BajaNomad

Guadalupe Valley olive oil

tripledigitken - 5-2-2012 at 10:28 PM

We bought some of this olive oil from LA Cetto awhile back. It is a very good oil at around $7 for a 750 ml/bottle.

Highly recommended. This is the oil to dip bread in, drizzle over pasta, etc. We are enjoying it so much that we plan on bringing back a bottle or two each time returning home through the G. Valley.







Yep

John M - 5-3-2012 at 04:38 AM

We have two bottle here as well. It is really good stuff!

Of course the wine we bought gets more use thus doesn't last nearly as long.

John

Olive Festival

bajaguy - 5-3-2012 at 05:31 AM

In March of every year there is an olive festival at the Baron Balche Winery in El Porvenir (Guadalupe Valley). You can stock up on olive oil produced by several vendors in the Guadalupe and Santo Tomas areas.

Great event, free samples of olive oil, olive products, breads and wine. Oil from various vendors, food, wine, crafts and music.

http://quepasabaja.com/?p=738

[Edited on 5-3-2012 by bajaguy]

Pescador - 5-3-2012 at 06:57 AM

Some of the smaller growers produce their own organic brands of Olive Oil and we picked up a bottle or two of extra virgin Olive oil which turned out to the be the best we had ever had. If you have the time, it is really fun to poke around in the smaller places. If I remember correctly it was Dona Anita's.

Udo - 5-3-2012 at 07:11 AM

I concur with Pescador.

Just drive on some of the side dirt roads and see where they lead you. We have found about 10 different olive oils that way (as well as wines).

However...if you really want to make out on the olive oils, but two gallons of the LA CETO (one case), and store it away in a cool place of the garage or bodega.
Open it ten years later.

You'll be surprised!
Best you'll ever taste.

I found this out by accident when I forgot about the stash (this was about 6 years ago).

Udo - 5-3-2012 at 07:20 AM

You posted this at 4:30 IN THE MORNING, bajaguy???:smug:
Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
In March of every year there is an olive festival at the Baron Balche Winery in El Porvenir (Guadalupe Valley). You can stock up on olive oil produced by several vendors in the Guadalupe and Santo Tomas areas.

Great event, free samples of olive oil, olive products, breads and wine. Oil from various vendors, food, wine, crafts and music.

http://quepasabaja.com/?p=738

[Edited on 5-3-2012 by bajaguy]

tripledigitken - 5-3-2012 at 07:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
I concur with Pescador.

Just drive on some of the side dirt roads and see where they lead you. We have found about 10 different olive oils that way (as well as wines).



What are some of the producer's names? What price range were they in? I limit EVOO to less than $10 /750ml. Wine I'll go to $20.

Tip:

For some fair prices on good Spanish EVOO, try Costa Brava's (Spanish restaurant in Pacific Beach) retail store next to the restaurant!!

[Edited on 5-3-2012 by tripledigitken]

goldhuntress - 5-3-2012 at 07:59 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pescador
Some of the smaller growers produce their own organic brands of Olive Oil and we picked up a bottle or two of extra virgin Olive oil which turned out to the be the best we had ever had. If you have the time, it is really fun to poke around in the smaller places. If I remember correctly it was Dona Anita's.

Doña Lupe has organic olive oil that is quite good. It's behind L.A. Cetto.

Udo - 5-3-2012 at 06:13 PM

Mr. 3DKen:

I am unable to give you an answer to your question in regards to the names.

Personally...I don't think the olive oil producer's names matter because they were all boutique olive oils.
I recall from my last drive through there, about 4 years ago, that I went to the same places that offered wines during the VENDIMIA festival. I.E. we drove about 15 dirt roads in search of boutique wines and ended up buying a bunch of olive oils.
All bottles were destroyed in my house fire last year (near Big Bear Lake).

Mula - 5-3-2012 at 06:51 PM



We bought these - yesterday - right before the new Military check point heading south on Mex 1 (first check point south of Ensenada) - on the left side of the road in front of a gate to a vineyard.

Great Gifts!

80 pesos each.

