The Olive Odyssey

Posted by Olivia on Mon, February 15, 2010

The amazing 3-month Sonoma Valley Olive Festival had part of its grand finale this past Saturday, at the Sonoma Valley Olive Odyssey, held in the Grand Piazza between Jacuzzi Family Vineyards and The Olive Press, at the Sonoma location. The sun was shining and a light breeze drifted through the Piazza, while home olive-curers from all over the Sonoma Valley gathered to share their unique olives, treats from Olive and Vine Catering and cheese from Carneros Caves were available.

Jacuzzi poured their delicious wines, and Gene Burns of Dining Around hosted a live remote right in the middle of the excitement.

 

Burns interviewed many of the key players in the olive community, including Don Landis, renowned olive-curer and olive expert, and Wendy Peterson, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau.

Burns asked Landis what makes home-curing olive so special, and Burns replied that home-curing, like any sort of home-food preparation, is a way to create a truly unique-tasting olive. You can tweak and tinker with your recipe until it is exactly how you like it, and because of this, there are no two home-cured olives that taste exactly alike. As I strolled around the grounds, tasting the assortment of home-cured olives at the Odyssey, I found this to be quite true, noticing the different blends of herbs, garlic and salt used in the brines of the olives.

Nancy and Fred Cline, owners of Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, along with The Olive Press co-owner Deborah Rogers also joined Burns.

 

The entire podcast can be listened to or downloaded here.

It was a gorgeous day of delicious olives, wonderful wine and olive-themed foodstuffs—the Sonoma Valley at its very best. I can't think of a better way to bid farewell to the Sonoma Valley Olive Festival.