California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: COOC

  • CA Olive Oil Council Announces Recipients of 2021 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition

    Winners from the 13th Annual California Olive Oil Council Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition have been announced, recognizing olive oil producers from throughout California for their excellence. This year’s competition, which attracted 80 submissions, was judged by the California Olive Oil Council’s certification tasting panel, granting a host of awards including Best of Show, Best of Class, Miller Recognition, and Gold and Silver. Winners include:

     

    Best of Show

    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Picual

     

    Best of Class

    • Delicate: Ohanneson Enterprises: OH Olive Oil
    • Medium: High Top Ranch
    • Robust: Proskine Family Farms

     

    Miller Recognition Award Winner

    • John Mesrobian: The Mill at Kings River for Ohanneson Enterprises: OH Olive Oil

     

    Gold Medal Winners

    • Campodonico Olive Farm: Tuscan Blend
    • Colina Vista Ranch: Calabrese – Tuscan Blend
    • ENZO Olive Oil Company: Organic Medium
    • Gold Ridge Organic Farms: Minerva Blend
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Coratina
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Italian Blend
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Picual
    • Halter Ranch: Tuscan Blend
    • High Top Ranch
    • Kiler Ridge Olive Farm: Nocellara del Belice
    • Long Meadow Ranch: Napa Valley Select
    • Long Meadow Ranch: Prato Lungo
    • Mangini Ranch Olive Oil Company: Calaveras Reserve
    • Marciano Estate Winery: Organic Italian Blend
    • Ohanneson Enterprises: OH Olive Oil
    • Olivaia’s OLA: Block X Heirloom Batch 20-1
    • Proskine Family Farms
    • The Ranch at Birch Creek
    • Rosenthal Olive Ranch: Koroneiki
    • San Paulo Olive Farm: Frantoio–Leccino
    • Sogno di Oliva: Tuscan Blend
    • Spanish Oaks Ranch: Arbequina
    • Tofino Estate: Supremo
    • Tres Osos Olive Oil: Robust
    • Tres Osos Olive Oil: Taggiasca
    • Warm Springs Farm

     

    Silver Medal Winners

    • 11 Olives: Longevity
    • Bari Olive Oil Company: Arbequina
    • Boccabella Farms: Arbequina
    • Boccabella Farms: Field Blend
    • Boccabella Farms: Winemakers Blend
    • Boundary Bend Olives: Cobram Estate – California Classic
    • Burroughs Family Orchards: Organic Koroneiki
    • Corto Olive Co: Truly
    • Corto Olive Co: Truly-Arbequina
    • ENZO Olive Oil Company: Organic Delicate
    • Estee Hill Vineyard: Manzanillo
    • Fat Gold Productions: Gold Standard
    • Gold Ridge Organic Farms: Arbequino Blend
    • Gold Ridge Organic Farms: Picholine Blend
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Pendolino
    • Jackrabbit California Olive Oil: Relaxed Blend
    • Kiler Ridge Olive Farm: Tuscan
    • Mangini Ranch Olive Oil Company: Estate Mission
    • McDonough Family Olive Oil
    • The Mill at Kings River: Koroneiki
    • Olivaia’s OLA: Block X Heirloom Batch 20-2
    • Organic Roots Olive Oil: Arbequina
    • Pine Mountain Olive Farm
    • Rio Bravo Ranch: Miller’s Reserve Blend
    • Rio Bravo Ranch: Picual
    • Rosental Olive Ranch: Arbosano
    • Séka Hills: Estate Frantoio
    • Showa Farm: Arbequina
    • Spanish Oaks Ranch: Italian Blend
    • Spanish Oaks Ranch: Picual
    • Swayne Family Ranch: Tuscan Blend
    • Tierra Santa Orchards: Hojiblanca Reserve
    • Wild Groves: Ascolano
    • Wild Groves: Foxy
    • Wild Groves: Robust Blend

    “Congratulations to all of the 2021 COOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition winners,” said COOC Executive Director Patricia King. “The COOC members are committed to crafting delicious extra virgin olive oils by adhering to best practices, and many award-winning extra virgin olive oils were produced, despite a challenging 2020 harvest. We thank consumers and retailers for their continued support of 100% California, certified extra virgin olive oil.”

     

    About the California Olive Oil Council and its Seal Certification

    Founded in 1992, the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) is a non-profit trade and marketing association whose purpose is to promote the growing of olives and the production of fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil in California. The COOC represents the majority of olive oil production in the state with a membership of 300 growers, producers, and supporting members from the retail and service industries. The organization supports certified olive oil standards and provides grower, producer and consumer education. Through its Seal Certification Program, the COOC helps everyone from home chefs to restaurants find guaranteed extra virgin grade olive oils for their kitchens. For more information, visit cooc.com.

  • Dan Flynn Receives the 2020 California Olive Oil Council Pioneer Award

    The 2020 recipient of the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) Pioneer Award has made a lasting impact on the California olive oil industry. Dan Flynn started the UC Davis Olive Center 13 years ago where he serves as the executive director with just $50,000 from university and industry supporters, and grew it into a world-renowned center for olive research and education. The organization has worked in concert with the California Olive Oil Council from its beginning in 2008. In partnership with the industry, UC Davis has helped millions of consumers understand the quality of supermarket olive oil, provided the analytical foundation for California’s strict olive oil standards and educated thousands to become better olive growers, processors and tasters.

    If the success of a leader can be measured by the fingerprints they leave behind, Dan’s impact on the olive oil industry should not be understated, said David Garci Aguirre, Vice President of Operations for California-based premium olive oil producer Corto. “Several of the most influential events in the industry over the last decade are the direct result of the work completed by Dan and his team at the UC Davis Olive Center.”

    Flynn’s attributes much of the center’s success to creating partnerships between dozens of academic specialists, olive growers and processors. He has worked tirelessly to nurture the network which has resulted in priceless value. Flynn focused on serving the industry while meeting the needs of UC Davis. The partnership between UC Davis and California agriculture has delivered enormous benefits for the California olive crop.

    Flynn has also built relationships with international researchers to leverage their research for the benefit of California. The international conferences with the Culinary Institute of American and the International Olive Council have elevated the California industry on the global stage. He has positioned the UC Davis Olive Center as an independent and trusted facilitator where everyone is welcome.

    “Dan Flynn deserves our recognition, praise and applause. He pioneered making the Olive Center a reality where the millers, growers, and producers have ready access to the research and learning tools needed for the Crop of The Future,” said Karen Bond, Owner of Bondolio Olive Oil.

    Flynn is preparing to retire in June. His successor, Javier Fernandez-Salavador, will inherit a strong Olive Center, guided by a 10-year strategic plan to bolster research, funding and connectivity. “I will still be active in helping the center and I will always be grateful for the support of the COOC and its members,” said Flynn.

    The Pioneer Award was established in 1999 to recognize those who have made a major contribution to the California olive oil industry and the COOC. “The COOC thanks Dan for his commitment, partnership and support over the years, and wishes him all the best in the future,” said Patricia King, Executive Director of the California Olive Oil Council.