender” pours a variety of elixirs into tiny plastic cups. The typical sampling includes about a half-ounce of Three Orchards Blend, Olio
Photo courtesy of Dry Creek Olive Oil Co.
Nuevo, Tangerine Olive Oil, Pomegranate Vinegar and Balsamic Vinegar. Visitors are encouraged to taste with tiny chunks of bread (provided in a giant plastic bin at the bar).
On some days, staff members may also be pouring 100 percent Manzanilla Olive Oil. This past weekend, some friends and I also got an under-the-table taste of Meyer Lemon Olive Oil.
Prices range from $15 (for the Pomegranate Vinegar) to $20 (for the Three Orchards). Most products come in 375-millileter bottles; the Manzanilla, designed for use in commercial kitchens, comes in a 750-millileter jug.
What makes the all-natural oils from this place so special? In a word: History.
Olive-growing on Dry Creek Olive land dates back to the 1800s, and some of the trees that bear fruit are more than 150 years old.
What’s more, the facility mills all of its olive oil there on site, with an imported Italian mill from Gruppo Pieralisi. The mill isn’t open to the public, but if you visit the tasting room, wander over to the windows on the back wall, cup your hands over your eyes and peer through to catch a glimpse of the behemoth with its two giant stone wheels.
It’s amazing that one machine can produce so much goodness. And considering how common it is to find wine around these parts, the wonderfully flavorful oils from Dry Creek Olive Co., are a welcome change of pace.
