How to choose and use Sonoma County olive oil

You can find olive oils at local wineries priced at $30 for a 375ml bottle (12.7 ounces), but you also can buy a 25-ounce bottle of the imported stuff for $6.99 at the grocery store. What gives?

McEvoy Ranch farming manager Samantha Dorsey nurtures 80 acres of premium olive orchards, making this Petaluma ranch one of the nation’s largest producers of certified organic, estate-grown olive oil. It’s harvested, milled, blended and bottled entirely on-site.

Her 2015 Traditional blend extra virgin olive oil comes in a classic, square Italian 375ml bottle, boasting a blend of olives from Tuscan heritage Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Maurino, Leccio del Corno and Coratina trees. And it costs $29.

There’s a good reason why it and other locally produced extra virgin olive oils are priced that way. They’re among the only EVOOs sold in the U.S. with the pedigree to back up that claim.

In 2011, a UC Davis study found that the largest imported olive oil brands had inconsistent quality and most failed to meet international standards for extra virgin olive oil. In other words, mass marketed oils sometimes contain cheap, refined oils that don’t even come from olives.

So last September, California became the first state in the nation to adopt quality and labeling standards, ensuring that olive oil produced, bottled and labeled as “extra virgin” is truly 100 percent extra virgin olive oil. It’s a big deal, since olives are Sonoma’s second-largest harvest after grapes, with harvest running October through December.

The only ways consumers can guarantee that they’re getting what they pay for is to check for certification from the California Olive Oil Council or the International Olive Council.

For cool cocktail party banter, you can impress your friends with this: True EVOO must have no chemical processing, be cold-processed at less than 27 degrees centigrade, have an acidity level of no greater than 0.5 percent and, most important, feature only real, pedigreed olives.

Taste and aroma is key, since pairing olive oil with food is like pairing wine with food. Good oils have different profiles, from robust to mild, nutty to spicy, acidic to fruity.

“Olive oil has a natural affinity for subtle, garden driven cuisine,” says Todd Knoll, executive chef of Jordan Estate, a Healdsburg winery that also produces EVOO.

“Choose a peppery and bitterish Leccino oil drizzled over sweet roasted vegetables, or the more floral fruit of Arbequina over a salad of slightly bitter greens and whole grains,” he said. “A top quality EVOO delivers excellent contrast to your recipe. Served no warmer than room temperature, it’s fresh and alive.”

True artisanal olive oil is good enough to be enjoyed on its own.

You can taste it at wineries that also make olive oil or, if you’re really into learning about EVOO, attend an event or two at the annual Olive Festival, which runs through January and February at locations throughout Sonoma Valley.

In the meantime, buy the good stuff and use it often. Sonoma County chefs are using the versatile, flavorful fat instead of butter, margarine and lard. And why not? As the Mayo Clinic notes, studies show the oil’s monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants boast powerful health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease, lowered cholesterol level and more stable blood sugar levels.

Chef Knoll even ditches poultry fat to make a duck confit that’s somehow still lavish and creamy.

“Using olive oil rather than the traditional duck fat is not only healthier, but also a better preservative,” he says. “The result is rich duck that retains its savory taste and texture, yet is brightened with the pepper, fresh green notes and acidity of our olive oil.”

Baked goods also will last longer when you substitute olive oil for butter, thanks to healthful Vitamin E and polyphenols, which bring longer shelf life. Just never keep your olive oil near the stove, which exposes the bottle to heat and makes it spoil quickly.

Good EVOO also can make you beautiful. Really. A dab on a cotton pad removes makeup without any irritation, and helps smooth wrinkles around your eyes.