Direct from Our Farm

When we bought Olive Ridge Ranch well over twenty years ago, there was nothing here but peace and quiet. Originally, it was our weekend escape from the Bay Area. But it wasn't long before the lure of the land drew us in.

Slowly but surely we've turned it into what it is today: a vibrant, multi-crop farm that never fails to amaze us with its sheer beauty. And in recent years, we've decided to focus all of our energies here. Under Juan's and Colleen's watchful eye the land beckons to us every season of the year. We grow olives, grapes, Meyer lemon trees, tangerines, oranges, peaches, plums, apples, pears, blackberries, and figs - plus a huge vegetable garden.

The common thread is that we love food! Hardly a week goes by without some kind of gathering involving family and friends, whether it's Colleen cooking over the Tuscan grill in our fireplace, baking bread and pizzas in the outdoor oven Ridge and Philip built, or a pot-luck featuring spit-roast pig.

Nearly every product you'll find listed here is right from our farm; most of the rest are from within a mile or two. We hope you'll get as much out of them as we put into them!

A Brief History

Back in 1988, after years of research, we took cuttings from an ancient olive grove located on a wonderful farm in the hills to the east of Lucca in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. When we brought those young trees to the US in 1990, the US Department of Agriculture informed us that we were the first to import olive trees from Italy in the 20th Century.

Those trees grew well, adapting beautifully to our soil and climate. We made a few gallons of oil in 1994, but it was really the 1997 harvest that gave us our first thrill, as we become the very first American extra virgin olive oil to win a blind tasting in Italy! (This happened with wine in Paris in 1974, when a 1972 Stag's Leap cabernet took first place in the annual blind tasting. It shocked the wine world, and was a watershed for California wines; the rest is history.)

The 1997 oil was a breakthrough, but the 1998 wasn't about to be outdone. Each year, Italy's Gambero Rosso - sort of a Gourmet magazine meets the Michelin Guide - selects the best Italian olive oils of the new harvest. In December, they brought those oils to Mario Batali's famous New York restaurant, Babbo, to show them off. What they didn't know was that we had just sent Mario a sample of our brand-new '98 oil. He slipped our oil into the blind tasting at his restaurant, and - you guessed it - the delegation from the Gambero Rosso selected our '98 DaVero Dry Creek Estate as the top Tuscan oil!

And then, in 2001, we were awarded the first-ever Top Gold in the Olive Oils of the World Competition, the industry's most prestigious event and award.

In the late 1990s we added our California Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, which was an immediate hit with both chefs and consumers. And in 2003 we offered Pollo Rosso, our first-ever wine, which immediately took a silver medal in the challenging San Francisco Wine Competition and went on to become the best-selling red on the wine lists of some of the Bay Area's top restaurants.

For details on each of our products, please see below. To order them, simply go to our Store. And please don't hesitate to call (888-431-8008) or us with any questions. Thanks!

Our Products

Wines

		2006 Estate Sangiovese Rosato rosé Made from our estate-grown Sangiovese grapes, this rosé is a real treat! Unlike most rosés, which have a lot of sweetness, ours is 'dry' like a fine red or white wine. And it has the structure, balance, and acidity that are necessary to make it a great food wine, rather than just a summer sipper. (It was named as the best rosé for Thanksgiving by the leading Sonoma County wine guru.) Of course, we won't tell if you pop open a bottle on the porch!
		Pollo Rosso red wine In creating Pollo Rosso, we set out to make a wine that is delicious, easy to enjoy, and above all great with dinner. Since we live in the heart of the wine country, we've been able to purchase small amounts of our neighbors' best wines, which when put together make a balanced blend that we think is a classic case (no pun intended) of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Every lot will differ slightly, because we'll be adapting the blend to the best available component parts. And we'll only make a bit at a time: Lot Two, which is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc - all from Sonoma County - is just 890 cases. Naturally, we think it's terrific. But don't just take our word for it; here's what legendary wine retailer Paul Root has to say: "I am amazed at the quality, depth, generous fruit and luscious finish this wine offers, especially given its reasonable price. Pairing soft tannins with rich blue fruit flavors, it exhibits deep ruby-purple color backed by a sweet nose of pepper, cassis, vanilla and spice. "Overall? A great food wine!"

