San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition Winners Announced
After an extensive judging of quality California-produced olive oils, The Big Fresno Fair is excited to reveal the winners of the 8th Annual San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition. This competition, which is open to all olive oil producers in California with products made from their 2022 olive harvest, received a total of 63 entries from 27 olive oil producers from throughout the state.
Entries were received in two categories: Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Flavored Olive Oil, with 10 classes in total. Gold and Silver Medals were awarded, as well as an overall “Best of Show” and “Best of the Valley” selected from all of the highest scoring gold medal entries in both categories. In total there weres44 EVOO and 19 Flavored Olive Oil entries that were entered for judging. The winners of the 8th Annual San Joaquin Valley Olive Oil Competition are as follows with counties of ranch locations noted in parenthesis:
Best of Show
Olivaia’s OLA Estate Sevillano (Tulare) – EVOO
Corto Olive Co. Yuzu Citrus (San Joaquin) – Flavored Olive Oil
Best of the Valley
- Marchini Farms Joe’s Premium 100% Mission (Merced)
Extra Virgin Olive Oils
- Gold Medal Winners
- Spanish Blends: Corto Olive Co. Truly (San Joaquin), J. Marchini Farms Joe’s Premium 100% Mission (Merced), Cobram Estate Olive Oil 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Robust (Yolo/Sacramento), California Olive Ranch Miller’s Blend (Glenn)
- Spanish Singles: Rancho Azul y Oro Olive Farm Arbequina (Monterey), Olivaia’s OLA Estate Sevillano (Tulare), Grumpy Goats Farm Organic Picual (Yolo), The Olive Press Picual (Sonoma)
- Italian Blends: San Miguel Olive Farm Tuscan Gold Eleganza (San Luis Obispo), San Miguel Olive Farm Tuscan Gold Paradiso (San Luis Obispo)
- Italian Singles: Rio Bravo Ranch Coratina (Kern), Rio Bravo Ranch Frantoio (Kern), Tres Osos Olive Oil Taggiasca (Monterey), Grumpy Goats Farm Organic Coratina (Yolo), Grumpy Goats Farm Organic Late Harvest Coratina (Yolo), Grumpy Goats Farm Organic Itrana (Yolo), Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Co. Coratina (Sutter)
- Gold Medal Winners
- Other Blends: OH Olive Oil (Kern), Olivaia’s OLA Block X Heirloom (Tulare), Rio Bravo Ranch Miller’s Reserve Blend (Kern)
- Other Singles: Coastal Press Extra Virgin (Madera/Tulare)
- Silver Medal Winners:
- Spanish Blends: Olivaia’s OLA Block X Super (Tulare), Cobram Estate 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Classic (Yolo/Sacramento) Cobram Estate Olive Oil 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil – CA Select (Yolo/Sacramento)
- Spanish Singles: Rio Bravo Ranch Picual (Kern), Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil (San Joaquin), Grumpy Goats Farm Organic Hojiblanca (Yolo), California Olive Ranch Reserve Arbequina (Glenn), California Olive Ranch Reserve Arbosana (Glenn)
- Italian Blends: San Miguel Olive Farm Tuscan Gold Fantastico (San Luis Obispo), Rancho Azul y Oro Olive Farm Estate Olive Oil (Monterey), J. Marchini Farms Joe’s Premium Tuscan Blend (Merced), Terra Savia Field Blend (Mendocino), Colomba Bianca Frantoio/Mission (San Joaquin)
- Italian Singles: Terra Savia Moraiolo (Mendocino)
Flavored Olive Oils
- Gold Medal Winners
- Citrus: Corto Olive Co. Yuzu Citrus (San Joaquin), Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Lavish Lime (San Joaquin), Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Blood Orange (San Joaquin)
- Pepper: Corto Olive Co. Calabrian Chili (San Joaquin), The Olive Press Jalapeno (Sonoma)
- Other: Rancho Azul y Oro Olive Farm Arbequina-Smoked (Monterey), Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Jalapeno Garlic (San Joaquin), Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Co. Citrus Habanero Olive Oil (Sutter)
- Silver Medal Winners
- Citrus: Rancho Azul y Oro Olive Farm Arbequina-Lemon (Monterey), The Olive Press Citron (Sonoma), Coastal Press Lemon Olive Oil (Madera/Tulare), Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Co. Meyer Lemon Olive Oil (Sutter)
- Herbal: Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Bountiful Basil (San Joaquin), Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Rustic Rosemary (San Joaquin), Coastal Press Basil Olive Oil (Madera/Tulare)
- Pepper: Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Hot Virgin Jalapeno (San Joaquin)
- Other: Coldani Olive Ranch Calivirgin Guilty Garlic (San Joaquin), Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Co. Garlic Herb Olive Oil (Sutter)
All winners will be on display in the Agriculture Building with educational information on the art of making olive oil and its health benefits. Gold Medal, Best of Show and Best of the Valley winners will have the opportunity to have a booth in the Agriculture Building on one day during a weekend at the 2023 Big Fresno Fair.
Participants in the 2023 SJVOOC were evaluated and scored on the following criteria:
- Gold Medal: Awarded to an olive oil that demonstrated its type and/or varietal character, balance, structure and complexities to the highest standards. Gold Medals were awarded to those oils receiving scores between 86 – 100 points.
- Silver Medal: Awarded to an olive oil reflecting the correct distribution of balance and character of its type or variety; an oil deemed to be well crafted and of excellent quality. Silver Medals were awarded to those oils receiving scores between 76 – 85 points.
