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What to Buy Getting There
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When Karen Guth, owner of Pasolivo, began planting olive trees on her 140-acre ranch in 1996, she just had a hunch that they were going to do well. She predicted that the gently sloping hills, arid climate, and fluctuating daily temperatures of Far Out Paso would create an ideal incubator for Tuscan olives. She purchased an olive press from Italy, encouraged her son Joshua to study the art of olive milling, and began to make delicious history.
Today Pasolivo is the darling of the international culinary press. The Germany-based international food journal, Der Feinschmeker, named Pasolivo in its top ten of more than 1,000 olive oils in its 2007 annual tasting. At the 2007 International Olive Oil Competition in Los Angeles, Pasolivo oils took two top awards: Pasolivo Extra Virgin Olive Oil won Best in Show for Domestic Robust Olive Oils, and Pasolivo’s Tangerine Olive Oil won Best in Show Flavored Oil. In all, Pasolivo oils took home seven medals. At first, this fame may come as a surprise to wine tourers driving the winding roads of Far Out Paso. Turning up the narrow drive, they pass an unassuming farmhouse and old barn to reach a newer building out back. But this is where the magic happens. The bright, inviting tasting room has a long bar, just like the tasting room of a winery. Karen’s delightful daughter-in-law Joeli Yaguda, is often there to greet visitors. Her passion for cooking is evident as she pours the oils and explains their nuances. Joeli is also apt to walk visitors back to see the giant Pieralisi press, where Pasolivo processes all of their oils, and oil for their neighbors—at their Community Olive Press Day held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year. |
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Although the family’s ranch, tasting room, and mill are tucked back in the hills of Far Out Paso, critics, cooks, judges, and neighbors agree—Pasolivo simply stands out. |
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