About Us
Organically produced extra virgin olive oil made from 140 Italian varietal
olives trees in the Chileno Valley of Marin County, California
Our Story
Thirty years ago, we bought a derelict chicken ranch in the Chileno Valley of Marin County, California. At the time, we wanted a place to be outdoors with our little boys. We also wanted to be part of the Marin rural agricultural community we admired as Marin Agricultural Land Trust inception supporters. The ranch has since become our home, and with each year, our harvest has continued to grow. Today, we have 140 olive trees.
November 2023 was our twenty-fourth harvest and our thirteenth estate production of Chileno Valley Olive Oil, organically produced extra virgin olive oil from olive trees we have grown from seedlings. Being able to offer a fresh, local, healthy food substance here in Marin County is our dream-come true.
The Ranch
From the beginning, our labor of love restoring the land required removal of debris from past generations, restoring two tributary creeks and planting innumerable trees, our favorite being evergreen—redwood, cypress, cedar, and olive. We joked about selling olive oil in our retirement. Well here we are!
Our Olives
Chileno Valley Olive Oil is made from olives grown organically right on our ranch. Italian olive varietals thrive in the Marin climate and terroir. We grow Frantoio, Taggiasca, Pendolino, and Coratina olive trees, which combine to produce our robust and flavorful oil.
Our olives are hand-picked and locally cold pressed, and each batch of olive oil is unfiltered to bring out a bright, grassy flavor, notes of pepper, and a smooth finish.
The Flavor Profile
Harvested in mid-November, our olive oil has a fresh, grassy, herbaceous flavor. More than just taste, there is aroma of the olives and the earth, unique to itself. A pleasing bitterness on the sides of the tongue, followed by a warm sensation on the palate and upper throat characterizes the smooth, peppery finish.