- Best of Show: Awarded to an olive oil recognized to possess special characteristics of the highest quality overall.
- Best of the Valley: Awarded to the oil that scored the highest with the ranch or office located in the San Joaquin Valley. Medals were awarded for both EVOO and flavored oils. (Kern, Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties eligible)
Details and the 2024 SJVOOC entry application will be posted in February 2024.
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Publix Donates in Honor of World Oceans Day
On World Oceans Day, June 8, Publix announced its continued efforts to support seafood sustainability and protect ocean wildlife. This year’s donations bring the company’s total contributions to more than $600,000 during the 13-year collaboration with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.
“It is important to Publix that we support and assist seafood industry leaders so that meaningful and lasting steps can be taken to protect marine life while allowing for the responsible and sustainable harvesting of seafood,” said Publix Business Development Director of Seafood Guy Pizzuti.
Over the last year, Publix has donated over $165,000 to SFP to help support fishery and aquaculture improvement projects and other efforts to advance seafood sustainability.
The World Oceans Day donations included more than $83,000 for ropeless fishing gear, more than $42,000 for electronic monitoring to reduce bycatch and Publix’s annual $40,000 donation to support SFP’s initiatives to achieve steady and continuous improvements in fisheries.
Ropeless fishing gear, commonly known in the fishing industry as on-demand gear, includes enhanced traps that catch lobster and crab from the ocean floor but help eliminate the risk of whales getting entangled in the ropes. The gear is supplied through gear libraries to fishers and commercial fisheries free of charge.
Unintended catch, or bycatch, is when fisheries accidentally catch nontarget wildlife, such as whales, sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and seabirds. Five fishing boats within Publix’s supply chain have been equipped with high-quality cameras and monitoring equipment that collect data on the effectiveness of best practices to reduce bycatch in the mahi-mahi, swordfish and yellowfin tuna fisheries in Costa Rica and Panama. The equipment records when and where bycatch occurs, tracks migration patterns and gathers data on the species involved.
The company’s annual donation supports SFP’s initiatives and efforts to advance fishery improvement projects, including addressing bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery and fostering healthy growth of blue swimming crab in various fishing locations.
“These donations from Publix are important for two reasons,” said SFP Director of Biodiversity and Nature Kathryn Novak. “First, it sends a signal to fishermen that retailers like Publix are interested in seeing these changes made to protect ocean wildlife from fishing impacts and, second, it helps the fishers over the hurdle of investing in new gear or practices. SFP is proud to partner with Publix on these important initiatives.”
SFP is a nonprofit marine conservation organization that works with retailers, seafood buyers and supply chains to help rebuild fish stocks and reduce impacts of the fishing industry on ocean wildlife and the marine environment.
To learn more about Publix’s sustainability efforts, including seafood sustainability, visit publix.com/seafoodsustainability.
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Derek Jeter Joins Meati Foods as Investor, Advisor
Meati Foods, the producer of animal-free meat made from mushroom root, announced that MLB Hall of Fame member, investor and entrepreneur Derek Jeter has joined the company as an investor and advisor.
“When it came to considering an investment in this industry, I had three main priorities in evaluating the food: nutrition, sustainability and taste,” said Jeter. “Meati certainly delivers, with great quality steaks and cutlets and an institutional emphasis on high nutritional value and sustainable practices. As we look to the future, the choices we make and the impact we leave are critical, and I appreciate the way Meati has dedicated efforts to making a real difference.”
Eat Meati products, available in Sprouts nationwide as well as restaurants including PLNT Burger and Birdcall, include the Classic Cutlet, Crispy Cutlet, Classic Steak and Carne Asada Steak. Jeter joins a roster of significant supporters, including culinary icons like cook, philanthropist and television personality, Rachael Ray; chef and founder of Momofuku and Majordomo Media, David Chang; the co-founders of restaurant chain sweetgreen, Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman; and former White House senior policy advisor for nutrition, Sam Kass. Alongside Jeter, these partnerships reflect Meati’s diverse appeal and its vision to create a more inclusive food ecosystem.
“An investment from Derek, one of the greatest athletes of all time, is a huge validation of our food. Very few people are as discriminating about the quality of food that fuels their bodies,” said Scott Tassani, president and COO of Meati Foods. “Derek has seen endless products cross his desk for partnership consideration, and we’re honored by his support and inspired by his passion for a more sustainable, equitable, nutritious food ecosystem.”
Following a 20-year career with the New York Yankees, Jeter has participated in a number of successful business ventures and entrepreneurial investments while maintaining his ties to baseball. His previous investments in the food and beverage industry include Performance Kitchen, Amass and Bespoken Spirits. He established the Turn 2 Foundation in 1996, which has awarded more than $34 million in grants to create and support signature programs that motivate young people to “Turn 2” healthy lifestyles. In recognition of his historic impact on the game of baseball, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020.
Founded in 2017, Meati Foods is working to unlock a more delicious, nutritious, equitable and sustainable food system for everyone. Eat Meati, the debut product line from Meati Foods, features cutlets and steaks made from mushroom root, a whole-food protein cultivated with a modernized version of ancient and natural processes that have helped preserve Earth’s ecosystems for millennia. Eat Meati made its national, retail debut in March 2023 after a year of record sellouts through its direct-to-doorstep online shop. A national omni-channel footprint is planned for late 2023.
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