Herbs, Preserves, and Condiments

		Estate Green Tomato Conserve At the end of the season, when our garden slows down and the tomatoes stop ripening, we find ourselves looking for ways to preserve summer's fruit - and flavors. Colleen harvests our unripe tomatoes and cooks them together with lemons, serrano chiles, our own Sparklers, and sugar to produce this fascinating tart, sweet, slightly spicy conserve. It's perfect on toast, with cheeses, or as a sauce for roasted meats.
		Estate Indian Red Peach Preserves Of the many fruit trees on our farm, none is more beautiful than the Indian Red Peach with its rich pink blossoms and deep-red fruit. It’s too tart right off the tree, but simply spectacular as a preserve. Colleen began making jams and preserves as a young girl on her family’s farm in rural Wisconsin. She makes these preserves by hand, with just enough sugar to balance the tartness, then they're finished by a local artisan packer.
		Estate Lavender in Tin We harvest Lavender de Provence and Lavender Grosso from our hillside in late June. After being tied in bundles and hanging for a month or so, we then "garble" (look it up) the heads and pack the culinary-grade flowers in tins to retain freshness. We cook with it (of course) and also sew up eye patches of rice and lavender to soothe our sweet dreams.
		Estate Meyer Lemon Marmalade Meyer lemons are prized for their incredible perfume and elegant flavor. We planted ours to provide us with fruit for our award-winning Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, and now we have extra to preserve in marmalade. Colleen began making jams and preserves as a young girl on her family’s farm in rural Wisconsin. She makes this marmalade by hand, with just enough sugar to balance the tartness, then it's finished by a local artisan packer.
		Estate Satsuma Mandarin Marmalade Satsuma Mandarins, with their bright flavors, are one of winter’s highlights. Our farm is blessed with two prolific trees whose fruit we blend with our Navel oranges to make this wonderful marmalade. Colleen began making jams and preserves as a young girl on her family’s farm in rural Wisconsin. She makes this marmalade by hand, with just a bit of sugar, then it’s jarred by a local artisan packer. Delicious at breakfast - or with foie gras!
		Estate Wildflower Honey Produced from hives here on our farm, this delicious honey celebrates the year-round bloom, beginning with the first yellow blossoms of coyote bush and mustard, followed by the blues of lupine, wild iris and buttercups, our olive trees in April and May, a burst of lavender in June, the summer blossoms and vegetable gardens, and the perennial sunflowers and clovers. This honey has rich, deep flavors that make it especially delicious on toast or waffles.
		Meat & Poultry Herb Rub The perfect blend of freshly-dried herbs to bring out the best in both red meats (especially lamb) and poultry, this is a blend of rosemary and bay from our farm, coupled with organic local marjoram, thyme, summer savory, and sage. Colleen is well-known in the restaurant community for her command of the grill, especially with lamb, steak, and game birds. Ridge makes a mean roast chicken. Together, they've developed this blend, and it's the one we reach for every time. Packed in an attractive airtight tin with a clear lid.
		Sparklers in Tin Sparklers are our very own discovery - hair-thin red peppers from Japan that add color and flavor to dishes like Sizzling Shrimp, paella, beans, sauteed vegetables, or The Best Eggs in the World (see our Recipes page for this one). Throw them in when you're cooking and enjoy their bright-red color and gentle heat. Truly spectacular!
		Tangerine Jam As kids, tangerines were always one of winter’s bright spots, with their easy-to-peel skin and succulent sweetness. The only sad part was that they were available for such a short time. This jam solves that problem by capturing those bright flavors in a jar!

Olive Oil Cosmetics

		Olea Gardeners Hand Balm Our Gardeners Hand Balm is the perfect thing for hands (and feet and elbows and...) that show the effects of hard work and abuse. Made from olive oil, comfrey, rose geranium, chamomile, lemon balm, lavender blossom, and other 100% natural ingredients, it is incredibly soothing - and actually works!
		Olea Rejuvenating Body Cream Colleen developed our "Olea" Rejuvenating Body Cream because she was dissatisfied with the many creams and lotions on the market that were either too oily, too quick to dissipate, too expensive, or too heavily scented. Ours is made mostly with olive oil, with olive butter, bees wax, rosemary extract, and other 100% natural ingredients. It's clean-feeling, unscented, and actually works!
		True Castile Soaps (3-pack) DaVero True Castile Soap is completely handmade in the traditional fashion. Unlike most 'castile' soaps that have just a bit of olive oil, ours contains over 85% olive oil, plus beeswax (for long 'dish' life). Beautifully gift-wrapped, each 3-pack contains bars scented with vetiver, night-blooming jasmine, and citrus. Great for your skin, and a wonderful gift!

Gift Packages

Olive Tree for the Olive Lover [Available again in May 2007] Our oil is as good as it is for a reason: we grow our own trees. And each year we select our best specimen trees to offer to our customers. Each tree has been carefully shaped and pruned, and stands about 3 feet tall! With (minimal) care, these trees will outlive us all! The trees are shipped in attractive copper/tin pots, along with a bottle of our Dry Creek Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and include growing and care instructions. Truly, a memorable gift! [Note: this item requires 3-day or Next-day shipping. Also, state regulations prevent us from shipping trees to Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alaska, or Hawaii.]

DaVero Clothing

		Embroidered Bucket Hat All-cotton 'bucket' hat embroidered with our distinctive Pollo Rosso chicken logo. Washable & squashable, it's a go-anywhere hat that's fun to wear. Available in one size (large/XL), in either Grey or Khaki. Limited availability.
		Limited Edition Cycling Jersey Our unique, limited-edition cycling jersey is made for us by Primal Wear, and features our signature Plucky the Chicken on the back, plus the fun 'Supper' logo on the front. Be sure to indicate your size preference in the Special Instructions box on the order form! Click here for a larger image of the shirt.
		'Pollo Rosso' Chicken Baseball Cap Embroidered high-quality baseball cap with our distinctive 'Pollo Rosso' ('Chicken Red') logo stitched on the front. Adjustable cloth strap (not plastic). Fetchingly modeled by our son Austin & his pal Matt. Available in black or white; please specify in the 'Special Instructions' field of the ordr form.