Random Thoughts

In my past blogs I have been talking about olive growing, oils, birds and bees. It is time to think of the wonderful flavor aromas of summer. Think fresh cut grass, peaches, roses, orange blossoms, and tomatoes on the vine. The flavors of nature, open fields, grass and fresh blossoms. Humans respond to aromas. Ask […]

Athena’s Blend Gold Medal Award Winning Olive Oil We named the best oil of this year Athena’s Blend. It received a Gold Medal at the prestigious New York International Olive Oil Competition, and was named as one of the best olive oils in the world. Athena’s Blend, grown by our Chef Marvin Martin, and milled […]

HEALTH AND OLIVE OIL Recently two articles have garnered the intense interest of the public. A dietary recommendations article and an article on cancer. Both having to do in part with olive oil. First and foremost, human nutrition is very complicated, and it is a very difficult research to undertake. Let me briefly tell you […]

Everything seems early again this year. We are responding to Mother Nature’s calls of Spring even though it is only February. I feel sorry for my friends back East in all the cold and snow. I hope this blog gives them hope for planting. Everyone has spring fever here at IL Fiorello. We are busy getting […]

The California Olive Oil Commission was formed under the stewardship of Senator Lois Wolk. Similar to the Almond Commission, the Olive Oil Commission was created to standardize nomenclature as well as the processing of oils from California. Is this a good thing, at the right time or not? Fortunately everyone has their opinion and gets […]

JULY is national ice cream month, but we have something much better. Italian Gelato!!! Celebrate! IL Fiorello has gelato, made by Leo Leo in Paso Robles. The family is from Florence, hence the name Leo, or Lion, the symbol of Florence. Fantastic, delightful, perfect, amazing, colors and flavors. 99 to be exact. Each week we […]

Here at Il Fiorello, we like to play with unique pairings of olive oil, food, and selected wines. One of our favorite pairings is chocolate olive oil truffles and Galvan Family Cellars’ Dolcetto dessert wine.  This pairing in particular is mouth-wateringly delicious.  The truffles are made with dark chocolate and our Leccino olive oil, a […]

When working in a tasting room, you never know who is going to walk through the door. The guests might be completely new to olive oil or they might be experts. They may want an in depth tasting or they may just be interested in one type. Fortunately, we have something for everyone. However, being […]

JOIN US AT THE GREEN VALLEY FARMERS MARKET TODAY BUY LOCAL! BUY CERTIFIED! KNOW YOUR PRODUCER! KNOW WHAT YOU EAT!   This Spring we attended a conference at the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, titled Fighting Economic Adulteration in the Market Place. The Secretary of California of Food and Commerce […]

Food fraud was recently defined in a report commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Food Protection and Defense. Intentional or economically motivated adulteration includes the fraudulent addition of non-authentic substances or removal or replacement of authentic substances – without the purchaser’s knowledge – for economic gain of the seller. […]