Olive Oil

Olive oil’s allure lives deeply in my personal history. My full-blown oleaginous immersion did not arrive until my first trip to Italy at age 20 and only grew from there upon entering the Chez Panisse universe eight years later. Perhaps, though, the experience that most propelled it initially was access to the numerous oils that I was sourcing from the raft of boutique wine importers I worked with when I was a wine retailer in San Francisco. These oils which were produced in Italy, Provence and Spain loomed as repositories of flavor and culture that mirrored the distinction of wines from the same properties. In my quest to expand the pleasures of my table, olive oil also fed the voracious curiosity that propelled my education in wine.

In 1984, having the opportunity to visit the esteemed Chianti Classico estate Badia a Coltibuono (a singular early player in the global commodification of great Tuscan oil), its indispensability was indelibly cemented for the table that I shared with Alice and our daughter Fanny. Quite simply, almost everything we ate tasted better, more deeply flavorful and satisfying when it included a healthy measure of Tuscan spirited oil.

Thusly inspired, soon thereafter I started an enterprise aimed at sourcing beautiful Tuscan oil for our use at Chez Panisse. After mastering the logistics of importing, this venture grew organically as chefs and home cooks alike were eager to embrace the force multiplying effects of great olive oil. Eventually I built a portfolio of several artisan producers augmented by fantastic expressions of vinegar (Balsamic from Modena and fine barrel aged red wine aceto from Chianti).

My regular trips to Italy to meet my suppliers were annual highlights (for me and numerous accompanying pals). It was through my interaction with farmers, oil producers and observations of the essential components that distinguish great oil that the idea to plant our own orchard of Tuscan olive varietals naturally developed. The estate at Baker Lane, with our Mediterranean climate, balanced soils and even growing season, was well poised to cultivate the noble olive fruit tree. In the ensuing twenty years not only has our olive orchard grown and expanded impressively, but so have other factors that support the production of world class oil in Sonoma. With the ability to hand pick and mill our fruit at an optimal level of maturity and speed, we are hitting the essential points that mark the highest qualitative outcomes. In fact, it was due to my excitement over the distinction of the oils that we can now achieve, that allowed me to reluctantly sell my import business in order to focus on our olive pursuits at home.

Producing world class olive oil has become a source of pride as it is driven by the same passion (and commitment to sustainability and regenerative farming practices) that has fueled all of our engagements at Baker Lane Estate. It is particularly gratifying to see how many clients (for whom over the years I was their trusted ‘olive oil man’) now enthusiastically embrace our Sonoma products. Whether it’s with a simple bruschetta, salad, or internal to poaching, braising, roasting or other uses in the kitchen, our oils make just about anything taste better. Che abbondanza !