The label says "aceite de olivo artensanal"
"olio"
"Vinedos Llano Colorado"
"San Vincente Ensendad, Baja California"

Slimjim - 5-3-2012 at 07:35 PM

my wife Toni still rubs it in cause i have not stopped for oo or olives how about the Burria stands in that area (that is goat?) now I'm going to here it I need to stop more often.

Slimjim - 5-3-2012 at 07:36 PM

my wife Toni still rubs it in cause i have not stopped for oo or olives how about the Burria stands in that area (that is goat?) now I'm going to here it I need to stop more often.

DENNIS - 5-3-2012 at 08:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Slimjim
my wife Toni still rubs it in cause i have not stopped for oo or olives how about the Burria stands in that area (that is goat?) now I'm going to here it I need to stop more often.


........or, make your own.

http://www.mexicanrecipes.me/birria.htm

Bírria can be made from many types of meat, but most commonly, goat.
Welcome to BajaNomad, SlimJim.

elgatoloco - 5-3-2012 at 08:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by tripledigitken
Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
I concur with Pescador.

Just drive on some of the side dirt roads and see where they lead you. We have found about 10 different olive oils that way (as well as wines).



What are some of the producer's names? What price range were they in? I limit EVOO to less than $10 /750ml. Wine I'll go to $20.

Tip:

For some fair prices on good Spanish EVOO, try Costa Brava's (Spanish restaurant in Pacific Beach) retail store next to the restaurant!!

[Edited on 5-3-2012 by tripledigitken]



Pata Negra Market is one of my wife's favorite places to shop for paella supplies. Her paella is the best, IMEO.
:smug:

tripledigitken - 5-3-2012 at 09:12 PM

Udo,

So sorry to hear of your house fire.

My experience with Mexican wines and olive oil is paying more or just going to a "boutique winery" doesn't necessarily get you a better product compared with the likes of Cetto or Santo Tomas for instance.

With expensive olive oils I don't get the value of the more expensive oils, as I can't discern the difference between an $8 bottle and one that costs $20, so I stick with the bargain.

With Mexican wine I have yet to find a $30 bottle that I can't better for half the price with a California vintage. That's just me. My mind is still open and love tasting throughout the Valley.

I was hoping to get a recommendation on EVOO that I could compare with the Cetto peso for peso.

Ken
Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
Mr. 3DKen:

I am unable to give you an answer to your question in regards to the names.

Personally...I don't think the olive oil producer's names matter because they were all boutique olive oils.
I recall from my last drive through there, about 4 years ago, that I went to the same places that offered wines during the VENDIMIA festival. I.E. we drove about 15 dirt roads in search of boutique wines and ended up buying a bunch of olive oils.
All bottles were destroyed in my house fire last year (near Big Bear Lake).

goldhuntress - 5-3-2012 at 10:56 PM

I ran across this olive oil study done by the UC Davis Olive Oil Center couple years ago. It 's kind of an eye opener. Many imported olive oils fail international and US standards. Nothing to do with oil from Baja but it is good info. I buy the California Ranch Olive Oil in the States and like it very much and it's a good price. In Baja, like I mentioned before, I've enjoyed Doña Lupes, it's a little more expensive. It's just fun to get local products while in Baja.

wilderone - 5-4-2012 at 07:14 AM

I bought some of that Olio olive oil at a roadside stand near the vinyards south of Santo Tomas. Haven't tried it yet - still on my LA Cetto bottle. How would you describe the Olio?

PS: I gave my daughter a bottle of LA Cetto and told her how great it was - she doesn't cook with oils, so she put this on her face for a moisturizer and said it's wonderful!

55steve - 5-4-2012 at 07:40 AM

One of my co-workers has a place in Guadalupe Valley with olive trees. He is in the process of planting 50 more trees right now. He allows the local ejido guys to pick/process his olives and the product is excellent. I got (6) 750ml bottles for $36 which I thought was a good deal.

