We are about to begin our annual olive harvest and milling season — the most exciting six weeks of our year!
We have been preparing for this brief window of time, during the fall season, when our vibrant green olives begin to slightly turn the color of violet. This color change signals that the olives are at their peak of freshness and flavor, and thus ready to become Truly® Extra Virgin Olive Oil. As a multi-generational farming family with deep roots in California agriculture, we appreciate the similarities between growing grapes for fine wines and olives for quality olive oil.
A critical moment in a grapevine’s annual lifecycle is the onset of ripening, when the grapes turn from green to red and naturally begin to sweeten. This phenomenon, called veraison (“ver-AY-zhun”), means it is time to gear up for harvest. Similarly, at Corto, we monitor our groves closely in anticipation of the special moment when the olives tell us they are ready (olive veraison!).
Nonno Amerigo Cortopassi had a favorite saying, “you cannot make good wine from bad grapes”. The same is true for olive oil made from quality olives harvested at just the right time. We are proud to make ultra-fresh extra virgin olive oil that brings out the best flavors in food.