At each farmer’s market, just about every time you pop into a store selling local products, you spot a new Lake County olive oil.
The Villa Barone is one small yet distinguished label. Clearlake Oaks Olive Oil specializes in Manzanillo. Rosa d’Oro turns out a beautifully rich and bitter Tuscan. Other wineries — Shannon Ridge and Boatique, for example, showcase theirs alongside small operations.
And there is always Chacewater Winery and Olive Press in Kelseyville.
Their lineup ranges from mild to intense extra virgin olive oils, with a few twists (Meyer lemon and blood orange, for example).
Chacewater’s Sevillano is an even tempered, Spanish-style olive oil that maintains a pleasant demeanor from start to finish.
On the nose a it hints of sweetness, presenting aromas of melon rind tucked into tall green grass. Behind this it’s possible to detect floral notes and a faintly whispered promise of bitterness.
There is no indication, really, of the wealth of packed into this svelte frame.
If any olive oil could be compared to melted butter from grass fed cows, it’s the Chacewater Sevillano. As it wallows across your palate, a rich, creaminess takes hold. Yes, there are wisps of fruit and grass, along with an earthen quality, but these wade in a velvety, genteel adipose.
On the finish, however, it reminds you of fresh olive oil’s pungent nature, as pricks of cracked pepper emerge and cling to the back of your throat.
It’s an olive oil you almost want to sip.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
