All Olives are not Created Equal

The port was Marseilles and there was nothing that stuck out for us to do, so we decided on something different. We visited an Olive Farm out in the country. We did not know what to expect as these descriptions sometimes leave things to be desired. Paula was really hoping to sit down and have an impressive assortment of olive varieties set in front of her to taste.

                             That did not happen.

                             What we received was a very intensive course on olives and the art of making olive oil by a young lady whose family has owned this olive farm, Moulin a Huile du mas St. Jean since the 1600’s and is located in the a small provincial village in the heart of the Alpilles Region, Fontvielle.

                             These newbies are the second owners; the original family started it in the 1300’s.

                             This area of the world, the Mediterranean, is known for its olives. From Israel north, all around the coastal areas, olives and their by-products are featured with wonderful regularity. It’s that special Med Climate, coupled with various different soils that make this such an important region for these products. Everyone is known for their contributions to this industry, except France.

                             France used to be a larger player in this global marketplace but back in 1956 this region was hit harder than the rest of the area and experienced a Freeze of Catastrophic Proportions and they lost about 70% of their olive trees. Of the remaining 30%, a significant number were cut down, and thinking that they had permanently died, different crops were planted to replace them.

                             Oops!

                             While in fact there were incredible losses due to this catastrophe, the patient farmers were rewarded with a significant number of their trees regenerating and coming back to life.

Unfortunately most of this took almost 12 years to accomplish.

Now, don’t think that these farmers just sat around for 12 years hoping that someday their trees would somehow miraculously re-appear. No, these farmers decided to replant their trees and start from scratch but found that some of the old “frozen” stumps that had been left alone, started themselves back up after their Rip Van Winkle period was over.

                   We saw some of these examples of Eternity Trees for ourselves. What we also saw was a farmer that possessed the same fervor for farming her family’s land that must have also been within her ancestors when they stayed the course here.

                             So began our education on olive growing and their process into olive oil. We learned about the old ways, her grandfather’s reluctance to accept the new ways, and the subsequent modernization of this millennia’s old occupation.

                   I used to sell olive oil when I worked for Ritter Food and Sysco. I’ve probably sold thousand of gallons over the years with different chefs wanting and needing their favorite ones that were used in their recipes. We were always taught that “First Cold Press” was the only way to go. You probably heard of this also.

Well…. It was……at one time.

Not anymore!

It’s all First Cold Press now!

                   Explanation………

 Back in the day when the olives were originally ground up at the mill and then further pressed, this was the First Cold Press, and you can imagine that it was the best stuff.

 Nice, pure, the best of the best, with no further processing needed to get what they wanted.

 But wait! There are still some oils left in those pressings!

 So, let’s dump some warm water in there, swish it around, let the oils rise to the surface, skim them off and Viola!

We’ve got some further extractions to sell (because not everyone needs or wants that expensive good stuff) and help us keep the lights on and the mill wheels turning!

          That was then, this is now….

                   Remember how I said that it is all First Cold Press now? How can that be? What about the other stuff?

                             There isn’t any.

                             The process now does not involve old-fashioned grinding and pressing, that left enough oils to be further worked out.

                             The modern grinders, presses and vacuum systems leave nothing behind anymore. Nothing left to further process.

                             Hence, it is now all First Cold Press, and this industry was smart enough to leave that distinction printed on its labels strictly for marketing purposes.

                             But there is a difference between Extra Virgin Olive Oil and regular olive oil, and this does go back to further extraction and the blending of these oils to make just plain olive oil but all extra Virgin Olive oil is First Cold Pressed by definition and process.

                             So what can make a difference in EVOO you may ask?

                   That is like asking a wine maker why his Merlot tastes a little different than his rival’s Merlot.

                   Olives, and grapes, are all subject to growing regions and their inherent conditions…. soil, climate, and the like. But there are other variables that the vintner/oil maker can use to make their product “better” than their competitors.

                             How long to leave the skins on the grapes?

                             What types of wood are used to store the products?

                             Which varieties are blended?

          Now let’s go to the olive farm where harvesting occurs over several months. Olives are left on the trees and age, accordingly, gathering further character as they go along. This does not mean that the older olives are better than their younger relatives, it just means that they develop characteristics that when blended with their friends gives a certain aspect to that farm’s unique “this is our oil” product.

                             Now it all makes sense!

          Of course every self-respecting olive oil maker thinks that their oil is the best, but I guess that is matter of taste, no difference than our Merlot comparison, you may prefer Chateau Bob’s and my preference may be Chateau Amy’s.

                   Thankfully we were at, and tasted, the oil that thirty Michelin Rated restaurants prefer and use, so it must be good! I’m afraid that this reviewer’s palette is not nearly experienced enough to truthfully evaluate the subtle difference between the top oils, but this oil was rather pleasing when sampled!

                             And besides, it was fun!

          After our Farm Tour we went into the nearby village and had lunch at the Le Cour des 2 Pins café. The meal was fabulous and the fact that our tour today only had 16 tourons in it made for a rather stressless traveling environment! The village was charming, you could tell that not much had changed in oh, the last two hundred years or so….

                   But no time to dilly-dally in this “modern” little town! There were more “Ancient Medieval Hilltop Citadel-like Old Settlements” (and their alleys!) to explore!

                   Off we went to Chateau des Baux!

                   This fortress and the little town it protected had its genesis in the 10^th century and stayed “local” until the 1500’s when it came under the control of the kings of France. Like all of its contemporaries, its influence, and stature waxed and waned over the following centuries until present day when it is now a celebrated destination for folks like us!

Now go and get yourselves a baguette and some nice EVVO, a good wine, and sit on your patio!