DENNIS - 5-4-2012 at 07:50 AM

I remember reading this about the GOYA product in CR, years ago. May still hold some interest:
----------------



A SHOPPER’S GUIDE TO BUYING OLIVE OIL.Herb Denenberg Column for August 16, 2004Olive oil is one of the most versatile and healthiest of fats. It is just as versatile as butter, and certainly much healthier.

Most would agree that it is one of your best choices for fats and oils, if not the best choice. It is part of the much-praised Mediterranean diet. Of course, when discussing fats we need a caveat. Fats are all high in calories, and consumption should be limited for that reason. But they are also an essential nutrient. They are also important in making food palatable. So the key is getting the right fats in moderation and avoiding the wrong ones.


So if you are going to use olive oil, definitely one of the right fats, here are some suggestions on buying it, along with suggestions that make sense in buying olive oil or any other consumer product.


SUGGESTION ONE. Buy for your taste, not for the taste of some panel of experts. I often find that some expert taste panel roundly condemns the brand of some product, such as chocolate, that I like best. Fine. The panel can eat what they like and so will I.


So I approached with great interest and respect the ratings of olive oil from Consumer Reports (CR). It rated Goya as its best buy at a cost of 24 cents an ounce. It gave excellent ratings to McEvoy Ranch at $1.54 an ounce and B.B. Cohen, organic California at $1.21 an ounce. Then at very good came Goya at 24 cents an ounce, Lucini (Premium Select) at 71 cents an ounce, and California Olive Ranch (Arbequina) at 76 cents an ounce.


In eighth position, in the category designated as good, was Kirkland at 12 cents an ounce. Kirkland is Cosco’s house brand. Knowing that company’s reputation for high quality at low prices, I did my own taste test and found it was as good or better than Goya. That’s just one man’s opinion who is not known for sensitive taste buds. So for me I decided to stay with Kirkland, but CR’s recommendations are certainly worth considering.


SUGGESTION TWO. Don’t assume that high price correlates with high quality and value. In the CR test of 18 olive oils, Goya, which was rated the best buy and third in quality, was less expensive than all but three of the other olive oils. I find this price relationship quite common in reviewing other comparative tests. The most expensive is rarely the highest in quality or value.


SUGGESTION THREE. Don’t trust the label or representation thereon. The common term for the best olive oil, extra virgin, is not verified by the U.S. government, and CR’s

Expert tasters said some oils don’t live up to that claim.


Another labeling example is the stress on Italian olive oil, as some consider that the best. But Philip Berio’s label says “imported from Italy” on the front of the bottle but in small print in the back it says packed in Italy with select olives from Italy, Spain, Greece and Tunisia. That was all too typical.


SUGGESTION FOUR. Don’t forget that sometimes the food companies get it right. CR says that despite rumors of adulteration, its lab test found none. That doesn’t prove there is none, but that is a reassuring note.


SUGGESTION FIVE. You may want different brands for different purposes. For example, CR recommends Goya as the best all-purpose choice or for cooking. For drizzling (putting on salads and other foods not to be cooked) it recommends the two most expensive brands it tested, the two rated excellent noted above.


SUGGESTION SIX. Buy quantities to match your needs and the product’s staying power. Oils tend to become rancid fast, so buy quantities you can use in a relatively short time.


SUGGESTION SEVEN. Know how to store the product to preserve its quality. The standard advice is to keep in a cool dark place, away from heat and exposure to sun and other light sources.

http://www.thedenenbergreport.org/article.php?index=413

DENNIS - 5-4-2012 at 07:59 AM

Ensenada used to have a large Olive Oil industry, but a few things changed that.

First.....there was a blight that ravaged the groves back in the 80s and growers were ordered to destroy their trees so as to contain the problem.
Well....most did, but some didn't. I can only guess that there was a government subsidy involved as, had there been no financial gain in tearing out the groves, none would have gone to the expense to have it done.

Second.......when there was a commercial fishing industry in Ensenada, some species were packed in Olive Oil. When the fishing went south, so did the need for Olive Oil.
By and large, Olive Oil made locally was practically inedible anyway, but the local market didn't realize that since there were no imports to compare it to.

It's good to see quality products have reentered the market.